UFO CLI
One local tool for every file an AI agent touches. Find what is hidden or
risky in incoming files, including text written to instruct an AI, read them,
change them without breaking them, and hand back clean copies. One offline CLI
and local MCP server for Linux, with a JSON receipt for every step.
- Find.
ufo inspect --deep reports comments, tracked changes, hidden
text, hidden sheets, rows and slides, speaker notes, document properties,
macros and embedded files in supported formats. Its text scan flags lines
that read as instructions to an AI assistant, personal-data and credential
patterns and look-alike mixed-script words, and it names a program
travelling under a document's name. ufo inspect --human prints the same
findings readably.
- Read.
ufo text extracts content with provenance, and
--format structure adds addresses and hashes. ufo capabilities --file
tells an agent what one file allows: bounded reads, candidate edits and
their exact help, or why it should stop.
- Change. Guarded edits to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, JSON, CSV and
text files check the source hash and the expected content, write a new copy
and never overwrite. Untouched package parts and unaddressed values keep
their exact bytes, and
ufo text --format structure --targets derives
exact guard templates for the change you choose.
- Hand back.
ufo clean writes a copy without the removable hidden
content the inspection found, and its receipt lists what was removed and
what was not.
Inspection reports its coverage gaps. Basic information for an unknown file
does not imply a dedicated reader, editor or security inspector for its format,
and findings are advisory: UFO is not antivirus or a guarantee that content is
safe. File and resource limits apply.
Free for individuals and small teams. Every command and supported file type
is included, with no signup or watermark. Organizations with fewer than ten
people and under USD 1 million in annual revenue, including funding, qualify;
any organization can evaluate it free. See the
eligibility details.
Website and comparison with other agent tools: https://universalfileopener.com/cli/
Install
Native Linux x86_64 installation needs glibc 2.35 or later (Ubuntu 24.04 and
Debian 12 tested). Native Alpine/musl installation is unsupported. The Java
runtime is included; the container option below uses its own runtime.
curl -fsSL https://universalfileopener.com/install.sh | sh
ufo doctor
ufo skill install --agent claude-code --dir "$PWD"
install.sh downloads the app image from the latest
release, checks it against the
release's SHA256SUMS and installs it under ~/.local, without sudo. The same
release has a Debian package (sudo apt install ./universal-file-opener_1.10.1_amd64.deb)
and ufo-cli-1.10.1-docker.tar, an archive of the container image for offline transfer.
Container
From a directory containing report.docx, download and run the public image:
docker run --rm --network none --read-only --cap-drop ALL \
--user "$(id -u):$(id -g)" --security-opt no-new-privileges \
--pids-limit 128 --cpus 2 --memory 1g \
--tmpfs /tmp:rw,nosuid,nodev,size=256m \
--mount type=bind,src="$PWD",dst=/input,readonly \
ghcr.io/krauqllc/ufo-cli:1.10.1 text /input/report.docx
No GitHub login is needed. The temporary mount is required. For edits, mount a
separate writable output folder at /output and select a new file there. The
container reads, edits and recognizes text; page rendering and Office-to-PDF
conversion need the application package. For a deployment pinned to an immutable
image, use the digest in the release notes.
Connect an agent
Run in the project folder. For Cursor use
ufo skill install --agent cursor --dir "$PWD". For Codex use
ufo skill install --agent codex --dir "$PWD" --replace; it adds or updates
only the marked UFO section of the project's AGENTS.md, keeping the rest.
Start a new session after installing the guide.
For an MCP client instead of the skill, ufo mcp print-config --client claude-code
prints a template. Replace its executable and folder placeholders, then merge
it into the client configuration. Printing does not register a server. Follow
the complete setup instructions.
Get your first useful result
From a clone of this repository, with Python 3.10+ and jsonschema installed:
python3 tools/cli/first_run_demo.py --ufo "$(command -v ufo)" \
--expect-version 1.10.1 --output first-look --mcp
The short example generates two fictional inputs. It collects basic information
for an unfamiliar file, finds document properties, a reviewer comment and hidden
text in a supported DOCX, and writes a clean copy. It independently checks the
saved ZIP/XML bytes, original hashes, full receipt schemas and refusal to replace
an existing output. Open first-look/START_HERE.txt to review the results.
Every notInspected gap and skipped clean category remains in the evidence.
The optional MCP check discovers tools and calls inspection over local stdio;
it does not establish that an installed assistant has connected successfully.
See a complete mixed-file editing workflow
Watch the 64-second film, then
inspect and replay the workflow.
A fictional change brief updates a spreadsheet model, a Word memo with native
tracked revisions, and two slides in a board deck.
The film uses actual Microsoft Office exports of the downloadable files. The
replay needs only Python 3 and UFO, with no agent or model API. It checks all
20 recomputed saved results, existing formulas, earlier periods, native Word
revisions, original hashes and untouched package parts. Every edit matches its
dry-run output hash; an intentionally stale source hash refuses. This is an
edited script demonstration, not an agent recording or a timing benchmark.
Working efficiently
Read the help for the operation you need: ufo edit paragraphs --help. Locate
text with ufo find --text 'budget' --compact report.docx, then read selected
paragraphs, cells or slides with ufo text --format structure --compact.
Batch independent changes to one file, and reuse the output receipt's hash for
the next edit. Store full receipts when you need an audit record.
--compact applies to text, find, inspect --deep and edit; intake,
convert and unpack do not accept it. For MCP, read tools/list schemas:
find takes one file and report requires an output path.
Every edit operation accepts --expect-sha256 (MCP options.expectedSha256), so a
stale source refuses instead of being edited. Check each operation's help for
its other flags rather than copying another operation's. For an unfamiliar
file, start with ufo capabilities --file FILE. Always review what a receipt
skipped and inspect the output before handoff.
What is in this repository
The binaries are on the Releases page. This repository holds what you need to
check them:
| Path | What it is |
|---|
docs/cli/schemas/ | JSON schemas for every receipt and report the CLI writes |
tools/cli/first_run_demo.py | The short unfamiliar-file and inspection/clean-copy example, with independent checks |
tools/cli/own_file_evaluation.py | Runs UFO on your own files: reads, reversible edits and an independent check of every output |
tools/cli/evaluate_sample.py | The end-to-end evaluation on generated sample files |
tools/corpus/compare_agent_tools.py | The comparison with other agent file tools, on the same tasks and checks |
tools/corpus/realworld_corpus_manifest.tsv | The public files that comparison uses, with their sources and SHA-256 |
tools/corpus/download_realworld_corpus.py | Downloads those files and verifies each one |
The other files under tools/ are the helpers these import. They need Python
3.10 or newer, jsonschema for receipt validation, and an installed UFO build.
Reviewed distribution source is also available under packaging/npm/,
packaging/linux-cli/registry/ and packaging/homebrew/. These wrappers and
descriptors target the same Linux x86_64 release. The
Homebrew tap is public. Homebrew 7
loads formulae from other taps only after you trust them:
brew trust --formula krauqllc/ufo/ufo, then brew install krauqllc/ufo/ufo.
The release also provides a complete local
MCPB bundle for compatible Linux clients, listed in the
official MCP Registry.
Directory revision 1.10.1-1 provides the matching 1.10.1 engine and bundle.
Choose only existing task folders when installing the bundle; no directories
are granted by default. The npm package
@krauq/ufo-cli installs the
same verified runtime; version 1.10.1 appears there once the publisher
approves it with 2FA, which npm view @krauq/ufo-cli versions shows. On npm 12 use
npm install --global @krauq/ufo-cli@1.10.1 --allow-scripts=@krauq/ufo-cli;
on npm 11 or earlier, omit --allow-scripts and keep installation scripts enabled.
The wrapper verifies and installs this exact Linux runtime. Smithery and Glama
account submissions are separate pending steps.
Check it yourself
UFO=$(command -v ufo)
python3 tools/cli/evaluate_sample.py --ufo "$UFO" --expect-version 1.10.1 --output sample-result
python3 tools/cli/own_file_evaluation.py --files ~/my-files --ufo "$UFO" --expect-version 1.10.1 --output my-files-report
python3 tools/corpus/download_realworld_corpus.py --download --output corpus
python3 tools/corpus/compare_agent_tools.py --download --corpus tools/corpus/realworld_corpus_manifest.tsv --corpus-root corpus --ufo "$UFO"
--download fetches the pinned releases of the other tools, and
--setup-libraries creates the Python library environment the comparison uses.
Both need the network once; the runs themselves do not.
License
The files here are Apache 2.0 (LICENSE, NOTICE). The binaries are licensed
under ENGINE-LICENSE.txt: free for individuals, evaluation, education,
non-commercial use, and organizations with fewer than ten people and under USD 1
million in annual revenue, including funding. Larger organizations need a
license.
Install a delivered file with ufo license install ./license.json, then run
ufo license status. A fresh file arrives for each paid period; install
renewals with ufo license install ./license.json --replace. Checks are offline.
For delivery or recovery help, contact support@krauq.com with the order number.
Security
Report a security problem to support@krauq.com with "Security" in the subject.