Claude Desktop (community build)

An unofficial desktop app for Claude, built as a thin shell around the official claude CLI. Chat with Claude in a proper window, attach folders so it can read and edit your files, and keep full conversation history locally — no browser tab, no copy-paste, no cloud sync.

Alpha build · community project. Not affiliated with Anthropic. It drives the real claude CLI under the hood, so your account, billing, and rate limits are exactly the same as using claude in a terminal.

What it gives you

• A real chat window. Sidebar of chats on the left, conversation in the middle, file previews on the right — everything you'd expect, nothing you wouldn't.
• Two modes per chat:
  • Chat — plain conversation with Claude. No file access, no shell. Good for questions, writing, brainstorming.
  • Cowork — agentic mode. Attach one or more folders and Claude can read, edit, and run code inside them.
• Sandboxed by default on Linux. Cowork turns run inside a bubblewrap sandbox that only exposes the folders you attached — the rest of your home directory is hidden from Claude. Docker and fully unrestricted ("jailbroken") modes are available in Settings for users who want them.
• Everything local. Chats, messages, and sandboxes live on your disk (SQLite + a per-chat working directory). Close the app, re-open it, your conversations are still there.
• Resumable. Each chat maps to a claude --resume session, so Claude remembers the full history of a conversation across restarts.

Getting started

Method 1 - Download

• Download — one direct link to (Download)[https://github.com/janithcooray/claude-desktop/releases/download/v0.1.0-alpha/Claude-Desktop-0.1.0.AppImage]
• First launch — app handles CLI install + sign-in for you
• Sandbox mode — Settings → Security

Method 2 - Build

1. Install the prerequisites

Linux (x86_64):

• ⬇ Download AppImage
• 📖 Read Me — full project docs, sandbox modes, troubleshooting
• 📝 Release notes — what's in v0.1.0-alpha

2. Install the app

If double-click doesn't work, right-click the file → Properties → Permissions → "Allow executing file as program", then open it again.

2. First launch

3. Run it

Dev mode (hot-reload, devtools open):

npm run dev

Build a standalone app:

npm run pack
# Linux: ./release/Cowork-*.AppImage
# macOS: ./release/Cowork-*.dmg
# Windows: ./release/Cowork Setup *.exe

First launch

1. Install the CLI. If claude isn't on your system, a modal pops up offering to install it. It runs the official one-liner (curl -fsSL claude.ai/install.sh | bash) and streams the log so you can see what's happening. No sudo required.
2. Sign in. A second modal explains the OAuth flow and opens a terminal window running claude auth login. Follow the prompts; when you're done, close the terminal and come back to the app.
3. Start a chat. Click "New chat" (or "New cowork") in the left sidebar. In Cowork mode, click the 📁 button in the chat header to attach a folder.
4. Send a message. That's it.

3. Choosing a sandbox mode

The default ("Sandboxed") mode is the right choice for most people. If you want something different, go to Settings → Security:

Mode	What it does	When to use
Default (sandboxed)	Runs Claude in a bubblewrap sandbox. Only the folders you attach are visible; the rest of $HOME is hidden.	Default. Recommended.
Docker shell	Runs Claude inside a Docker container. Strong isolation; needs Docker running.	If you prefer container-based isolation or are on a distro where bubblewrap is awkward.
Jailbroken	No sandbox, no permission prompts, full host access.	Throwaway VMs you control. Not recommended for your daily machine.

Common issues

• "Default mode cannot start: bubblewrap not installed" — install bwrap using the command for your distribution (shown in the error dialog), or switch to Docker / Jailbroken in Settings.
• "Failed to launch claude CLI" — the claude binary isn't on your $PATH. Open Settings and use the Install button, or install it manually and restart the app.
• AppImage won't launch on Wayland — try ./Claude-Desktop-0.1.0.AppImage --no-sandbox or set ELECTRON_OZONE_PLATFORM_HINT=auto.

More in INFO.md.

Build from source

If you want to run the dev build or package your own AppImage, see INFO.md — it covers prerequisites, npm run dev, npm run pack, and the project layout.

Learn more

• INFO.md — architecture, developer docs, configuration, project layout, and a full troubleshooting reference.
• The official Claude Code docs — https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code

License & disclaimer

This project is an unofficial community build. "Claude" is a trademark of Anthropic. The app is provided as-is with no warranty; review INFO.md before using it on machines with sensitive data.