https://github.com/deltachat/deltachat-desktop
Email-based instant messaging for Desktop.
https://github.com/deltachat/deltachat-desktop
autocrypt chat deltachat-desktop e2ee electron email federated imap instant-messaging messenger smtp typescript
Last synced: about 2 months ago
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Email-based instant messaging for Desktop.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/deltachat/deltachat-desktop
- Owner: deltachat
- License: gpl-3.0
- Created: 2018-08-20T18:02:34.000Z (almost 8 years ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-04-09T18:43:24.000Z (about 1 year ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-04-09T18:43:36.610Z (about 1 year ago)
- Topics: autocrypt, chat, deltachat-desktop, e2ee, electron, email, federated, imap, instant-messaging, messenger, smtp, typescript
- Language: TypeScript
- Homepage:
- Size: 108 MB
- Stars: 1,014
- Watchers: 42
- Forks: 176
- Open Issues: 118
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
- License: LICENSE
- Security: SECURITY.md
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- awesome-starred - deltachat/deltachat-desktop - Email-based instant messaging for Desktop. (electron)
README
[](https://github.com/prettier/prettier)
**Desktop Application for [delta.chat](https://delta.chat)**
## Editions
| [`Electron`](https://www.electronjs.org/) :electron: | [`Tauri`](https://tauri.app/) 
| Browser 🦊🧭🏐 |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| | | 
|
| The default application. Based on Electron. Currently deployed in appstore and used by most users. | **WIP** client using Tauri instead of Electron.
Tauri is a modern alternative to Electron: Less disk usage, less ram usage and better performance rust backend. | Highly experimental version with a webserver component and web-ui in the browser. At the moment only meant for developers and automated testing. |
| [Project Folder](./packages/target-electron)
[Download Links](https://get.delta.chat) | [Project Folder](./packages/target-tauri)
[Fediverse Thread](https://fosstodon.org/@treefit/113578409177635057)
[Delta Tauri - nlnet project](https://nlnet.nl/project/DeltaTauri) | [Project Folder](./packages/target-browser)
[Fediverse Thread](https://fosstodon.org/@treefit/113116480883632874)
[Blog Post](https://delta.chat/en/2025-05-22-browser-edition) |
### For Users
- [Troubleshooting](./docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md)
- [CLI flags](./docs/CLI_FLAGS.md)
- [Keybindings](./docs/KEYBINDINGS.md)
- [How to make custom Themes](./docs/THEMES.md)
### For Developers
- [Contribution Guidelines](./CONTRIBUTING.md)
- [Logging](./docs/LOGGING.md)
- [Documentation for Developers](./docs/DEVELOPMENT.md)
- [Styling Guidelines](./docs/STYLES.md)
- [How to update core](./docs/UPDATE_CORE.md)
- [How to do end to end testing](./docs/E2E-TESTING.md)
- [How to do a release](./RELEASE.md)
## Table of Contents
Click to expand
- [Delta Chat Desktop ](#delta-chat-desktop-)
- [Editions](#editions)
- [Documentation Links ](#documentation-links-)
- [For Users](#for-users)
- [For Developers](#for-developers)
- [Table of Contents](#table-of-contents)
- [Install ](#install-)
- [Linux ](#linux-)
- [Flatpak ](#flatpak-)
- [Arch Linux ](#arch-linux-)
- [Mac OS ](#mac-os-)
- [Homebrew](#homebrew)
- [DMG](#dmg)
- [Windows ](#windows-)
- [From Source ](#from-source-)
- [Troubleshooting ](#troubleshooting-)
- [Configuration and Databases ](#configuration-and-databases-)
- [How to Contribute ](#how-to-contribute-)
- [Logging ](#logging-)
- [License ](#license-)
The application can be downloaded from ****.
Here you'll find binary releases for all supported platforms.
See below for platform specific instructions. If you run into any
problems please consult the [`Troubleshooting`](#troubleshooting) section below.
[](https://repology.org/project/deltachat-desktop/versions)
The primary distribution-independent way to install is to use the
flatpak build.
This is maintained in [its own
repository](https://github.com/flathub/chat.delta.desktop). However, a
pre-built binary can be downloaded and installed from
[`Flathub`](https://flathub.org/apps/details/chat.delta.desktop) which
also has a setup guide for many Linux platforms.
Run `pacman -S deltachat-desktop` to install Delta Chat Desktop on Arch Linux.
Alternatively, build `deltachat-desktop-git` package from Arch User Repository.
> **WARNING: Currently the AUR package compiles from latest master.
> This can be more recent as the latest release, introduce new features
> but also new bugs.**
If you have a AUR helper like yay or paru installed, you can install it
by running `yay -S deltachat-desktop-git` and following the instruction
in your terminal.
Otherwise you can still do it manually:
Show manual steps
```sh
# Download the latest snapshot of the PKGBUILD
wget https://aur.archlinux.org/cgit/aur.git/snapshot/deltachat-desktop-git.tar.gz
# extract the archive and rm the archive file afterwards
tar xzfv deltachat-desktop-git.tar.gz && rm deltachat-desktop-git.tar.gz
# cd into extracted folder
cd deltachat-desktop-git
# build package
makepkg -si
# install package (you need to replace with whatever version makepkg built)
sudo pacman -U deltachat-desktop-git-.tar.xz
```
#### Homebrew
```
$ brew install --cask deltachat
```
#### DMG
Simply install the `.dmg` file as you do it with all other software on Mac.
You can find the downloads for windows on .
However, we recommend using the release from [Microsoft Store](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/deltachat/9pjtxx7hn3pk?activetab=pivot:overviewtab),
because there you get automatic updates.
> ⚠ This is mostly for development purposes, this won't install/integrate deltachat into your system.
> So unless you know what you are doing, we recommend to stick to the methods above if possible.
```sh
# Get the code
$ git clone https://github.com/deltachat/deltachat-desktop.git
$ cd deltachat-desktop
# Install pnpm
$ npm i -g pnpm
# Install dependencies
$ pnpm install
# Build the app (only needed on the first time or if the code was changed)
$ pnpm -w build:electron
# Start the application:
$ pnpm -w start:electron
```
> `-w` means workspace root package, with this you don't need to have your current working directory at the repo-root to run those scripts.
For development with local `deltachat core` read [`docs/UPDATE_CORE.md`](docs/UPDATE_CORE.md).
- This module builds on top of [`deltachat core`](https://github.com/chatmail/core),
which in turn has external dependencies. The instructions below assume a Linux system (e.g. Ubuntu 18.10).
- Read the error, maybe it already tells you what you need to do. If not feel free to file an issue in this github repo.
- Make sure that your nodejs version is `22.0.0` or newer.
- If you still get errors look at the instructions in [`docs/UPDATE_CORE.md`](docs/UPDATE_CORE.md) to set things up or [write an issue](https://github.com/deltachat/deltachat-desktop/issues/new/choose).
## Configuration and Databases
The configuration files and database are stored at [application-config's default file paths](https://www.npmjs.com/package/application-config#config-location).
Each database is a SQLite file that represents the account for a given email address.
- Read [`docs/DEVELOPMENT.md`](docs/DEVELOPMENT.md)
- For translations see our transifex page: https://www.transifex.com/delta-chat/public/
- For other ways to contribute: https://delta.chat/en/contribute
You can access the log folder and the current log file under the `View->Developer` menu:
For more details on how the logging system works, read [`docs/LOGGING.md`](docs/LOGGING.md).
Licensed under `GPL-3.0-or-later`, see [`LICENSE`](./LICENSE) file for details.
> Copyright © DeltaChat contributors.
>
> This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
> it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
> the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
> (at your option) any later version.
>
> This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
> but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
> MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
> GNU General Public License for more details.
>
> You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
> along with this program. If not, see .