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Screenshot Capture

Follow these save-location rules every time:
  1. If the user specifies a path, save there.
  2. If the user asks for a screenshot without a path, save to the OS default screenshot location.
  3. If Codex needs a screenshot for its own inspection, save to the temp directory.

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Tool priority

  • Prefer tool-specific screenshot capabilities when available (for example: a Figma MCP/skill for Figma files, or Playwright/agent-browser tools for browsers and Electron apps).
  • Use this skill when explicitly asked, for whole-system desktop captures, or when a tool-specific capture cannot get what you need.
  • Otherwise, treat this skill as the default for desktop apps without a better-integrated capture tool.

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macOS permission preflight (reduce repeated prompts)

On macOS, run the preflight helper once before window/app capture. It checks Screen Recording permission, explains why it is needed, and requests it in one place. The helpers route Swift’s module cache to $TMPDIR/codex-swift-module-cache to avoid extra sandbox module-cache prompts.
To avoid multiple sandbox approval prompts, combine preflight + capture in one command when possible:
For Codex inspection runs, keep the output in temp:
Use the bundled scripts to avoid re-deriving OS-specific commands.

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macOS and Linux (Python helper)

Run the helper from the repo root:
Common patterns:
  • Default location (user asked for “a screenshot”):
  • Temp location (Codex visual check):
  • Explicit location (user provided a path or filename):
  • App/window capture by app name (macOS only; substring match is OK; captures all matching windows):
  • Specific window title within an app (macOS only):
  • List matching window ids before capturing (macOS only):
  • Pixel region (x,y,w,h):
  • Focused/active window (captures only the frontmost window; use --app to capture all windows):
  • Specific window id (use —list-windows on macOS to discover ids):
The script prints one path per capture. When multiple windows or displays match, it prints multiple paths (one per line) and adds suffixes like -w<windowId> or -d<display>. View each path sequentially with the image viewer tool, and only manipulate images if needed or requested.

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Workflow examples

  • “Take a look at &lt;App> and tell me what you see”: capture to temp, then view each printed path in order.
  • “The design from Figma is not matching what is implemented”: use a Figma MCP/skill to capture the design first, then capture the running app with this skill (typically to temp) and compare the raw screenshots before any manipulation.

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Multi-display behavior

  • On macOS, full-screen captures save one file per display when multiple monitors are connected.
  • On Linux and Windows, full-screen captures use the virtual desktop (all monitors in one image); use --region to isolate a single display when needed.

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Linux prerequisites and selection logic

The helper automatically selects the first available tool:
  1. scrot
  2. gnome-screenshot
  3. ImageMagick import
If none are available, ask the user to install one of them and retry. Coordinate regions require scrot or ImageMagick import. --app, --window-name, and --list-windows are macOS-only. On Linux, use --active-window or provide --window-id when available.

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Windows (PowerShell helper)

Run the PowerShell helper:
Common patterns:
  • Default location:
  • Temp location (Codex visual check):
  • Explicit path:
  • Pixel region (x,y,w,h):
  • Active window (ask the user to focus it first):
  • Specific window handle (only when provided):

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Direct OS commands (fallbacks)

Use these when you cannot run the helpers.

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macOS

  • Full screen to a specific path:
  • Pixel region:
  • Specific window id:
  • Interactive selection or window pick:

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Linux

  • Full screen:
  • Pixel region:
  • Active window:

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Error handling

  • On macOS, run bash <path-to-skill>/scripts/ensure_macos_permissions.sh first to request Screen Recording in one place.
  • If you see “screen capture checks are blocked in the sandbox”, “could not create image from display”, or Swift ModuleCache permission errors in a sandboxed run, rerun the command with escalated permissions.
  • If macOS app/window capture returns no matches, run --list-windows --app "AppName" and retry with --window-id, and make sure the app is visible on screen.
  • If Linux region/window capture fails, check tool availability with command -v scrot, command -v gnome-screenshot, and command -v import.
  • If saving to the OS default location fails with permission errors in a sandbox, rerun the command with escalated permissions.
  • Always report the saved file path in the response.