tyto.chat desktop

The desktop app for tyto.chat, for macOS, Windows and Linux.

It is a thin Electron shell around the Tyto web client built in desktop mode. The shell adds what a browser tab cannot: credentials kept in the operating system keychain, a tray icon, native notifications, tyto:// links and automatic updates. All chat features live in the client.

Requirements

• Node.js 22.12 or newer
• git and bash
• Linux only: a running secret service such as GNOME Keyring or KWallet

Development

npm install
npm run build:client   # builds the client pinned in client-ref into app/renderer
npm start

To run the shell against a client dev server instead of the bundled build:

TYTO_DEV_URL=https://client.ddev.site npm start

To bundle a local client checkout instead of the pinned one:

TYTO_CLIENT_REPO=/path/to/client TYTO_CLIENT_REF=my-branch npm run build:client

Which client gets bundled

client-ref holds the commit or tag of tyto-chat/client that a build packages. Changing the bundled client means changing that file and releasing a new desktop version.

Releasing

1. Set version in package.json.
2. Update client-ref if the release should carry a newer client.
3. Commit, then tag the commit v<version> and push the tag.

The release workflow builds installers for all three platforms and publishes them to the GitHub release for that tag. A platform without a signing certificate is still built, unsigned, and its release is marked as a prerelease.

Security

The page runs sandboxed with context isolation and no Node.js access. The preload script is the only privileged code and exposes one narrow object to the page. The shell refuses to start rather than store credentials without operating system encryption.

Report vulnerabilities as described in the client security policy.

License

MIT, see LICENSE.