Desktop Apps and Extension

Desktop Apps & Extension

Beyond the web app, Lattix ships as native desktop installers and a Chrome extension. All of them run the same client code and the same local crypto.

Chrome extension

The client/ directory doubles as an unpacked Chrome MV3 extension — one codebase, the same files the relay serves.

1. Run a Lattix relay (from source, an installer, or a deployment).
2. Chrome → chrome://extensions → enable Developer mode → Load unpacked → select the client/ folder.
3. Click the Lattix toolbar icon (it opens the app in a tab).
4. Open Settings → Relay server and set your server URL (default http://localhost:8000; use your https://… domain for a hosted relay).

The extension is a thin shell: all crypto runs locally and it talks only to the relay you configure.

Standalone desktop installers

Each installer bundles a Python runtime, the FastAPI relay, and the web client via PyInstaller — end users need no Python. Launching Lattix starts a local relay on http://localhost:8000 and opens it in the browser. The database is stored per-user (see Configuration).

Platform	Artifact	Wrapper
Windows	LattixSetup.exe	Inno Setup (Start Menu / Desktop shortcuts)
macOS	Lattix-<ver>-<arch>.dmg	drag-to-install .app
Linux	Lattix-<ver>-<arch>.run	self-extracting installer + app-menu entry

Getting the installers

• From CI (no local toolchain): GitHub → Actions → the matching Build … installer workflow → Run workflow, then download the artifact. Pushing a v* tag attaches all installers to a Release.
• Build locally on the matching OS:
  • Windows: installer\build.bat (needs Inno Setup 6)
  • macOS: installer/macos/build.sh
  • Linux: installer/linux/build.sh

Each installer is a native binary and must be built on its own OS — PyInstaller doesn't cross-compile.

Linux .run install / uninstall

chmod +x Lattix-1.1.0-x86_64.run
./Lattix-1.1.0-x86_64.run           # per-user, or system-wide if run as root
./Lattix-1.1.0-x86_64.run --user    # force per-user even as root
./Lattix-1.1.0-x86_64.run --uninstall

macOS note

The app is not code-signed, so the first launch needs a right-click → Open (or System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway).

For the full breakdown of the packaging scripts, see installer/README.md.

Which should I use?

• Just trying it / one device: a desktop installer — one download, no setup.
• Chatting with others over the internet: host a relay (Self-Hosting & Deployment) and point the web app or the extension at it.