Guys Inc

Install GitHub Desktop on Linux

GitHub doesn't ship an official Linux build. This is the actively-maintained open-source fork — with a GPG-signed apt repository, so it installs and updates like any other package.

3.5.0 latest 9 builds 3 architectures MIT licensed

Ubuntu & Debian — recommended

Install from the GPG-signed APT repository. Updates then arrive through your normal apt upgrade, verified by signature.

$ sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings

$ curl -fsSL https://apt.guysinc.pub/guysinc-apt.gpg \
    | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/guysinc-apt.gpg > /dev/null

$ echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/guysinc-apt.gpg] https://apt.guysinc.pub/github-desktop stable main" \
    | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/guysinc-github-desktop.list

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

Signing key fingerprint. F45B B6D3 4D82 EF56 BB97 FBE0 F305 FB33 592B 46C8
Confirm it matches before trusting the repository — gpg --show-keys /etc/apt/keyrings/guysinc-apt.gpg.
That command also lists signing subkeys, one per project, and it is a subkey that signs this repository. The fingerprint above is the primary key that certifies them — that is the one to check, and the one that stays the same across rotations.

Fedora, RHEL & openSUSE

Download the .rpm for your architecture from the Releases page, then install it:

# Fedora / RHEL
$ sudo dnf install ./GitHubDesktop-linux-x86_64-*.rpm

# openSUSE
$ sudo zypper install ./GitHubDesktop-linux-x86_64-*.rpm

RPMs are published for x86_64, aarch64 and armv7l. There is no RPM repository yet, so updates on these distributions are a manual re-download.

Any distribution (AppImage)

Portable, no package manager involved — useful on distributions we don't package for.

$ chmod +x GitHubDesktop-linux-x86_64-*.AppImage
$ ./GitHubDesktop-linux-x86_64-*.AppImage

Direct downloads

Every release ships nine builds. Pick the one matching your distribution and CPU:

Debian / Ubuntu.deb — amd64, arm64, armhf Fedora / RHEL / SUSE.rpm — x86_64, aarch64, armv7l Portable.AppImage — x86_64, arm64, armv7l

Verify a download

Packages installed through apt are verified automatically. For a direct download, each asset has a matching .sha256 file:

$ sha256sum -c GitHubDesktop-linux-x86_64-*.rpm.sha256

FAQ

Is there a GitHub Desktop for Linux?

Yes — while GitHub doesn't publish an official Linux build, this actively-maintained open-source fork provides one, installable via a signed apt repository or direct .rpm / AppImage downloads.

Is it safe and trustworthy?

The APT repository is GPG-signed, so apt verifies every package before installing it, and direct downloads publish SHA-256 checksums. It's MIT-licensed open source — the full source is on GitHub. It is an unofficial community build, not affiliated with GitHub, Inc.

Why does signing in show me a code instead of a login page?

That's expected from 3.5.0 onwards. Desktop signs in using the OAuth device flow: it shows a one-time code, you open the link in your browser, enter the code and approve. The older flow required the app to carry a client secret, and anything shipped inside a .deb can be read by whoever downloads it — so there is now no secret in the package at all. Note that signing out clears the token from your machine but does not revoke it on GitHub; to fully revoke access, use github.com/settings/applications.

Does it update automatically?

On Ubuntu and Debian, yes — updates come through your normal apt upgrade. On other distributions, re-download from Releases.

Which architectures are supported?

Each release covers x86_64/amd64, arm64/aarch64 and armhf/armv7l. That includes Raspberry Pi and other ARM single-board machines.

Something's broken — where do I report it?

Open an issue on the issue tracker. Packaging problems are ours; upstream application bugs may need to go to the GitHub Desktop project.