native-claude-client

Native GTK4 client for Claude with agentic development workflows

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What is this?

A native Linux desktop application for Claude that goes beyond chat - it's an agentic development environment:

• 🖥️ Native GTK4/Wayland - Truly native Linux UI, not Electron
• 🔀 Multiple contexts - Work on different branches/tasks in parallel (v0.2+)
• 🔍 Review-first git workflow - See diffs, approve changes before commits (v0.3+)
• 📊 Unified limit tracking - Know your usage across all sessions
• 💾 Session persistence - Pick up where you left off

Current Status: 🎯 Planning phase - v0.1 MVP in development (6-month timeline)

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Why not just use Claude Desktop?

Claude Desktop is great, but developers need more:

• Context switching pain - Juggling multiple tasks requires multiple windows
• Blind commits - Can't easily review what Claude changed before committing
• Usage anxiety - No clear visibility into limit consumption
• Not truly native - Electron app with XWayland issues on Wayland

native-claude-client solves these developer-specific problems.

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Roadmap

v0.1 MVP (March - August 2026):

• Single conversation pane
• Claude API integration
• Basic diff viewer (read-only)
• Limit tracking display
• Session persistence

v0.2 Multi-Session (Sep - Oct 2026):

• Tabbed/paned interface
• Multiple parallel sessions
• Per-session tracking

v0.3 Git Integration (Nov - Dec 2026):

• Interactive diff staging
• Commit composer
• Branch switcher

v1.0 Full Release (Jan 2027):

• GNOME HIG polish
• Plugin architecture
• Complete documentation

See Roadmap for detailed timeline.

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Get Involved

We're in the planning phase - perfect time to shape the project!

Active Discussions:

• Window Layout: Tabs vs Panes vs Hybrid?
• What features would make this useful for your workflow?

Ways to contribute:

• Share your workflow pain points in Discussions
• Vote on design decisions
• Test on your distro when v0.1 releases
• Contribute code (after MVP - see CONTRIBUTING.md)

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Installation

Status: Not yet released - in development

When v0.1 is ready:

# Requirements: Python 3.11+, GTK4, Wayland
pip install native-claude-clientnative-claude-client

For development setup, see Wiki: Development Setup.

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Licensing

Open Source: GPL-3.0 (see LICENSE)

Commercial Licensing: Available for companies that need GPL exceptions.

What does this mean?

• Individual developers and GPL-compatible projects: Free forever
• Companies building proprietary products: Contact for commercial licensing
• All code stays open source regardless

See Wiki: Design Decisions for details on dual licensing.

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Project Links

• Roadmap: Wiki: Roadmap
• Design Decisions: Wiki: Design Decisions
• Discussions: Community Forum
• Project Board: Development Progress

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Part of continuity-bridge

This project is part of the continuity-bridge ecosystem - infrastructure for AI instance persistence and continuity.

Related Projects:

• unified-limit-monitor - Track Claude usage limits
• temporal-awareness-protocol - Time reference for instances
• continuity-bridge.github.io - Project website

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Built by Jerry Jackson (Uncle Tallest)