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Desktop builds

Most people should install the desktop app from a release. Build it from source when you are developing Signet or testing an unreleased change.

Terminal window
signet desktop build
signet desktop install

Requirements

Section titled “Requirements”

Source builds need Bun 1.4.2 or newer. Before syncing source or installing dependencies, signet desktop build and signet desktop install check the installed Bun version.

  • In an interactive terminal, an older version prompts you to run bun upgrade --stable. Declining stops the command. The version is checked again after upgrading.
  • If you installed Bun with a package manager, decline and upgrade through that package manager.
  • In a non-interactive terminal, upgrade Bun manually before retrying.
  • --skip-build installs an existing artifact and does not need Bun.

Source checkout

Section titled “Source checkout”

Setup, signet workspace set, and the workspace layout upgrade do not clone the Signet repository. Saving and recalling memories use the installed application. signet sync and application updates maintain an existing workspace checkout but do not create one.

signet desktop build and signet desktop install create a managed checkout at <workspace>/signetai when one is needed.

  • Generated build output does not block updates to the managed default-branch checkout.
  • Real local changes on that checkout are saved in a named Git stash when an update is needed. They stay stashed after success, and the command prints the stash name and the restore command.
  • If the checkout is already current, local changes stay in place.
  • Other branches and unresolved merge conflicts stop the managed update and are left untouched.
  • If the managed checkout was removed, rerun signet desktop install to restore it before the next automatic desktop update.

To build from your own clone instead, pass --repo <path> or set SIGNET_SOURCE_DIR. Either one uses that checkout as it is, without managed synchronization.

--skip-build also skips synchronization. It neither creates nor updates the managed checkout, so it needs an existing one: the managed path, --repo, SIGNET_SOURCE_DIR, or a Signet checkout containing the current directory.

Install locations

Section titled “Install locations”
Platform Location
macOS ~/Applications/Signet.app
Windows %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Signet Desktop
Linux A user AppImage launcher

On Windows, the install also runs the uninstaller for the legacy %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\@signetdesktop app. It keeps the desktop profile and any unrelated files in that directory, and points the Signet Start Menu shortcut at the current executable.

These locations are separate from the native CLI installation.