Skip to content

Desktop app

The desktop build wraps the Muxus server and UI in a native window. The server runs in-process on a random localhost port, the window is frameless with the top bar serving as the titlebar, and its size and position persist between launches.

Download

Installers are published on the releases page:

Platform File
Windows muxus-<version>-win-x64.exe
macOS (universal) muxus-<version>-mac-universal.dmg
Linux muxus-<version>-linux-x86_64.AppImage or muxus-<version>-linux-amd64.deb

Install & launch

  1. Run the installer and follow the prompts. The install directory is selectable.
  2. Launch Muxus from the Start menu.

The builds are not code-signed yet, so SmartScreen may report an unrecognised publisher. Choose More info → Run anyway.

  1. Open the .dmg and drag Muxus into Applications.

  2. The builds are not notarised yet, so the first launch requires one extra step:

    • Right-click the app → Open, then confirm in the dialog, or
    • clear the quarantine flag from a terminal:
    xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Muxus.app

Subsequent launches work normally from Spotlight or the Dock.

chmod +x muxus-*-linux-x86_64.AppImage
./muxus-*-linux-x86_64.AppImage

sudo apt install ./muxus-*-linux-amd64.deb
muxus

Each release includes a signed SHA256SUMS-linux.txt manifest covering both Linux packages. Download these additional files from the same release:

  • SHA256SUMS-linux.txt
  • SHA256SUMS-linux.txt.asc
  • muxus-linux-signing-key.asc

Import the public key and verify the manifest signature before checking the downloaded package:

gpg --import muxus-linux-signing-key.asc
gpg --show-keys --fingerprint muxus-linux-signing-key.asc
gpg --verify SHA256SUMS-linux.txt.asc SHA256SUMS-linux.txt
sha256sum --ignore-missing --check SHA256SUMS-linux.txt

A successful check reports OK for the package. Confirm that the key fingerprint is 9961 EE0F 767C A411 D2F5 9489 E330 0BC6 4E4A DE67 and matches the public key committed in the Muxus source repository.

What the desktop build adds

  • A frameless window. The top bar is the titlebar: it is a drag region, and the native window controls sit inside it (traffic lights on the left on macOS, minimise / maximise / close on the right elsewhere).
  • Native serial access. serialport and node-pty are compiled against Electron's ABI in the packaged app, so local shells and COM/TTY consoles work without further setup.
  • A hardened shell. The renderer receives its bootstrap credentials through an isolated preload bridge instead of the URL, and unexpected navigation is blocked. See the security model.
  • Extra windows. The file browser and any tab can be moved into their own window, which reuses the same in-process server and the same live SSH transports.

Where your data lives

The desktop app keeps its data in Electron's per-app directory:

Platform Application database (folders, colours, workspaces, tunnels, saved hosts, optional encrypted passwords)
Windows %APPDATA%\Muxus\muxus.sqlite3
macOS ~/Library/Application Support/Muxus/muxus.sqlite3
Linux ~/.config/Muxus/muxus.sqlite3

Session history, when enabled, is stored alongside it or at the location set in Settings. OpenSSH-backed settings still come from ~/.ssh/config; hosts saved as Muxus app data only live in this database. Passwords you explicitly choose to remember are encrypted in the application database by the password vault. The raw vault key is never stored in this directory; the default never-prompt policy uses the OS credential store. See the security model.

Uninstalling the app leaves ~/.ssh untouched.