OpenAI has released the official preview version of the ChatGPT app for Linux. That gives Linux users a native application too, but it's missing one of the central features the Windows and Mac versions already offer.
What the Linux app can do
The app runs on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and 26.04 LTS, Debian 13, and Fedora 43 and 44. It supports x64 and ARM64 architectures, with matching .deb and .rpm packages available. In the Linux version, OpenAI combines ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work, and ChatGPT Codex under a shared interface. On top of that come an integrated app browser, support for Chrome extensions, and voice control.
The big limitation: no Computer Use
Compared to Windows and macOS, the Linux app lacks the native Computer Use feature. That means ChatGPT on Linux can't interact directly with other desktop applications like OpenOffice or Gimp. It also rules out features such as Appshot, which sends the contents of a window straight to ChatGPT, as well as Record & Replay for capturing screen content and the associated voice commands. That's the most noticeable gap compared to the other platforms.
Criticism of the interface
Users with Asian keyboard layouts, such as Japanese or Korean, report that on Fedora KDE and EndeavourOS KDE they can't switch to their language in the text field by default and have to add startup parameters manually. The interface itself doesn't land well everywhere either: casual users may find it confusing, and the classic chat window is seen as impractical when an AI agent works on complex tasks over a longer period. There's also criticism that the download button on OpenAI's website is rigidly tied to the detected operating system, so the Linux app can't easily be downloaded on Windows, for example. OpenAI recently announced it would make ChatGPT available to a broader group of users with a major update.