A modern, native GTK4/LibAdwaita wrapper for WhatsApp Web that provides seamless integration with the Linux desktop environment.

BREAKING CHANGE NOTICE: Karere v0.8.0 represents a complete rewrite from Python to native Vala/GTK4 for superior performance and integration.

• Mobile Re-sync Required: After upgrading to v0.8.0, you must re-sync your mobile device with WhatsApp Web as this is a completely new application implementation
• Settings Reset: Previous application settings will not be transferred - you'll need to reconfigure preferences
• Performance Boost: Expect significantly improved startup time, memory usage, and overall responsiveness
• Enhanced Features: New native notification system, accessibility support, and keyboard shortcuts

• Language: Python 3 → Native Vala compilation
• UI Framework: GTK4 with modern LibAdwaita and Blueprint declarative UI
• Build System: setuptools → Meson with comprehensive toolchain
• Performance: Interpreted → Compiled native binary
• Integration: Enhanced desktop integration and accessibility

• Native Desktop Integration: True native notifications using GNotification, not browser notifications
• LibAdwaita Theming: Full support for Light, Dark, and System themes with native styling
• Comprehensive Logging: Structured logging system with configurable levels and file/console output
• Crash Reporting: Optional crash detection and reporting system for improved stability
• WebKitGTK Optimization: Efficient resource usage compared to browser-based solutions
• Spell Checking: Multi-language spell checking support
• Privacy Controls: Granular settings for logging, notifications, and crash reporting

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/tobagin/karere.git
cd karere

# Build and install development version
./scripts/build.sh --dev --install

Karere is available on Flathub.

Launch Karere from your applications menu or run:

karere

The application will load WhatsApp Web and provide native desktop integration.

Access preferences through the application menu or keyboard shortcut to configure:

• Appearance: Theme selection (Light, Dark, System)
• Privacy: Logging controls and crash reporting settings
• Notifications: Native notification preferences

• Ctrl+, - Open Preferences
• Ctrl+Q - Quit Application
• F11 - Toggle Fullscreen

Karere is built using modern GNOME technologies:

• Vala: Primary programming language for type safety and productivity
• GTK4: Modern toolkit with excellent Wayland support
• LibAdwaita: Native GNOME design language and components
• WebKitGTK 6.0: Efficient web rendering engine
• Blueprint: Declarative UI definition language
• Flatpak: Secure application distribution

Karere is designed with privacy in mind:

• Sandboxed: Runs in a Flatpak sandbox with minimal permissions
• Opt-in Telemetry: All logging and crash reporting is disabled by default
• Local Storage: Uses standard user data directories, no external services
• Transparent: Open source code available for audit

Contributions are welcome! Please see our development documentation:

• Development Setup - Setting up your development environment
• Code Style Guide - Coding standards and conventions
• Architecture Overview - Technical architecture details

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Run tests: meson test -C build
5. Submit a pull request

• User Documentation - User guides and help
• Development Documentation - Developer resources
• Flathub Compliance - Distribution requirements

Karere is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later. See LICENSE for the full license text.

• Bug Reports: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions
• Documentation: Project Wiki

• GNOME Project: For the excellent GTK4 and LibAdwaita frameworks
• WebKitGTK Team: For the efficient web rendering engine
• WhatsApp Inc.: For WhatsApp Web
• Vala Community: For the productive programming language

Light Theme	Dark Theme

Preferences	Notifications

Karere - Native WhatsApp Web client for Linux desktop environments.