Desktop Plus is a desktop application designed to enhance your Git repository management experience. Built as an up-to-date fork of GitHub Desktop, it offers extended functionality for developers working across multiple platforms.
Key Features:
Multiple Account Support: Seamlessly manage accounts from GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, and Codeberg.
Commit Search: Quickly find commits using titles, messages, tags, or hashes.
Enhanced Stashing: Create multiple stashes per branch for better code management.
Visual Commit Graph: Gain clarity with a visual representation of your commit history.
Audience & Benefit: Ideal for developers managing multiple projects or utilizing various Git platforms. Desktop Plus streamlines workflow efficiency and provides advanced tools for better project management.
Installation via winget is recommended for ease of use and regular updates.
README
GH Desktop Plus
This is an up-to-date fork of GitHub Desktop with additional features and improvements.
> [!IMPORTANT]
> This is a community-maintained project. It is not an official GitHub product.
To update, run winget upgrade DesktopPlus.DesktopPlus or winget upgrade --all to update all your winget packages. Make sure to update regularly to get the latest features and fixes.
Download and execute the installer from the releases page.
64-bit x86
64-bit ARM
.EXE Installer
-win-x64.exe
-win-arm64.exe
.MSI Installer ⚠️
-win-x64.msi
-win-arm64.msi
Please note that the app doesn't auto-update like the official GitHub Desktop, so you will need to manually download and install it every time you want to update.
For this reason, I recommend using Winget instead of the manual download.
⚠️ The MSI installer is meant for enterprise deployments and is not recommended for regular users. If you want to use it, keep in mind that you will need to reboot your computer to finish the installation. The MSI installer only registers a hook that will install the app on login.
macOS
Click to expand
Option 1: Using Homebrew (Recommended)
brew install desktop-plus/tap/desktop-plus
Make sure to run brew update + brew upgrade regularly to get the latest updates for Desktop Plus.
Option 2: Manual download (Not recommended)
Download and extract the ZIP file from the releases page. Click the app file to run it.
If you encounter the error "Apple could not verify this app is free of malware", go to "System Settings" > "Privacy & Security", scroll down to "Security" and click "Open Anyway" on "Desktop Plus".
64-bit x86
64-bit ARM (Apple Silicon)
-macOS-x64.zip
-macOS-arm64.zip
Please note that the app doesn't auto-update like the official GitHub Desktop, so you will need to manually download it every time you want to update.
For this reason, I recommend using Homebrew instead of the manual download.
Debian · Ubuntu · Mint · Pop!_OS · Zorin · elementary OS (APT)
Arch Linux · EndeavourOS · Garuda Linux · Manjaro (AUR)
Click to expand
Simply install desktop-plus-bin from the AUR using your preferred AUR helper.
yay -S desktop-plus-bin
You can also build from source by installing desktop-plus or desktop-plus-git from the AUR.
> gnome-keyring is required and the daemon must be launched either at login or when the X server / Wayland compositor is started. Normally this is handled by a display manager, but in other cases following the instructions found on the Arch Wiki will fix the issue of not being able to save login credentials.
> NOTE: Git hooks will run inside the Flatpak sandbox and cannot access programs installed on your system (such as version managers,
> linters, or other tools your hooks rely on). If your hooks depend on such programs, install a native package instead.
AppImage (any distro, not recommended)
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IMPORTANT: I strongly recommend using your distribution's native package (APT, RPM, and AUR packages above) or Flatpak instead of the AppImage, as it requires some manual setup for the sign-in feature to work.
If you need to use the AppImage, follow these steps:
Finally, double-click the .AppImage file to run it.
Common issues 🛠️
Before opening a new issue, please check the Known Issues document for common issues and their workarounds.
Command Line Interface 💻
Desktop Plus includes a CLI (desktop-plus-cli) for opening and cloning repositories from the terminal. See the CLI documentation for usage details and instructions on creating a shorter alias.
Running the app locally 🏗️
From the terminal
corepack enable # Install yarn if needed
yarn # Install dependencies
yarn build:dev # Initial build
yarn start # Start the app for development and watch for changes
It's normal for the app to take a while to start up, especially the first time.
While starting up, this error is normal: UnhandledPromiseRejectionWarning: Error: Invalid header: Does not start with Cr24
You don't need to restart the app to apply changes. Just reload the window (Ctrl + Alt + R / Cmd + Alt + R).
Changes to the code inside main-process do require a full rebuild. Stop the app and run yarn build:dev again.
Read this document for more information on how to set up your development environment.
From VSCode
The first time you open the project, install the dependencies by running:
corepack enable
yarn
Then, you can simply build and run the app by pressing F5.
Breakpoints should be set in the developer tools, not the VSCode editor.
Running tests
I recommend running the tests in a Docker container for reproducibility and to avoid conflicts with your git configuration.
After installing the dependencies with yarn, make sure you have Docker installed and run:
yarn test:docker
Why this fork?
First, because shiftkey's fork is currently unmaintained (the last commit was in February 2025), so all Linux users are no longer getting the latest features and fixes from the official GitHub Desktop repository.
Secondly, I think the official GitHub Desktop app is very slow in terms of updates and lacks some advanced features that I'd like. This fork has low code quality requirements compared to the official repo, so I (and hopefully you as well) can add features and improvements quickly.
This fork also focuses on integrating nicely with Bitbucket, since I use it for work and haven't found a good Linux GUI client for it.
Keep in mind that this version is not endorsed by GitHub, and it's aimed at power users with technical knowledge. If you're looking for a polished and stable product, I recommend using the official GitHub Desktop app instead.
Rich integration with GitHub, GitHub Enterprise, Bitbucket Cloud, GitLab Cloud, self-hosted GitLab, Codeberg Cloud, self-hosted Forgejo, Gitea Cloud, and self-hosted Gitea. Multi-account support is available for all of them (e.g., sign in to multiple GitHub accounts at the same time). ↩
