53 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
53 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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summary: "macOS IPC architecture for Clawdis app, CLI helper, and gateway bridge (control socket + XPC + PeekabooBridge)"
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read_when:
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- Editing IPC contracts or menu bar app IPC
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---
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# Clawdis macOS IPC architecture (Dec 2025)
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Note: the current implementation primarily uses a local UNIX-domain control socket (`controlSocketPath`) between `clawdis-mac` and the app. This doc captures the intended long-term Mach/XPC direction and the security constraints, and also documents the separate PeekabooBridge socket used for UI automation.
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## Goals
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- Single GUI app instance that owns all TCC-facing work (notifications, screen recording, mic, speech, AppleScript).
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- A small surface for automation: the `clawdis-mac` CLI and the Node gateway talk to the app via local IPC.
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- Predictable permissions: always the same signed bundle ID, launched by launchd, so TCC grants stick.
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- Limit who can connect: only signed clients from our team (with an explicit DEBUG-only escape hatch for development).
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## How it works
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### Control socket (current)
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- `clawdis-mac` talks to the app via a local UNIX socket (`controlSocketPath`) for app-specific requests (notify, status, ensure-permissions, run, etc.).
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### PeekabooBridge (UI automation)
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- UI automation uses a separate UNIX socket named `bridge.sock` and the PeekabooBridge JSON protocol.
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- Host preference order (client-side): Peekaboo.app → Clawdis.app → local execution.
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- Security: bridge hosts require TeamID `Y5PE65HELJ`; DEBUG-only same-UID escape hatch is guarded by `PEEKABOO_ALLOW_UNSIGNED_SOCKET_CLIENTS=1` (Peekaboo convention).
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- See: `docs/mac/peekaboo.md` for the Clawdis plan and naming.
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### Mach/XPC (future direction)
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- The app registers a Mach service named `com.steipete.clawdis.xpc` via a user LaunchAgent at `~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.steipete.clawdis.plist`.
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- The launch agent runs `dist/Clawdis.app/Contents/MacOS/Clawdis` with `RunAtLoad=true`, `KeepAlive=false`, and a `MachServices` entry for the XPC name.
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- The app hosts the XPC listener (`NSXPCListener(machServiceName:)`) and exports `ClawdisXPCService`.
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- The CLI (`clawdis-mac`) connects with `NSXPCConnection(machServiceName:)`; the Node gateway shells out to the CLI.
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- Security: on incoming connections we read the audit token (or PID) and allow only:
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- Code-signed clients with team ID `Y5PE65HELJ`.
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- In `DEBUG` builds only, you can opt into allowing same-UID clients by setting `CLAWDIS_ALLOW_UNSIGNED_SOCKET_CLIENTS=1`.
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## Operational flows
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- Restart/rebuild: `SIGN_IDENTITY="Apple Development: Peter Steinberger (2ZAC4GM7GD)" scripts/restart-mac.sh`
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- Kills existing instances
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- Swift build + package
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- Writes/bootstraps/kickstarts the LaunchAgent
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- CLI version: `clawdis-mac --version` (pulled from `package.json` during packaging)
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- Single instance: app exits early if another instance with the same bundle ID is running.
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## Why launchd (not anonymous endpoints)
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- A Mach service avoids brittle endpoint handoffs and lets the CLI/Node connect even if the app was started by launchd.
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- RunAtLoad without KeepAlive means the app starts once; if it crashes it stays down (no unwanted respawn), but CLI calls will re-spawn via launchd.
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## Hardening notes
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- Prefer requiring a TeamID match for all privileged surfaces.
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- Clawdis control socket: `CLAWDIS_ALLOW_UNSIGNED_SOCKET_CLIENTS=1` (DEBUG-only) may allow same-UID callers for local development.
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- PeekabooBridge: `PEEKABOO_ALLOW_UNSIGNED_SOCKET_CLIENTS=1` (DEBUG-only) may allow same-UID callers for local development.
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- All communication remains local-only; no network sockets are exposed.
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- TCC prompts originate only from the GUI app bundle; run scripts/package-mac-app.sh so the signed bundle ID stays stable.
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