Computer use

Computer use lets DataMind Oda work the apps on your computer much as you do: it looks at the screen, moves the mouse, clicks and types. The feature stays off until you turn it on, and the first turn-on asks you to accept its risks.

Turn it on

Computer use is one of Oda's advanced features: the powerful features that stay off until you turn one on and accept its risks. Open Settings > Developer > Advanced features, and:

Turn on the Computer use switch. Before the first turn-on, a dialog asks you to accept the feature's risks: tick I understand these risks and take responsibility, then choose Turn on.
The change applies immediately. The row then shows who accepted the risks and when (Risks accepted by {by} on {date}).

Worth knowing:

The acceptance is once for your signed-in account: turning the feature off never asks, and turning it back on later asks nothing.
Your company can hold the switch on or off and lock it; a locked row reads Managed by your organization with the rule's reason beside it. Permissions, approvals and feature controls covers how those locks work.
If the feature cannot start, DataMind Oda turns it back off and shows The feature could not start, so it was turned back off. Check its requirements and try again. under the row.
Oda's optional features ship as plugins and bundles that stay switched off until you enable them; Built-in plugins shows what this deployment carries and where built-in plugin settings live.

What Oda can do while it is on

While Computer use is on, Oda can:

look at your screen;
move the mouse and click;
type on the keyboard.

Together these let Oda operate any app on your computer. The feature is offered in the DataMind Oda desktop app and the VS Code extension; the web app does not offer it.

Computer use is separate from Oda's browser: Browser tools covers the browser Oda drives in a chat.

How the driver runs

Oda works the screen through a small component called the driver. How it reaches your computer depends on where you run DataMind Oda:

Comes with the app. In the desktop app the driver ships with DataMind Oda at a fixed version. When you turn the switch on, Oda waits until the driver is ready; if it cannot start, the feature is turned back off.
Downloaded when needed. In the VS Code extension the driver is downloaded the first time it is needed. Turning the switch on returns straight away, and a failed download or start is written to the log instead of blocking the switch. You can also fetch it ahead of time from Settings > Components, where it is listed as Computer use driver.

Three things shape how drivers behave:

One driver at a time. While a driver holds computer use, a second one does not switch on, even if it is the same kind. If a driver fails to stop, it keeps its place until DataMind Oda restarts.
Where permissions live. When DataMind Oda's own driver works the desktop, the desktop permissions belong to DataMind Oda itself, and a driver crash can close DataMind Oda. When computer use runs through a separately installed driver application, that application owns the permissions and the execution; that arrangement suits cases where another application should be in charge.
Calls and reconnects. With an installed driver application, a dropped connection is retried behind the scenes, waiting longer between attempts up to about half a minute, and a call that runs longer than about a minute is stopped.

Stay safe

Everything Oda sees on the screen is content it reads, like a page in a browser.
Stopping a step cancels what has not happened yet, but clicks and typing the desktop already received cannot be undone.
You can turn the switch off at any time, and turning it off never asks for confirmation.

Warning

Content Oda reads, including what is on your screen, can carry hidden instructions aimed at it. Turn computer use on only when you need it, and watch what Oda does.

Messages you may see

Message	What it means	What to do
`already registered`	Something else already holds computer use; only one driver can run at a time.	If nothing else should be using it, restart DataMind Oda and try again; if it repeats, ask your administrator.
`driver unavailable`	DataMind Oda could not start the driver, so the feature stays off.	Check that nothing else holds computer use, then try again; if it repeats, ask your administrator.
`The download failed.`	The driver could not be downloaded, which can happen in the VS Code extension, where it is fetched on first use.	Try again; if it keeps failing, ask your administrator.
`native library initialization failed`	The driver's native part could not start on this computer.	Restart DataMind Oda and try again; if it repeats, ask your administrator.
`The feature could not start, so it was turned back off. Check its requirements and try again.`	The turn-on could not start the feature, so it was rolled back and the switch is off again.	Meet the requirement, then turn the switch on again.
`Oda could not act without taking over the screen`	The driver refused one action because it would have needed to take over your screen; the action did not run.	Ask Oda to try the step again; the refused action changed nothing.

Questions, answered

What can Oda do while Computer use is on?

Oda can look at your screen, move the mouse and click, and type on the keyboard, in any app. The feature is off until you turn it on and accept its risks.

Is computer use available in the web app?

No. It is offered in the DataMind Oda desktop app and the VS Code extension; the web app's developer settings do not offer it.

Why did the Computer use switch turn itself back off?

The feature could not start, so DataMind Oda rolled it back and left the switch off. The reason shows under the row; the messages are listed above. Meet the requirement and turn the switch on again.

What does `already registered` mean?

Something else already holds computer use. Only one driver can run at a time, so a second one does not switch on even if it is the same kind. If nothing else should be using it, restart DataMind Oda and try again.

Do I have to accept the risks every time I turn it on?

No. You accept the feature's risks once for your signed-in account, and the row records who accepted them and when. Turning it off never asks, and turning it back on later asks nothing.

Does DataMind Oda download anything for computer use?

It depends where you run DataMind Oda. In the desktop app the driver comes with the app; in the VS Code extension it is downloaded the first time it is needed, and you can also fetch it ahead of time from Settings > Components, where it is listed as Computer use driver.

If I stop a step, does Oda undo what it already clicked or typed?

No. Stopping cancels what has not happened yet, but clicks and typing the desktop already received cannot be undone.

What does `Oda could not act without taking over the screen` mean?

The driver refused one action because it would have needed to take over your screen, so the action did not run and nothing changed. Ask Oda to try the step again.

Can Oda and I use the computer at the same time?

Yes. Computer use does not reserve the computer for one chat, and Oda works the same desktop you do. If you take over while a step is running, stop the running step first so Oda is not still acting.

Where do the permissions for computer use live?

With the application that launches the driver. In the desktop app that is DataMind Oda itself, so a driver crash can close DataMind Oda. When computer use runs through a separately installed driver application, that application owns the permissions and the execution.