> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.collabase.ch/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Desktop app

> Install Collabase as a desktop application on macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Collabase runs as a desktop application alongside the browser. It opens your own Collabase server
in its own window, keeps unread notifications visible in the menu bar or system tray, and lets
links from mail and chat open directly at the right page.

The desktop app is a window onto your server, not a second copy of Collabase. Everything stays on
your instance: nothing is stored on the device, and there is no offline mode.

## Download

Download the installer for your platform from the
[releases page](https://github.com/Collabase/collabase/releases/latest):

| Platform                        | File                                     |
| ------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon) | `Collabase-<version>-universal.dmg`      |
| Windows                         | `Collabase-Setup-<version>-x64.exe`      |
| Linux                           | `Collabase-<version>.AppImage` or `.deb` |

<Warning>
  The current builds are **not code-signed**. Your operating system will warn you the first time you
  open the app. The steps below explain how to proceed, and what it means for updates.
</Warning>

## Install on macOS

1. Open the `.dmg` and drag **Collabase** into your Applications folder.
2. Open it. macOS blocks it and shows a warning. Close the warning.
3. Open **System Settings → Privacy & Security**.
4. Scroll to the bottom. Next to the message about Collabase, click **Open Anyway**.
5. Enter your administrator password and confirm.

You only do this once per installed version.

## Install on Windows

1. Run the `.exe`.
2. Windows SmartScreen shows a warning. Click **More info**, then **Run anyway**.
3. Follow the installer.

The installer does not require administrator rights — it installs for your user account only.

## Install on Linux

For the AppImage, mark it executable and run it:

```bash theme={"dark"}
chmod +x Collabase-*.AppImage
./Collabase-*.AppImage
```

For Debian and Ubuntu, install the `.deb`:

```bash theme={"dark"}
sudo dpkg -i Collabase-*.deb
```

## First start

The app asks for your server address on first launch — the same address you use in the browser,
for example `collabase.example.com`.

The app checks the address before saving it, so a typo is reported immediately instead of leaving
you with an empty window.

Sign-in then opens in your normal browser. This is deliberate: it means every sign-in method your
organisation has configured works in the desktop app too, including Google, Microsoft Entra, and
SAML — those providers refuse to sign you in inside an application window. After you confirm, the
browser hands the session back to the app and you can close the tab.

The app remembers your server address. When your session expires, it takes you straight back to
signing in — it never asks for the address again.

## Updates

Your Collabase content updates with the server: when your administrator updates the instance, the
desktop app shows the new version at the next reload. Nothing to install.

The application itself updates differently per platform, because the builds are unsigned:

| Platform       | Behaviour                                                                                                                                      |
| -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Windows, Linux | Updates download and install automatically when you quit the app.                                                                              |
| macOS          | The app tells you when a new version exists and links to the download. You replace the app manually, then repeat the "Open Anyway" step above. |

<Note>
  macOS refuses to let an unsigned application update itself. Check **Collabase → Check for
  updates…** now and then, or watch the releases page.
</Note>

## Managing your signed-in devices

A desktop sign-in is an ordinary session. It appears under **Settings → Security → Active
sessions** as a desktop client, follows the same idle and absolute timeouts your administrator
configured, and can be ended from there like any other device.

## Troubleshooting

**The window is empty or shows a connection error.**
Use **Try again**, or **Use a different server** if the address is wrong. Confirm you can reach the
same address in your browser — if you are outside the office, the instance may require a VPN.

**Sign-in never completes.**
Confirm the sign-in in the browser tab that opened. If nothing opened, use **Open the browser
again** in the app window.

**Support asks for a log.**
Choose **Help → Open log folder** and send `collabase-desktop.log`. It contains server addresses
and error messages only — no content and no credentials.