OpenAI Launches Linux ChatGPT Preview for 5 Distros as Codex Reaches All Major Desktop OSes
Updated
Updated · ZDNet · Aug 13
OpenAI Launches Linux ChatGPT Preview for 5 Distros as Codex Reaches All Major Desktop OSes
3 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Aug 13
Summary
OpenAI released a preview Linux desktop app for ChatGPT, packaging ChatGPT, Work and Codex into a native client for Ubuntu 24.04/26.04, Debian 13, and Fedora 43/44 on x86-64 and Arm64.
Codex is the centerpiece: the app can inspect and edit local project files, run commands in selected directories, review diffs and pull requests, and connect to services such as Gmail, Slack, GitHub and Figma with separate approvals.
Linux support still looks limited. OpenAI has no detailed parity table with Windows or macOS, native computer-use control is unavailable, and Arch Linux, NixOS, Flatpak and AppImage users are unsupported for now.
Early feedback flagged practical issues, including Wayland input quirks, shell jobs not appearing in project lists, and an Electron-based client that reportedly used more than 1 GB of RAM and leaked memory.
The launch gives OpenAI a direct path to Linux developers a month after Anthropic brought Claude to Linux, but the app's closed-source design and data-sharing concerns may curb adoption among open-source users.