Linux Desktop Install (.deb + APT)

This guide is for Debian, Ubuntu, and other Linux distributions that use apt.

The goal is simple: install NextClaw Desktop once, then upgrade and remove it through the system package manager.

Recommended one-line installer:

curl -fsSL https://peiiii.github.io/nextclaw/install-apt.sh | bash

If you prefer to inspect each step manually, follow the setup below.

1. Add the NextClaw APT repository manually

Import the NextClaw repository public key:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://peiiii.github.io/nextclaw/apt/nextclaw-archive-keyring.gpg \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/nextclaw-archive-keyring.gpg >/dev/null

Then add the repository:

echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/nextclaw-archive-keyring.gpg] https://peiiii.github.io/nextclaw/apt stable main" \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nextclaw.list >/dev/null

2. Install the desktop app

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nextclaw-desktop

After installation, launch NextClaw Desktop from your application menu.

3. How upgrades work

You do not need to manually re-download the .deb each time. Upgrades go through the system package manager:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

To inspect the installed version and the current repository candidate:

apt policy nextclaw-desktop

When Candidate is newer than Installed, apt upgrade will update it.

4. How to uninstall

Remove the app only:

sudo apt remove nextclaw-desktop

Remove the app and package-managed config:

sudo apt purge nextclaw-desktop
sudo apt autoremove

If you also want to stop receiving updates from the NextClaw repository, remove the source and key:

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nextclaw.list
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/keyrings/nextclaw-archive-keyring.gpg
sudo apt update

5. Optional: remove local user data

System package removal does not automatically delete your user-level app data. To remove everything:

rm -rf ~/.config/"NextClaw Desktop"
rm -rf ~/.cache/"NextClaw Desktop"
rm -rf ~/.local/share/"NextClaw Desktop"

6. Common questions

I already installed a downloaded .deb. Can I still use apt upgrade later?

Yes, as long as you add the NextClaw APT repository to your system and the package name remains nextclaw-desktop.

Why not use an in-app updater on Linux?

On Linux, NextClaw follows the native system path and lets the distribution package manager handle upgrades. It is more predictable and better aligned with Linux user expectations.