Verify Reel

Verify Reel

Drive the packaged Reel app as a user would. Read features/README.md first, then read the file for the feature under test.

Reel is a menu-bar macOS app. It has no CLI or HTTP interface. Use the computer-use:computer-use skill and its node_repl workflow for every UI action. Shell commands may build, launch, inspect, and stop the disposable instance.

Launch

Start from the repository root. The helper refuses to launch if any Reel process is already running because Reel registers machine-wide hotkeys and uses machine-wide screen, microphone, and camera permissions.

run_id="$(date -u +%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ)-$$"
.agents/skills/verify-reel/scripts/verify-reel launch "${run_id}"

To re-sign the disposable copy after its bundle metadata changes, pass a Developer ID Application identity:

SIGNING_IDENTITY="<Developer ID Application identity>" \
  .agents/skills/verify-reel/scripts/verify-reel launch "${run_id}"

launch runs just build-app, copies the result to .build/verify-reel/Reel Verification.app, changes only the copied bundle's identifier and display name, and starts its executable. It sets CFFIXED_USER_HOME to the run directory, so preferences and the default Movies folder do not touch Reel's normal data.

When SIGNING_IDENTITY is set, launch signs Sparkle.framework, the Reel executable with Reel.entitlements, and the copied bundle in that order. The helper verifies the copied bundle's signature before launch. It does not change .build/Reel.app.

The app is ready when launch reports ready, doctor passes, and Computer Use can read either the Welcome to Reel window or Reel's menu-bar item. The first launch does not request screen-recording permission until the user chooses Grant Screen Recording Access.

Do not start a second run. If launch reports another Reel process, leave that process alone and ask the user to quit it.

Permission relaunch

macOS applies a new screen-recording grant only after the requesting app quits. Keep the current run and its signed bundle. After granting access, relaunch it without rebuilding or signing again:

.agents/skills/verify-reel/scripts/verify-reel relaunch "${run_id}"

relaunch stops the recorded process if it is still alive, then opens the same bundle with the same isolated home. If Reel already relaunched itself, the helper adopts the replacement process instead. It updates the recorded PID and runs doctor before returning. Do not run cleanup between the permission grant and this relaunch.

Doctor

Run this read-only check before driving the app and whenever the UI looks stale:

.agents/skills/verify-reel/scripts/verify-reel doctor "${run_id}"

Doctor requires the recorded PID to be alive, its command to match the copied executable, the copied bundle ID to be com.rselbach.reel.verification, and the embedded commit to match HEAD. It prints the app path, PID, bundle ID, evidence directory, and current network-connection count. A failed doctor means the instance is not safe to drive. Clean it up, then launch a new run.

Drive

Load the computer-use:computer-use skill. Initialize its bundled package once in a fresh node_repl session:

globalThis.sky = (await import("@oai/sky")).sky;
globalThis.reelFs = await import("node:fs/promises");
globalThis.reelFileURLToPath = (await import("node:url")).fileURLToPath;
globalThis.reelRepo = nodeRepl.cwd;
globalThis.reelRunId = (
  await reelFs.readFile(
    `${reelRepo}/.build/verify-reel/current-run`,
    "utf8"
  )
).trim();
globalThis.reelRunDir =
  `${reelRepo}/.build/verify-reel/runs/${reelRunId}`;
globalThis.reelAppPath = (
  await reelFs.readFile(`${reelRunDir}/app-path`, "utf8")
).trim();
globalThis.reelEvidenceDir = (
  await reelFs.readFile(`${reelRunDir}/evidence-dir`, "utf8")
).trim();
globalThis.captureReel = async (name) => {
  const state = await sky.get_app_state({
    app: reelAppPath,
    disableDiff: true,
  });
  await reelFs.mkdir(reelEvidenceDir, { recursive: true });
  await reelFs.writeFile(
    `${reelEvidenceDir}/${name}.ax.txt`,
    `${state.text}\n`
  );
  if (!state.screenshot) {
    throw new Error(`Reel returned no screenshot for ${name}`);
  }
  await reelFs.copyFile(
    reelFileURLToPath(state.screenshot.url),
    `${reelEvidenceDir}/${name}.png`
  );
  return state;
};
globalThis.reelState = await captureReel("initial");
nodeRepl.write(reelState.text);

Use the full app path from the run metadata. Do not target Reel by display name because a normal installation may exist on the same Mac.

Derive every element_index from the latest accessibility tree. After each click, key press, drag, or value change, call get_app_state again before choosing the next index. Stable handles in this app include:

• window names Welcome to Reel, New Recording, Reel Settings, Recording Preview, and About Reel
• buttons and menu items such as Get Started, Start Recording..., Settings..., Stop Recording, Record Again, and Done
• tabs General, Recording, and Shortcuts
• the menu-bar item whose accessibility description is Reel

Use coordinates only when the accessibility tree omits a visual control, such as a trim handle or a recording-region corner. Capture a fresh screenshot before choosing coordinates and another one after the action.