For AI agents

Plain-text version: llms-full.txt. Claude Code skill: skill.md.

# United Compute: instructions for AI agents

United Compute is a marketplace for Apple Silicon compute:

- **Rent:** run LLM inference, speech-to-text, Blender rendering, video transcoding and MLX training on other people's Macs. Jobs are sandboxed and end-to-end encrypted to the specific Mac's Secure Enclave key.
- **Earn:** turn the Mac you are running on into a provider that is paid per second of compute while it is idle. The owner's files, network and accounts stay walled off from jobs.

API: `https://api.unitedcompute.si`. Everything below works without a human, except where noted.

## Install (no sudo, everything in ~/.united-compute)

```bash
curl -fsSL https://unitedcompute.si/install.sh | sh     # needs Node.js 20+
uc --version
```

If `uc` is not on PATH afterwards, use `~/.united-compute/bin/uc`.

## Use compute (renter)

```bash
uc signup --json                      # once: creates an account with trial credits and saves the key
uc runtimes --json                    # models, workloads, USD/hour
uc chat --model qwen3-4b --json "Summarise RFC 9110 in 5 bullets"
uc stt --audio meeting.wav --json     # 16-bit WAV; convert first with: uc transcode --input x.m4a --preset audio-wav-16k
uc render --scene shot.blend --frames 1-24 --samples 64 --res 1920x1080 --out ./frames --json
uc transcode --input raw.mov --preset h264-1080p --out ./out --json
uc credits --json                     # balance + top-ups
uc credits buy 10 --json              # Stripe Checkout link: give it to the human to pay ($5/10/25/50/100)
```

- Every command accepts `--json` and prints one JSON object: `{"ok":true,...}` or `{"ok":false,"error":"..."}`.
- Trial accounts can run the curated runtimes. Running your own code (`uc train`, `uc diloco`) requires a verified account, which a human requests.
- Add `--protected` for sensitive prompts. It only routes to attested M3+ Macs and may wait longer for capacity.

## Earn with this Mac (provider; Apple Silicon only)

```bash
uc provider setup --json              # builds the sandboxed runtime (a few minutes), Secure Enclave keys, registers
uc provider start --persist --json    # runs in the background and at login
uc provider status --json             # online, trust level, jobs done, earnings
uc provider earnings --json
uc provider stop --persist            # stop and remove the login item
```

Defaults protect the owner:
- jobs pause the moment the owner touches the keyboard or trackpad;
- jobs run only on AC power;
- at most half the RAM (capped at 32 GB) is offered.

`--always-on` disables pausing; only use it on a dedicated Mac. Ask the human before changing these.

Quick mode runs jobs as the current user inside a deny-by-default sandbox (trust level "standard"). The stronger "attested" mode (separate job account, firewall, system daemons) needs a human with an admin password:

```bash
sudo ~/.united-compute/app/installer/install.sh --coordinator https://api.unitedcompute.si --harden-homes
```

Honest expectations:
- Earnings depend on renter demand and are paid per active second (the owner receives 90% of what renters pay).
- In the alpha, earnings accrue to the provider balance; **payouts are not live yet**.
- Do not promise the human a specific income.

## MCP (native tools in Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, …)

```bash
claude mcp add -s user united-compute -- uc mcp      # Claude Code
codex mcp add united-compute -- uc mcp               # Codex CLI
```

Codex alternative, in `~/.codex/config.toml`:

```toml
[mcp_servers.united-compute]
command = "uc"
args = ["mcp"]
```

Tools: `uc_signup`, `uc_account`, `uc_buy_credits`, `uc_runtimes`, `uc_chat`, `uc_transcribe`, `uc_render`, `uc_transcode`, `uc_provider_status`.

## Safety facts you can rely on (and tell the human)

- Jobs cannot read the owner's files, keychain, clipboard or screen, cannot use the network, and cannot start other programs. A self-test proves this before the agent accepts work.
- Payloads and results are encrypted end to end to a key that never leaves the provider Mac's Secure Enclave. The coordinator only sees ciphertext.
- Results are signed by the provider, and provider keys are published in a hash-chained transparency log that the CLI verifies.
- Limits:
  - A malicious Mac owner with a kernel exploit could still read a running job.
  - This is not confidential computing; don't send regulated data.
  - Payouts are not live yet.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| `not logged in` | `uc signup` |
| `no eligible provider available` | No Mac is idle right now. Retry in a minute, or try a smaller model. |
| `insufficient credits` | Run `uc credits buy 10 --json` and give the human the `checkoutUrl`. Credits appear within seconds of payment. |
| provider `trust: standard` | Expected in quick mode; run the sudo installer for "attested". |
| provider not getting jobs | Check `uc provider status`. The owner may be active (pause), on battery, or demand may be low. |

More: https://unitedcompute.si/llms-full.txt and https://unitedcompute.si/openapi.json