GitHub Desktop - The Linux Fork

GitHub Desktop is an open source Electron-based GitHub app. It is written in TypeScript and uses React.

What is this repository for?

This repository contains specific patches on top of the upstream desktop/desktop repository to support Linux usage.

It also hosts preview packages for various Linux distributions:

• AppImage (.AppImage)
• Debian (.deb)
• RPM (.rpm)

Check out the latest releases to help out with testing on your distribution.

Repositories

You can use your operating system's package manager to install github-desktop and keep it up to date on Debian/RPM based distributions. There are two options for this:

• A PackageCloud repository with excellent global connectivity but very limited bandwidth. This option will stop working each month when the bandwidth limit is reached.
• A mirror in the US which has effectively infinite bandwidth and performs well in most regions (especially the Americas and Europe).

PackageCloud, which both options depend on, is not a free service. So, if you can afford to help with these costs please Sponsor the project using the link in the header.

Debian/Ubuntu distributions

First install our GPG certificate:

$ wget -qO - https://mirror.mwt.me/ghd/gpgkey | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/shiftkey-desktop.asc > /dev/null

To setup the package repository, run one of these commands:

# if you want to use packagecloud.io
$ sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://packagecloud.io/shiftkey/desktop/any/ any main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/packagecloud-shiftkey-desktop.list'

# if you want to use the US mirror
$ sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://mirror.mwt.me/ghd/deb/ any main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/packagecloud-shiftkey-desktop.list'

Then install GitHub Desktop:

$ sudo apt update && sudo apt install github-desktop

Red Hat/CentOS/Fedora distributions

First install our GPG certificate:

$ sudo rpm --import https://mirror.mwt.me/ghd/gpgkey

To setup the package repository, run one of these commands:

# if you want to use packagecloud.io
$ sudo sh -c 'echo -e "[shiftkey]\nname=GitHub Desktop\nbaseurl=https://packagecloud.io/shiftkey/desktop/el/7/\$basearch\nenabled=1\ngpgcheck=0\nrepo_gpgcheck=1\ngpgkey=https://mirror.mwt.me/ghd/gpgkey" > /etc/yum.repos.d/shiftkey-desktop.repo'

# if you want to use the US mirror
$ sudo sh -c 'echo -e "[shiftkey]\nname=GitHub Desktop\nbaseurl=https://mirror.mwt.me/ghd/rpm\nenabled=1\ngpgcheck=0\nrepo_gpgcheck=1\ngpgkey=https://mirror.mwt.me/ghd/gpgkey" > /etc/yum.repos.d/shiftkey-desktop.repo'

Then install GitHub Desktop:

# if yum is your package manager
$ sudo yum install github-desktop

# if dnf is your package manager
$ sudo dnf install github-desktop

OpenSUSE distribution

First install our GPG certificate:

$ sudo rpm --import https://mirror.mwt.me/ghd/gpgkey

To setup the package repository, run one of these commands:

# if you want to use packagecloud.io
$ sudo sh -c 'echo -e "[shiftkey]\nname=GitHub Desktop\nbaseurl=https://packagecloud.io/shiftkey/desktop/el/7/\$basearch\nenabled=1\ngpgcheck=0\nrepo_gpgcheck=1\ngpgkey=https://mirror.mwt.me/ghd/gpgkey" > /etc/zypp/repos.d/shiftkey-desktop.repo'

# if you want to use the US mirror
$ sudo sh -c 'echo -e "[shiftkey]\nname=GitHub Desktop\nbaseurl=https://mirror.mwt.me/ghd/rpm\nenabled=1\ngpgcheck=0\nrepo_gpgcheck=1\ngpgkey=https://mirror.mwt.me/ghd/gpgkey" > /etc/zypp/repos.d/shiftkey-desktop.repo'

Then install GitHub Desktop:

# if zypper is your package manager
$ sudo zypper ref && sudo zypper in github-desktop

Other Distributions

Arch Linux users can install GitHub Desktop from the AUR.

gnome-keyring is required and the daemon must be launched either at login or when the X server is started. Normally this is handled by a display manager, but in other cases following the instructions found on the Arch Wiki will fix the issue of not being able to save login credentials.

GitHub Desktop is also available cross-platform as a Flatpak and AppImage.

Known issues

If you're having troubles with Desktop, please refer to the Known issues document for guidance and workarounds for common limitations.

More information

Please check out the README on the upstream GitHub Desktop project and desktop.github.com for more product-oriented information about GitHub Desktop.

See our getting started documentation for more information on how to set up, authenticate, and configure GitHub Desktop.

License

MIT

The MIT license grant is not for GitHub's trademarks, which include the logo designs. GitHub reserves all trademark and copyright rights in and to all GitHub trademarks. GitHub's logos include, for instance, the stylized Invertocat designs that include "logo" in the file title in the following folder: logos.

GitHub® and its stylized versions and the Invertocat mark are GitHub's Trademarks or registered Trademarks. When using GitHub's logos, be sure to follow the GitHub logo guidelines.