[BUG] No Linux Support

[kn0wmad]

Bounty: Update Linux Build Documentation

Tier: S — 15,000 XTM

Description

The Universe README documents .deb/.AppImage build outputs, but these are not actually produced as official release artifacts. Official Linux releases were discontinued due to low usage and high maintenance burden, though Linux builds still work from source. Update the README to accurately describe the current Linux build process and available artifacts.

Acceptance Criteria

• README is updated to accurately describe the current Linux build process (build from source)
• References to .deb/.AppImage artifacts are removed or corrected
• Build-from-source instructions for Linux are clear and tested

Context

• Issue reported by @kn0wmad
• Official Linux releases were discontinued — Linux users accounted for <1% of Universe user base
• Linux builds still succeed in CI; several team members use Linux day-to-day
• The app works when built from source; just no official prebuilt artifacts

How to Claim

1. Comment on this issue to signal intent (courtesy, not a lock)
2. Fork the repo and do the work
3. Submit a PR that meets the acceptance criteria
4. First PR that passes review and gets merged wins the bounty
5. On acceptance, XTM payment is processed

Notes

• AI-assisted development is expected and encouraged
• If you get stuck, ask in Discord
• If you can't complete it within 14 days of claiming, let us know so someone else can pick it up

[brianp]

Hey! Thanks for reaching out.

The decision to stop publishing and maintaining official Linux builds wasn’t taken lightly. In practice, Linux users accounted for less than 1% of the Universe user base, while also requiring the highest ongoing maintenance and support effort due to the wide range of distributions, packaging formats, and environment differences.

With a small team and limited resources, continuing official Linux releases was pulling focus away from core goals and overall stability for the majority of users.

That said, Linux support has not been intentionally broken. Linux builds are still produced successfully in CI, and several team members use Linux day-to-day. The application should continue to work when built from source, even though we no longer provide official Linux releases.

What we no longer guarantee is:

• Prebuilt .deb / .AppImage artifacts for every release
• Ongoing distribution-specific support or troubleshooting

The readme may have some inconsistencies as they can get out of date, and we'll look to review and address that.

If you’re interested in running this on Linux, one option is to fork the repo, enable GH actions, and then do a ad-hoc build for the Linux you want.

We’ll leave this issue open as a reminder to review the documentation for users who wish to invest the additional effort required to run on Linux.

[brianp]

Description

The README documents .deb/.AppImage build outputs, but these are not actually produced. The documentation needs to be updated to accurately reflect the current Linux build process and available artifacts.

Acceptance criteria

• README is updated to accurately describe the Linux build process and available artifacts

Size: XS

[metalaureate]

Original issue description (preserved before bounty rewrite)

Describe the bug
No releases for Linux. Yes, this is a bug.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Go to GH Releases
2. See error

Even building from source, documented in your README, does not produce the claimed .deb/.AppImage.

Expected behavior
Linux support

Desktop (please complete the following information):

• OS & Version: Any Linux
• Browser & Version: Any

Additional context

"Tari is for everyone" (with a MS or Apple OS)

Linux is no longer exclusive to basement-dwelling nerds and not supporting the most popular and fastest growing freedom-respecting OS is unacceptable. Linux support is not a feature, it is a requirement for this project to be taken seriously by the communities that need/want to support it the most.

[0xPepeSilvia]

Claiming this bounty. Will have a PR up within the 14-day window.