For years, shiftkey/desktop was the way to run GitHub Desktop on Linux, and most guides still point to it. Its latest release, 3.4.13-linux1, came out in February 2025. If you want a current shiftkey alternative, this build ships GitHub Desktop 3.6.10. But shiftkey still does some things this build doesn't, so here is a fair comparison.
Credit where it's due
shiftkey (Brendan Forster) maintained the Linux fork for years and proved that GitHub Desktop could be a good Linux app. This build is a separate fork of upstream desktop/desktop, not of shiftkey's code, but it builds on the approach shiftkey/desktop pioneered: track upstream, add Linux packaging, ship a .deb and an AppImage. Thank you, shiftkey. This comparison is about which build fits you today, not a judgment of that work.
shiftkey/desktop vs this build at a glance
| shiftkey/desktop | This build (yehudah/desktop) | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest release | 3.4.13-linux1 (9 February 2025) | 3.6.10-linux1 (1 November 2026) |
| Follows upstream | No release since February 2025 | Daily sync job proposes each stable upstream release |
| Package formats | .deb, .rpm and AppImage | .deb and AppImage |
| Architectures | x86_64, arm64 and armhf | x86_64 only |
| Tested on | See its repository | Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04 (CI), Debian 12 |
| Checksums | See its releases | SHA-256 file for every download |
| Auto-update | No | No |
| License | MIT | MIT |
A note on 3.4.14
shiftkey/desktop also has a release-3.4.14-linux1 git tag that was never published as a GitHub
release. Some AUR packages build from that tag, so you may see 3.4.14 there. Either way, nothing newer than 3.4.14
exists from shiftkey.
When shiftkey/desktop is still the better choice
- You need an .rpm for Fedora, openSUSE or RHEL and don't want an AppImage.
- You are on ARM (arm64 or armhf), such as a Raspberry Pi. This build has no ARM packages.
- You are happy with GitHub Desktop 3.4.13 and don't need anything released after February 2025.
When this build is the better shiftkey alternative
- You want the current GitHub Desktop (3.6.10), with upstream's fixes and features since 3.4.13.
- You are on a 64-bit Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint or Pop!_OS system and want a tested
.deb. - You want each new upstream release to arrive here as well, with a changelog and checksums.
How to switch from shiftkey/desktop
Both builds use the same package name, github-desktop, so installing this build's .deb
upgrades shiftkey's package in place. Download it from the download page and run:
sudo apt install ./GitHubDesktop-linux-amd64-3.6.10-linux1.deb
If you added shiftkey's apt repository in the past, remove its entry from /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
so apt doesn't offer that build again. Your settings live in ~/.config/GitHub Desktop
and your cloned repositories are not touched. Back up that folder first if you might switch back. You may need to
sign in again.
For the AppImage, download the new file and point your launcher at it as described in the AppImage guide.
Related: GitHub Desktop vs GitKraken on Linux · FAQ