A macOS/Linux menubar app: copy an image, and a hosted URL replaces it on your clipboard — ready to paste into a coding agent that only accepts text (Codex cloud, Claude Code on the web, Cursor background agents, Daytona/e2b sandboxes). The remote side needs nothing installed; it just receives a URL.
macOS — Homebrew:
brew install --cask pixelvault-dev/tap/pixelvaultOr download the latest PixelVault_*_universal.dmg from the
Releases page
(one bundle for both Intel and Apple Silicon). Builds are currently unsigned,
so on first launch right-click the app → Open to get past Gatekeeper.
Linux — grab the latest .AppImage, .deb, or .rpm from
Releases. (macOS is
the primary target; Linux builds but is less battle-tested.)
Two ways to get an image, one result — a hosted URL on your clipboard:
- Mode A (passive watch): a background thread watches the clipboard. When an
image appears, it's uploaded and the hosted URL replaces it. On macOS,
⇧⌃⌘4 copies a screen region straight to the clipboard (note the
Ctrl— plain ⇧⌘4 saves a file to the Desktop and won't be picked up). - Mode B (active hotkey): press ⇧⌘2 — the app runs macOS's native region
capture (
screencapture -i, the same crosshair select), uploads the grab, and puts the URL on your clipboard.
Uploads take ~0.5–2s. The "Image URL copied" notification is your cue that the
clipboard now holds the URL — then ⌘V to paste. A ⋯ on the menu-bar icon
means an upload is in flight.
- Without signing in: an anonymous free trial — 5 uploads, after which the app prompts you to sign in. Links are public and time-limited (~30 days).
- Sign in (device login — no password) for keyed uploads with no trial gate, a Recent uploads history in the tray menu, and optional private, signed URLs (a toggle in Settings — the app hands you a ready-to-paste signed link).
Links are time-limited by design — this is a paste-into-your-agent tool, not long-term hosting. For permanent image hosting, use PixelVault directly (API, dashboard, and a free tier).
Prerequisites: Rust, Node 18+, and Xcode Command Line Tools (macOS).
npm install
npm run tauri dev # run the app
npm run tauri build # produce a bundle (.dmg on macOS; .AppImage/.deb/.rpm on Linux)Point at a non-production API while testing:
PIXELVAULT_API_BASE=https://api-staging.pixelvault.dev npm run tauri devTauri v2 (Rust core + system webview). Clipboard I/O via arboard, PNG encoding
via image, uploads via blocking reqwest. The tray menu is the primary UI; the
small window is a status/settings surface.
MIT © PixelVault. See LICENSE.