Carabiner

Carabiner is a powerful video capture and remote control application designed for streaming device development and testing. It provides seamless control of Roku, Android-based streaming devices (Fire TV, Google TV, Android TV), and Apple TV through an intuitive floating and resizable window interface.

Why Carabiner?

Perfect for developers and QA engineers who need to test streaming applications using capture cards and keyboard controls, eliminating the need for physical TV sets or remote controls. Whether you're developing apps, testing UI designs, or performing quality assurance, Carabiner streamlines your workflow by bringing your streaming devices directly to your desktop.

Features

Core Functionality

Multi-Device Support: Control Roku, Android-based devices (Fire TV, Google TV, Android TV) and Apple TV
Real-time Video Capture: View your streaming device output directly on your computer
Video Recording: Record streaming device sessions in MP4/WebM format for documentation and testing
Keyboard Control: Use your computer keyboard to navigate and control devices
Text Pasting: Paste clipboard content directly to streaming devices
Screenshot Capture: Save or copy screenshots with one click
Automation Scripts: Record key sequences with precise timing and replay them on demand
MCP Server: Let AI assistants control devices, run scripts, and capture screenshots via the Model Context Protocol for AI-driven QA automation
Control Demo Mode: Show the pressed control keys on the screen for demos and presentations

Additional Features

Overlay Images: Load reference images for pixel-perfect UI comparison with opacity control
Customizable Display: Adjust transparency, borders, dimensions and toggle always-on-top behavior
Global Shortcut: Quick show/hide the display window from anywhere with a keyboard shortcut
Audio Capture: Toggle audio capture for testing audio features (TTS, Audio tracks)
Auto-Launch: Start with your system for seamless workflow
Resolution Control: Configure capture device resolution
Dark Mode Support: Allows to switch the settings interface to dark mode
Default Save Locations: Configure custom default folders for screenshots and recordings in the Files tab
Interactive Notifications: Click toast notifications to open saved file locations instantly

Quick Start

Install Carabiner — via Homebrew (macOS) or download from the releases page:
```
brew tap lvcabral/carabiner
brew install --cask carabiner
```
See the Installation Guide for all platforms and options.
Launch Carabiner
Configure your capture device in the General tab
Add your streaming device in the Control tab
Link your devices in the General tab and start controlling!

For detailed setup and usage instructions, see our comprehensive guides:

📦 Installation Guide - Complete installation and setup instructions
📖 Usage Guide - Detailed feature documentation and tutorials
🔧 Building from Source - Developer setup and contribution guide
⌨️ Keyboard Mappings - Complete keyboard control reference
📸 Screenshots - Visual showcase of the application interface
🤖 Android / Fire TV Setup - ADB setup for Fire TV and Google TV
🍎 Apple TV Setup - pyatv setup and pairing for Apple TV
🧠 MCP Server - AI-driven device control and test automation via the Model Context Protocol

Contributing

We welcome contributions to make Carabiner better! Here's how you can help:

Ways to Contribute

🐛 Report Bugs: Found an issue? Create a bug report
💡 Suggest Features: Have an idea? Submit a feature request
🔧 Fix Issues: Browse open issues and submit pull requests
📖 Improve Documentation: Help improve this README or other documentation
💖 Support Development: Donate to the developer

Technology Stack

JavaScript: Core programming language
Electron Framework: Cross-platform desktop application framework
React: User interface library for the settings panel
Roku External Control Protocol (ECP): Roku device communication
Android Debug Bridge (ADB): Android device communication
pyatv: Apple TV device communication via Media Remote Protocol (MRP)

Acknowledgments

This application was built with inspiration and code from several excellent open-source projects:

floatcam by @theterminalguy - Primary foundation for settings interface and video display functionality
FireTVRemote-Node 🔥 by @ZaneH - Reference implementation for ADB remote control of Android devices
Roku GamePad Gateway by @lvcabral - Reference for Roku ECP API integration

Project Background

Code Fest Network Streaming

Carabiner was created during the Paramount Network Streaming - Code Fest 2024 and was selected as the winning project. The name was inspired by the essential tool used by mountain climbers – just as a carabiner connects climbers to their lifeline to reach the top, this app connects developers to their streaming devices.

Connect with the Developer

Website: https://lvcabral.com
Threads: @lvcabral
Bluesky: @lvcabral.com
X/Twitter: @lvcabral
Podcast: PODebug Podcast
GitHub: More repositories

License

Licensed under the MIT License.