OpenAI released a preview of its ChatGPT desktop application for Linux on August 11, extending its unified desktop experience to the operating system. The new application bundles ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work, and the Codex coding agent, making these tools available in a native client for Linux users. Previously, the ChatGPT desktop app was available only for macOS and Windows.
The Linux desktop app is available as native .deb and .rpm packages. It supports Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and 26.04 LTS, Debian 13, and Fedora 43 and 44, on both x64 and ARM64 architectures. An OpenAI spokesperson stated that Linux has been one of the most requested platforms for the desktop app, and this launch extends ChatGPT and Codex across every major desktop operating system. The installer for the application adds an OpenAI repository, allowing future updates to be deployed automatically through the system's package manager.
This move by OpenAI follows Anthropic's release of a Claude desktop app for Linux approximately a month prior, indicating a growing focus by AI developers on the Linux desktop environment. The inclusion of Codex in the desktop application is particularly relevant for developers. While ChatGPT has been accessible via web browsers on Linux, the desktop app integrates Codex, offering a development environment for writing and debugging code, running tests, reviewing changes, and working with local repositories and files. This provides a graphical, project-focused workflow that was previously limited to macOS and Windows.
While the release provides an official desktop client for Linux, some technical details remain unspecified. OpenAI has not fully detailed whether all capabilities available in the existing desktop clients will be identical in the Linux preview. For instance, it is not yet clear how much of the desktop app's design for managing multiple projects and agent workflows, or Codex's computer-use capabilities outside the in-app browser, will be inherited by the Linux version. The company has also not provided a timeline for the application to move out of its preview phase.
In related news, Google's Gemini AI assistant recently surpassed 1 billion monthly active users, making it the company's fastest-growing product to date. Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced this milestone on August 11. This makes Gemini the 14th Google product to reach the billion-user mark.
Google reported that 63% of Gemini users interact with the assistant via voice, with a segment relying solely on voice commands. The company also noted that busy parents are 43% more likely to use voice for daily tasks. One in five interactions with Gemini Live involves screen sharing or live camera feeds, enabling users to receive assistance with physical tasks. Gemini generates over 150 million images daily, a feature gaining traction with small businesses. The app has more than 100 million active users on iOS, and macOS users reportedly prompt Gemini twice as frequently as users on other platforms. Gemini can also automate actions across more than 40 Android applications.