Skip to content
PawOS Docs

Introduction

What PawOS is, what it isn’t, and how these docs are organized.

PawOS is an AI Development Operating System with three product experiences: PawOS Desktop, PawOS CLI, and PawOS Web. They share a PawOS account but have different execution boundaries and capabilities.

PawOS Web is the browser-based experience for chat and GitHub-based work. PawOS Desktop is the Windows local development companion. PawOS CLI is an independently installed terminal coding agent that works in the folder where it is started, including non-Git projects. Local CLI work does not require the Desktop app or a Web installation; account sign-in may use a browser authorization handoff.

How it works, at a glance

PawOS turns what you ask for into concrete, checked actions, carries them out on your machine, and records what actually happened as evidence — not a summary written after the fact.

  • Reasoning is model-driven; execution is deterministic code, not the model directly touching your machine.
  • Anything destructive (writing files, running installers, modifying PATH, deploying) requires an explicit confirmation before it runs.
  • Every completed request produces a Work Record — real evidence of what ran, what changed, and what was verified.

How these docs are organized

SectionWhat it covers
Getting StartedChoose Web, Desktop or CLI; installation, first run, workspace and coding task
Core ConceptsThe vocabulary every other section assumes — Workspaces, Work Records, Plans, Evidence, Entitlements
CodingThe Coding Runtime: project understanding, editing, terminal, software installation, validation
Autonomous WorkUnattended ticket resolution — eligibility, connectors, permissions, billing
ConnectorsReal, currently-supported third-party integrations
Companion / MobileThe 3D desktop companion and PawOS on a paired phone
Billing & UsagePlans, Paw Compute, Autonomous Work Credits, payments
Security & PermissionsWhat PawOS can and can’t do without asking, and why
TroubleshootingSymptom-first fixes for common problems
Developer / ReferenceInternal architecture, for engineers building on or contributing to PawOS

Note

This documentation only describes what is actually implemented today. Where a capability is partial or unverified, the page says so explicitly rather than describing an aspiration as if it already works.

Your first 10 minutes with PawOS

  1. 1

    Choose where the work should run

    Use Web for browser-based chat and supported GitHub work, CLI for terminal-based local project work, and Desktop for Windows local development and Desktop-specific runtimes. Phone access is Web in a mobile browser or a paired view of Desktop.

  2. 2

    Think in tasks

    Ask for outcomes: "explain this repo", "add dark mode", "run the tests", or "prepare this ticket." PawOS groups each request into a task with its own evidence.

  3. 3

    Select a workspace

    For coding and file work, point PawOS at an explicit folder. That folder becomes the normal filesystem and command boundary for the task.

  4. 4

    Use read-only questions first

    Ask what the project does, what framework it uses, or which files a feature might touch. Project understanding is available before execution.

  5. 5

    Review plans before mutation

    For non-trivial coding edits, PawOS can show a visual Plan Review card before changes are applied.

  6. 6

    Approve deliberately

    Plan approval is not the same as authorizing every destructive action. PawOS still asks before real edits, commands, installs, PATH changes, git writes, or deploys.

  7. 7

    Check the Work Record

    After a task, open the evidence trail: what ran, what changed, what passed, what failed, and what was not verified.

TermHow to think about it
WorkspaceThe explicit local folder PawOS can inspect and, when authorized, change.
RuntimeA capability area such as Coding, Browser, Office, Communication, or Autonomous Work.
TaskOne user request plus its action timeline and final evidence.
Work RecordThe structured trace of a task: commands, file changes, validation, screenshots, failures, and final report.
PlanA structured review artifact, usually file-by-file, produced before mutation.
Paw ComputeThe product usage meter; current conversion and account limits are shown in billing settings.
Autonomous Work CreditsA separate dollar wallet used only for successful Autonomous Ticket completions.