OpenAI released a preview of the Linux version of its ChatGPT desktop app on August 11, 2026. Alongside ChatGPT itself, the app gives access to ChatGPT Work for business tasks and Codex for developers, all from a single window. With this release, the three major desktop platforms — Windows, macOS and Linux — are now covered.
Three Distribution Families Are Supported
OpenAI lists Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, Debian 13, and Fedora 43 and Fedora 44 as supported targets. All of them refer to the desktop editions; server editions are not part of the scope.
Four packages are distributed. There is a .deb for Ubuntu and Debian in x64 and arm64 flavors, and an .rpm for Fedora in the same two flavors, so Arm-based machines install the app the same way Intel and AMD machines do.
To find out which one applies to your system, run the following command in a terminal.
uname -m
If the output is x86_64, choose the x64 build. If it is aarch64 or arm64, choose the ARM64 build.
Chat, Work and Codex Behind One Door
Once the app launches, you can switch between the ChatGPT side and the Codex side. The ChatGPT side splits further into Chat for conversation and Work for research and producing deliverables.
Selecting Codex lets you open local folders and projects, so you can write, debug and test code and review diffs while working with repositories and a terminal. Multiple agents can run in parallel, and in that case Git worktrees keep work inside the same repository isolated. Skills and automations are also available in the Linux build.
Codex itself is not new to Linux. The Codex CLI has been available there for some time, and this release is best understood as bringing that capability into a GUI.
In terms of features, the Linux build is described as equivalent to the other desktop versions apart from the native Computer Use feature. Support for Computer Use is planned, but even today agents can drive the app's built-in browser and Chrome. James Sun of OpenAI has also noted that rough edges remain because this is an early release.
Updates Can Be Left to the Package Manager
Downloaded packages are installed with the following commands, depending on the distribution.
# Ubuntu / Debian (replace with chatgpt_arm64.deb on ARM64)
sudo apt install ./chatgpt_amd64.deb
# Fedora (replace with chatgpt.aarch64.rpm on ARM64)
sudo dnf install ./chatgpt.x86_64.rpm
After installation, launch it from the application menu or by typing chatgpt in a terminal. Sign in with a ChatGPT account, select Codex, and you can start working on local files right away.
The update path is a quietly important detail. Installation configures OpenAI's signed package repository, so updates flow through the package manager from then on. To update only ChatGPT explicitly, use the following.
# Ubuntu / Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade chatgpt
# Fedora
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh chatgpt
Not having to rely on a bespoke in-app updater, and instead folding the app into the usual system update routine, is a comfortable design for anyone who uses Linux daily.
Wayland Support Is Still Experimental
There is a caveat around the display stack. On a Wayland session, the Linux build runs on XWayland where it is available. Running natively on Wayland, by contrast, is treated as experimental.
If you want to launch with native Wayland anyway, quit the app completely and then run the following. This flag is unnecessary for normal use.
chatgpt --ozone-platform=wayland
In that mode, however, floating windows, window placement and focus, and keyboard shortcuts may not work completely. For everyday use, leaving the app on its default XWayland behavior is the safer choice for now.
Summary
OpenAI has released a preview of the Linux version of the ChatGPT desktop app, available on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04 LTS, Debian 13, and Fedora 43 and 44. Packages are provided for both x64 and ARM64, and updates are handled by the package manager through a signed repository. Being able to drive Codex from a GUI is the headline for developers, though the preview still shows its seams: Computer Use is not supported yet, and native Wayland remains experimental.
