This Nix flake provides an unofficial build for Claude Desktop on Linux, targeting users who prefer or require Nix for managing their development environments. It enables features like MCP support and tray menu integration, offering a streamlined way to run the application on NixOS and other Linux distributions.

How It Works

Claude Desktop is an Electron application. This flake addresses the lack of official Linux support by recompiling its native Node.js bindings. The core innovation is patchy-cnb, a Rust library built with NAPI-RS that reimplements the necessary native functions using stubs, allowing the Electron app to run on Linux without the original, platform-specific native module.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Primary install/run command: NIXPKGS_ALLOW_UNFREE=1 nix run github:k3d3/claude-desktop-linux-flake --impure
• Prerequisites: Nix package manager installed. The NIXPKGS_ALLOW_UNFREE=1 flag is required due to the proprietary nature of Claude Desktop.
• For NixOS users: Add the flake to flake.nix and include claude-desktop or claude-desktop-with-fhs in environment.systemPackages or home.packages.
• Official quick-start: https://github.com/k3d3/claude-desktop-linux-flake

Highlighted Details

• Supports MCP, Ctrl+Alt+Space popup, and tray menu functionality.
• Utilizes patchy-cnb (Rust/NAPI-RS) to stub missing native bindings.
• Offers claude-desktop-with-fhs for running MCP servers requiring external tools like npx, uvx, or docker.
• Links to alternative packaging efforts for Debian and Arch Linux are provided.

Maintenance & Community

• This is an unofficial project. Issues and contributions should be directed to the repository.

Licensing & Compatibility

• Build scripts and patchy-cnb are dual-licensed under MIT and Apache 2.0.
• Claude Desktop itself is subject to Anthropic's Consumer Terms.
• Compatibility for commercial or closed-source linking depends on Anthropic's terms.

Limitations & Caveats

This is an unofficial build script and may not be as stable or feature-complete as an official release. Users should report issues to the repository maintainers, not Anthropic.