OpenAI launches the ChatGPT desktop app for Linux

OpenAI has released the ChatGPT desktop app for Linux in preview, bringing the assistant and Codex to the most popular desktop operating systems among developers.

Linux, finally on the list

ChatGPT was already available on desktop for other platforms, but the open source developer community had been asking for it for a long time. “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 company said on Tuesday.

What it includes

The app, released worldwide, lets users run ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work and Codex without going through the browser. It is available for the desktop versions of Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04 LTS, Debian 13, and Fedora 43 and 44. Because those distributions serve as the base for many downstream desktop “flavors,” most Linux distros should be compatible.

The context

OpenAI arrives somewhat behind Anthropic, which launched the Claude desktop app for Linux about a month ago, available for Ubuntu 22.04 or later and Debian 12 or later. The competition for developers is now also being fought on the Linux desktop.

The key figure

4 distributions. Ubuntu LTS, Debian and Fedora are the official bases of the preview, but compatibility extends to hundreds of derivative distros.