# Add the repository and install wget -qO - https://mirror.mwt.me/shiftkey-desktop/gpgkey | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/shiftkey-desktop.asc > /dev/null sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://mirror.mwt.me/shiftkey-desktop/deb/ any main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/packagecloud-shiftkey-desktop.list' sudo apt update sudo apt install github-desktop After installation, you’ll find "GitHub Desktop" in your app launcher. The Shiftkey version is often than the official experimental build in 2023. For Arch Linux Users (2023) # Using yay or paru yay -S github-desktop-bin Method 3: Flatpak – The Universal Linux Method Flatpak has become the preferred way to run GUI applications across all Linux distributions. If you’re on a non-Debian/non-RPM distro (like OpenSUSE or Solus), this is your best bet.
Once installed, launch from your applications menu or run github-desktop in the terminal. You will be prompted to sign into GitHub.com or GitHub Enterprise. : Some users experience a blank white screen upon login. This is usually related to keyring integration. Fix it by installing gnome-keyring : sudo apt install gnome-keyring Method 2: The Shiftkey Fork – The Community Gold Standard If the official build fails, the shiftkey fork remains the most reliable way to run GitHub Desktop on Linux in 2023. This fork has been actively maintained since 2017 and includes Linux-specific patches that GitHub’s own experimental build lacks. github desktop linux 2023
In 2023, the landscape changed. GitHub officially acknowledged the Linux community by releasing an experimental build of GitHub Desktop. But does it work? Is it stable? And what are the best ways to run it today? # Add the repository and install wget -qO - https://mirror
| Distro | Method | Stability Rating | Notes | |--------|--------|----------------|-------| | Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | Shiftkey (APT) | 9/10 | Perfect for daily use | | Fedora 38 | Official RPM | 7/10 | Occasional sign-in loops | | Arch Linux | AUR (bin) | 8/10 | Works, but requires manual keyring setup | If you’re on a non-Debian/non-RPM distro (like OpenSUSE
Sandboxed, works on any distro with Flatpak support, easy updates. Disadvantage: Slightly slower launch time due to sandbox overhead. Performance and Stability Report (2023) I tested GitHub Desktop on three major distros in Q3 2023:
In 2023, the Flathub repository offers an unofficial Flatpak of GitHub Desktop (based on the Shiftkey fork). # Ensure flathub is added flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo Install GitHub Desktop flatpak install flathub io.github.shiftey.Desktop