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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

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 Telnet/serial hosts)
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. Connection settings are not stored there; they remain in ~/.ssh/config.

Uninstalling the app leaves ~/.ssh untouched.