Unofficial Claude Code desktop app for Ubuntu and other Linux desktops.
The app wraps the official claude CLI in a real GUI so every Claude Code
feature (slash commands, MCP, agents, plugins, hooks, permissions, model
switching, resume, ultrareview, etc.) works as-is. It is not affiliated with
Anthropic.
- Multi-session terminal tabs: run several Claude Code conversations in parallel, each with its own xterm pane.
- File drag-and-drop: drop files or folders on a terminal pane to paste shell-quoted paths into Claude's input.
- Diff Viewer: built-in
git diffviewer with per-file selection, refreshable from the sidebar — see what Claude changed without leaving the app. - Manage view: one-click panels for MCP servers, plugins, auth status,
and
claude doctor, plus a button to launch the interactiveclaude agentsUI in a new tab. - Scheduled tasks: define cron-like recurring prompts that run via
claude -pwith a configurable permission mode; results surface as desktop notifications. - In-terminal search (Ctrl+F), resume last session (Ctrl+R), new tab (Ctrl+T), close tab (Ctrl+W).
- Global hotkey:
Ctrl+Alt+C(configurable) shows/hides the app from any workspace. - Native notifications: when a Claude session exits while the window is out of focus, or when a scheduled task finishes.
- Embedded Claude chat at
claude.ai/newwith persistent login session, drag-and-drop of files/images supported by Claude's web UI.
Two modes, switched from the sidebar:
- Subscription: removes
ANTHROPIC_API_KEYfrom the embedded Claude Code environment so Claude Code uses your Claude.ai login/subscription. TheLoginbutton runsclaude auth loginin a fresh terminal tab and opensclaude.ai/loginin the chat window so you can complete the OAuth flow. - API key: stored with Electron
safeStorage(Linux keyring / kwallet when available). The key is injected only asANTHROPIC_API_KEYfor the embedded Claude Code process; it is not written into shell startup files.
- Ubuntu 20.04+ or Debian 10+
- Node.js 18+
- npm
- Claude Code installed and authenticated
Install Claude Code if it is not already on your machine:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bashor:
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-codenpm install
npm startnpm run packageBuild output is written to dist/ as AppImage and .deb.
For development installs, run:
./scripts/install-local.shThat registers a launcher that starts this checkout with npm start.
| Variable | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
CLAUDE_CODE_PATH |
auto | Path to a specific claude binary. |
CLAUDE_URL |
https://claude.ai/new |
URL loaded by the embedded chat window. |
CLAUDE_MINIMIZE_TO_TRAY |
1 |
Set to 0 to quit on window close instead of hiding. |
CLAUDE_DISABLE_GPU |
0 |
Set to 1 to disable hardware acceleration (workaround for some Linux GPU configurations). |
CLAUDE_GLOBAL_SHORTCUT |
Control+Alt+C |
Global hotkey to show/hide the main window. |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl+O |
Open project folder |
Ctrl+T |
New terminal tab |
Ctrl+W |
Close current tab |
Ctrl+R |
Resume last session (claude -c) |
Ctrl+Shift+R |
Continue conversation (/resume) |
Ctrl+F |
Find in active terminal |
Ctrl+, |
Settings dialog |
Ctrl+Shift+C |
Open Claude Chat window |
Ctrl+Alt+C |
Global show/hide (configurable) |
The app exposes every Claude Code feature available in the CLI. Some macOS desktop features from Anthropic's closed-source app are not byte-for-byte clonable — most notably the live visual-diff overlay and cloud-managed sessions. This app provides equivalents where possible:
- Visual diff → built-in
git diffviewer panel (refresh-driven, not live overlay). - Cloud sessions → not available; use
claude ultrareviewfor cloud-hosted review runs, accessible from the CLI section. - Scheduled tasks → local cron-like scheduler that runs while the app is open.
- MCP/plugin/agent screens → Manage view with raw CLI output panels and a one-click launcher for interactive agents.