Kairos is a desktop Git client based on GitHub Desktop, adapted for the Kairos workflow and focused on a better Linux experience.
It keeps the familiar GitHub Desktop foundation - Electron, TypeScript, React, visual repository management, history, diffs, branches, commits, fetch/pull/push
- and extends it with capabilities that make local development and assisted Git flows easier to use on Linux.
Kairos is a fork for people who want:
- a Git desktop app with native Linux packaging, including
.deb - Git hook execution with visible terminal-style output inside the app
- GitHub Copilot-powered workflows such as commit message generation and conflict resolution
- Bring Your Own Key model provider support for Copilot-backed features
- the GitHub Desktop interaction model without being limited to the upstream distribution story
- Git-first desktop workflow for cloning, opening, reviewing changes, committing, branching, merging, rebasing, and syncing repositories
- Linux-ready distribution with Debian packaging support in the build pipeline
- Copilot integration already wired into the app, including preferences and feature-flagged AI workflows
- Hook visibility with captured terminal output so repository automation is easier to understand when something fails
- Built on GitHub Desktop so the project stays close to a proven desktop Git experience
Kairos is not the official GitHub Desktop distribution. It is a derivative project built on top of the upstream codebase and adapted to serve Kairos-specific desktop and Linux needs.
Kairos is built with:
- Electron
- TypeScript
- React
Repository setup and contributor docs are still available in docs/ and
.github/.
The repository can be built locally, and the Linux packaging flow now produces a Debian package:
pnpm install
node vendor/yarn-1.21.1.js --cwd app install --force --ignore-engines
NODE_ENV=production RELEASE_CHANNEL=production pnpm run build:prod
NODE_ENV=production RELEASE_CHANNEL=production pnpm run packageThe Debian artifact is generated in dist/.
Kairos inherits the upstream GitHub Desktop codebase license where applicable. Any GitHub trademarks, names, and logos remain the property of GitHub.