ChatGPT Native Linux Repack

This folder contains the working local build path that repackages the official Windows ChatGPT MSIX into a native Linux Electron .deb.

This is the path that worked on this machine. The older Wine wrapper script is still here for reference, but the native script is the one to use.

Files

• build-chatgpt-native-deb.sh
  • main build script
• OpenAI.ChatGPT-Desktop_2026.212.2039.0.Msixbundle
  • example input payload
• dist/chatgpt-desktop-native_<version>_amd64.deb
  • output package

What The Native Script Does

1. extracts the x64 MSIX from the bundle
2. extracts the official app.asar
3. patches a few Windows/macOS assumptions so the app can boot on Linux
4. stages Linux Electron around the official app resources
5. packages everything as chatgpt-desktop-native

Current Linux Patches

• routes the platform chooser through the macOS-style implementation on Linux
• disables macOS-only setVibrancy(...) calls on Linux
• avoids the macOS ioreg device ID path on Linux
• carries over the official assets/ directory expected by the app
• declares chatgpt: and chatgpt-alt: URL handlers in the desktop file
• sets the desktop entry WM class to electron so GNOME binds the running window to the ChatGPT icon instead of the generic gear

Dependencies

The build expects local Electron tooling in this folder:

cd ~/chatgpt-windows-deb
npm install electron @electron/asar --no-save

System tools used by the script:

sudo apt-get install -y dpkg-dev nodejs python3 file

Build

cd ~/chatgpt-windows-deb
./build-chatgpt-native-deb.sh --exe ./OpenAI.ChatGPT-Desktop_2026.212.2039.0.Msixbundle

Install

sudo apt-get install ./dist/chatgpt-desktop-native_2026.212.2039.0_amd64.deb

If you rebuild without changing the version string, force the package refresh:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall ./dist/chatgpt-desktop-native_2026.212.2039.0_amd64.deb

Register The Login Callback

The package installs a helper that registers the current desktop user as the handler for the auth callback schemes:

chatgpt-desktop-native-register

You can verify registration with:

xdg-mime query default x-scheme-handler/chatgpt
xdg-mime query default x-scheme-handler/chatgpt-alt

Expected result:

chatgpt-desktop-native.desktop

Launch

chatgpt-desktop-native

Reproducing On Another Machine

1. copy this folder to the target machine
2. place a real ChatGPT .msix, .msixbundle, .appx, or .appxbundle here
3. run the local npm install electron @electron/asar --no-save
4. run ./build-chatgpt-native-deb.sh --exe <payload>
5. install the generated .deb
6. run chatgpt-desktop-native-register
7. launch chatgpt-desktop-native
8. if GNOME still shows the old generic icon, fully close the app and relaunch it once; if the shell is stubborn, log out and back in once

Notes

• the app may still print Electron/NVIDIA/VA-API noise in the terminal
• the successful signal is functional login plus working chat, not a silent terminal
• if the upstream Windows app changes significantly, the patch targets in build-chatgpt-native-deb.sh may need to be updated