About box by Simular
box by Simular provides an AI agent with a cloud Linux desktop containing Chrome and a shell, controlled over MCP. It is for agents and users who want to delegate computer tasks or coding work while keeping their own computer available, with live viewing and takeover.
Key features
- 01Control a cloud Linux desktop over MCP
- 02Use Chrome and a shell in the box
- 03Watch sessions live and take over
- 04Offload coding tasks to a box session
- 05Bring commits and handover back
Use cases
- 01Delegate browser and shell tasks to an agent
- 02Keep a coding task running while away
- 03Inspect a session and take control when needed
- 04Return commits and a written handover to a local task
MCP support
The MCP server at https://mcp.box.simular.ai/mcp gives agents control of the cloud Linux desktop. Agent-specific plugins and CLI packages configure access and sign-in.
Configuration
Remote servers need no local install. Pick your client, then copy the config or install in one click.
https://mcp.box.simular.ai/mcpclaude mcp add --transport http ai-simular-box https://mcp.box.simular.ai/mcp{"mcpServers":{"ai-simular-box":{"type":"http","url":"https://mcp.box.simular.ai/mcp"}}}Open in Cursor{"servers":{"ai-simular-box":{"type":"http","url":"https://mcp.box.simular.ai/mcp"}}}Open in VS Code{"mcpServers":{"ai-simular-box":{"type":"http","url":"https://mcp.box.simular.ai/mcp"}}}{"mcpServers":{"ai-simular-box":{"serverUrl":"https://mcp.box.simular.ai/mcp"}}}Run commands in a terminal; paste JSON into the client’s MCP config and restart. Servers that need sign-in will prompt on first connect.
Tools
Details
From the project READMEbox by Simular: plugins
box gives your AI agent a computer of its own: a cloud Linux desktop with Chrome and a shell that it drives over MCP, while your own computer stays free. You can watch it live and take over at https://box.simular.ai/box.
Most agents need no plugin: add the MCP server https://mcp.box.simular.ai/mcp and sign in once (see https://box.simular.ai/install). This repository holds a package for each agent that installs box its own way. Each folder stands alone and is released through that agent's channel.
| Agent | Folder | Sign-in | Install |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code and Cowork | claude/ | OAuth, once in the browser | /plugin marketplace add simular-ai/box-plugin, then /plugin install box@simular-box |
| DeepSeek Harness (dsh) | dsh/ | Personal key (cb_...), pasted on the plugin's page in Plugins | dsh/README.md |
| OpenClaw | openclaw/ | OAuth, once from the plugin's page in Settings | openclaw plugins install @simular-ai/openclaw-box |
| Any of Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Hermes, OpenClaw, VS Code (and steps for Claude Desktop) | cli/ | OAuth; personal key with --auth key for Hermes and OpenClaw | npx @simular-ai/box connect (check with npx @simular-ai/box doctor) |
| Hermes Agent | hermes/ | Personal key (cb_...) in MCP_BOX_API_KEY; OAuth optional | hermes/README.md |
| ChatGPT and Codex (OpenAI plugin directory) | openai/ | OAuth, once in the browser | Listed by OpenAI after review; build the upload with openai/build-zip.sh (openai/README.md) |
Offload: move a coding task into your box and back
Going offline in the middle of a task? In Claude Code with the plugin, /box:offload hands the task to a fresh Claude Code (or Codex, Cursor) session in your box, which keeps working while you are away; /box:back brings its commits and its written hand-over home and merges them. Any other agent or a plain terminal uses npx @simular-ai/box offload and npx @simular-ai/box back. Setup and details: cli/README.md.
Adding an agent
Add a folder named after the agent with its own manifest, MCP config and, where the agent supports skills, a copy of claude/skills/box/SKILL.md. Point it at https://mcp.box.simular.ai/mcp. Use OAuth sign-in where the agent supports it; otherwise read a personal key from an environment variable or the agent's own credentials store, never from a file in the package. Add a row above.
Releasing
claude/: bumpversioninclaude/.claude-plugin/plugin.json. Claude Code doesn't auto-update third-party marketplaces: users get it with/plugin marketplace update simular-boxand/plugin update box@simular-box, or withnpx @simular-ai/box connect.openclaw/: bumpversioninopenclaw/package.jsonandopenclaw/openclaw.plugin.json, thennpm run buildandclawhub package publish .fromopenclaw/.dsh/: bumpversionindsh/package.json, then push a tagdsh-vX.Y.Z. The release workflow attachesdsh-box.tgz.openai/: bumpversioninopenai/plugin.jsonandpublication.release_notes, runopenai/build-zip.sh, upload the ZIP at platform.openai.com/plugins.hermes/: bumpversioninhermes/plugin.json. Users copy the folder by hand until box is in the Hermes plugin catalog.- The Claude plugin's CLI pin: since 1.0.0,
@simular-ai/boxon npm is the Rust CLI released from simular-ai/box-cli. To move the plugin to a new CLI release, change the exact pinnpx -y @simular-ai/[email protected]inclaude/skills/box-offload/SKILL.mdand bumpversioninclaude/.claude-plugin/plugin.jsonin one PR (CI fails unless every pin underclaude/names the same exact version and that version is on npm; never a range, because the Claude directory review requires that what runs is what it read). cli/: the JavaScript CLI (0.2.x). It no longer publishes to npm: its trusted publisher on@simular-ai/boxwas removed when the Rust 1.0.0 shipped, so do not pushcli-v*tags. The endpoint and CLI changes now go to simular-ai/box-cli.
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.