Set up CopperOS

CopperOS is a Chrome extension (the hands) and an AI agent (the brains). The first time you open it, it asks where the agent should run: in the cloud, or on this computer.

Install the extension

Add CopperOS to Chrome

Then click the CopperOS icon in Chrome's toolbar to open the side panel. If you can't see it, open the puzzle-piece menu and pin CopperOS.

Now choose where it runs:

CloudThe quick way. Sign in with Google and go. This computerEverything stays with you. Run the broker yourself.

In the cloud The quick way

Choose Cloud and press Continue.
Sign in with your Google account.
Open Settings (the sliders icon, top right). Choose a provider, paste your API key, choose a model and press Save:
- OpenRouter (openrouter.ai/keys): one key gives you hundreds of models, and you pay only for what you use.
- OpenAI (platform.openai.com).
Type a task and press Enter.

In the cloud, a task works for up to 15 minutes at a time. If it needs longer, say continue and it picks up where it left off.

On this computer Everything stays with you

You need Node.js 20 or newer (nodejs.org, the LTS installer is fine), and an OpenRouter or OpenAI key, or Ollama (ollama.com) with a model that supports tools.

Choose This computer and press Continue.
Get the broker:
```
git clone https://github.com/Jesse0502/CopperOS.git
cd CopperOS/broker
npm install
```
No git? Download the ZIP from GitHub and unzip it. The folder will be called CopperOS-main.
Start it, and keep the terminal open while you use CopperOS:
```
npm start
```
The panel connects on its own. Next time you only need this step.
Open Settings (the sliders icon), choose your provider and model, and press Save. With Ollama, the model list comes from ollama list.

Try it

Type "Open example.com and tell me what the main heading says" and press Enter. The tab it works in joins a CopperOS tab group, and Chrome shows "CopperOS started debugging this browser". That banner is how CopperOS clicks and types reliably.

Good to know

Approvals

The pill next to Send decides when this chat asks first: before every action, only before submits (the default), or never. Ask before in Settings sets it for new chats.

Supervisor

On long tasks, a supervisor checks in every few steps. Press Supervisor next to Send before you send a task to give it rules of your own, such as "only jobs posted this week, never LinkedIn".

Switching

Move between the cloud and this computer at any time in Settings. Each keeps its own chats.

Something not working?

The panel says "Start the broker"

You chose This computer, and the broker isn't running. Run npm start in CopperOS/broker, or choose Use the cloud instead.

It keeps connecting and disconnecting

On this computer, two copies of CopperOS are fighting over the broker, for example one in another Chrome profile. Keep one enabled.

The broker stops with EADDRINUSE

Another broker is already running on port 7331. Close the other terminal.

The model errors when it starts a task

Pick a different model in Settings. It must support tool calling.

More help: Support, or Settings → Send a suggestion in the extension.