THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL BUILD SCRIPT!

If you run into an issue with this build script, make an issue here. Don't bug Anthropic about it - they already have enough on their plates.

Claude Desktop for Linux

This project was inspired by k3d3's claude-desktop-linux-flake and their Reddit post about running Claude Desktop natively on Linux. Their work provided valuable insights into the application's structure and the native bindings implementation.

And now by me, via Aaddrick's claude-desktop-debian, modified to work for Fedora 41.

Supports MCP!

Location of the MCP-configuration file is: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Supports the Ctrl+Alt+Space popup!

Supports the Tray menu! (Screenshot of running on KDE)

Installation Options

1. Fedora Package (New!)

For Fedora-based distributions you can build and install Claude Desktop using the provided build script:

# Clone this repository
git clone https://github.com/bsneed/claude-desktop-fedora.git
cd claude-desktop-fedora

# Build the package
sudo ./build-fedora.sh
sudo dnf install build/electron-app/x86_64/claude-desktop_0.7.7-1.fc41.x86_64.rpm

# The script will automatically:
# - Check for and install required dependencies
# - Download and extract resources from the Windows version
# - Create a proper Fedora package
# - Guide you through installation

Requirements:

Fedora 41 Linux distribution
Node.js >= 12.0.0 and npm
Root/sudo access for dependency installation

2. Debian Package (New!)

For Debian users, please refer to Aaddrick's claude-desktop-debian repository. Their implementation is specifically designed for Debian and provides the original build script that inspired THIS project.

3. NixOS Implementation

For NixOS users, please refer to k3d3's claude-desktop-linux-flake repository. Their implementation is specifically designed for NixOS and provides the original Nix flake that inspired this project.

How it works

Claude Desktop is an Electron application packaged as a Windows executable. Our build script performs several key operations to make it work on Linux:

Downloads and extracts the Windows installer
Unpacks the app.asar archive containing the application code
Replaces the Windows-specific native module with a Linux-compatible implementation
Repackages everything into a proper RPM package

The process works because Claude Desktop is largely cross-platform, with only one platform-specific component that needs replacement.

The Native Module Challenge

The only platform-specific component is a native Node.js module called claude-native-bindings. This module provides system-level functionality like:

Keyboard input handling
Window management
System tray integration
Monitor information

Our build script replaces this Windows-specific module with a Linux-compatible implementation that:

Provides the same API surface to maintain compatibility
Implements keyboard handling using the correct key codes from the reference implementation
Stubs out unnecessary Windows-specific functionality
Maintains critical features like the Ctrl+Alt+Space popup and system tray

The replacement module is carefully designed to match the original API while providing Linux-native functionality where needed. This approach allows the rest of the application to run unmodified, believing it's still running on Windows.

Build Process Details

Note: The build script was generated by Claude (Anthropic) to help create a Linux-compatible version of Claude Desktop.

The build script (build-fedora.sh) handles the entire process:

Checks for a Fedora-based system and required dependencies
Downloads the official Windows installer
Extracts the application resources
Processes icons for Linux desktop integration
Unpacks and modifies the app.asar:
- Replaces the native module with our Linux version
- Updates keyboard key mappings
- Preserves all other functionality
Creates a proper RPM package with:
- Desktop entry for application menus
- System-wide icon integration
- Proper dependency management
- Post-install configuration

Updating the Build Script

When a new version of Claude Desktop is released, simply update the CLAUDE_DOWNLOAD_URL constant at the top of build-deb.sh to point to the new installer. The script will handle everything else automatically.

License

The build scripts in this repository, are dual-licensed under the terms of the MIT license and the Apache License (Version 2.0).

See LICENSE-MIT and LICENSE-APACHE for details.

The Claude Desktop application, not included in this repository, is likely covered by Anthropic's Consumer Terms.

Contribution

Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution intentionally submitted for inclusion in the work by you, as defined in the Apache-2.0 license, shall be dual licensed as above, without any additional terms or conditions.

claude-desktop-fedora

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bsneed/claude-desktop-fedora

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