Mattermost

Mattermost Desktop is an open-source desktop app that provides a dedicated client for secure team collaboration. It serves as a native interface for the Mattermost platform, allowing teams to communicate and coordinate across the entire software development lifecycle. The application functions as a gateway to a Mattermost server, centralizing team communication into a single desktop environment.

The application is built on the Electron framework and is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Users install the software via a standard installer or by unzipping an archive. Upon the first launch, the application requires the user to enter a specific name and URL for their Mattermost server to establish a connection and synchronize data.

Key features

• Server dropdown for access to multiple servers
• Dedicated tabs for Channels, Boards, and Playbooks
• Desktop notifications for real-time alerts
• Badges indicating unread channels and mentions
• Deep linking to open Mattermost links directly in the app
• Background execution to reduce the number of open windows

The application manages configuration data within the standard Electron userData directory, which varies by operating system. On Windows, this is located in the AppData folder, while macOS uses Application Support and Linux utilizes the .config directory. For advanced users or system administrators, the software allows the specification of a custom data directory location through command line arguments during launch.

For organizations that need a branded or streamlined onboarding process, the software supports custom app deployments. This allows administrators to customize and distribute their own version of the desktop app, including the ability to perform silent installations on Windows. These custom deployments can be pre-configured with the organization's server URL and other necessary app settings to remove manual setup steps for end users.

This tool is designed for development teams and organizations that require a secure, self-hosted communication environment with a native desktop experience.