AX Code Desktop

AX Code Desktop is the desktop UI for AX Code. It gives AX Code users a full workspace interface for chat sessions, file review, diffs, Git operations, terminals, project notes, and multi-agent workflows.

Install On macOS

The recommended way to install on macOS is via Homebrew:

brew install --cask defai-digital/ax-code-desktop/ax-code-desktop

To update:

brew upgrade --cask ax-code-desktop

Manual DMG (alternative)

If you prefer not to use Homebrew, download the latest DMG from the Releases page:

1. Open the .dmg file.
2. Drag AX Code Desktop into Applications.
3. Launch AX Code Desktop from Applications.

If macOS says the app is damaged, run this in Terminal after installing:

xattr -cr "/Applications/AX Code Desktop.app"

Install On Windows

Installer (recommended)

1. Download the latest .exe installer from the Releases page.
2. Run the installer.
3. Start AX Code Desktop from the Start Menu or Desktop shortcut.

Portable ZIP

1. Download the latest Windows .zip from Releases.
2. Extract the entire ZIP folder.
3. Run AX Code Desktop.exe from the extracted folder.

Do not run the executable directly from inside the ZIP viewer — extract first so the app can find its bundled resources.

If Windows SmartScreen warns about an unknown publisher, click More info → Run anyway only if you downloaded from the official Releases page.

Before You Start

Install and sign in to the AX Code CLI first:

ax-code --version

If ax-code is not found, install AX Code before launching AX Code Desktop. The desktop app manages the local UI runtime but needs the AX Code CLI available for coding sessions.

First Run

On first launch:

1. Confirm AX Code CLI is detected.
2. Add a project folder.
3. Start or select a chat session.
4. Use the Git, Files, Diff, Terminal, and Plan views as needed.

The app can run local AX Code sessions, connect to existing AX Code servers, and open focused mini-chat windows for active sessions.

Updates

macOS (Homebrew):

brew upgrade --cask ax-code-desktop

Windows / manual installs: Download the latest installer or archive from the Releases page. When auto-update metadata is available, the app can also check GitHub releases for updates automatically.

What You Can Do

Chat and Sessions

• Run AX Code chat sessions in a full workspace UI.
• Branch, fork, undo, and redo conversation turns.
• Queue messages and keep long-running sessions visible.
• Use plan/build workflows and project notes.
• Open mini-chat windows for focused work.

Git and GitHub

• Stage files, commit, push, pull, merge, and rebase.
• Review diffs with inline or stacked views.
• Manage branches and worktrees.
• Create pull requests with generated descriptions.
• Recover from merge/rebase conflicts with guided UI state.

Files and Terminal

• Browse and edit workspace files.
• Inspect large diffs without loading the whole workspace at once.
• Run integrated terminal sessions by project directory.
• Keep project actions and dev servers close to the chat context.

Desktop

• Native desktop shell for macOS Apple Silicon and Windows x64.
• Multi-window workflows.
• Deep links and desktop menu actions.
• Local runtime management for the web UI.

Platform Support

Platform	Support	Install
macOS Apple Silicon	Supported	Homebrew (recommended) or DMG
macOS Intel/x64	Not supported	No artifact is built
Windows x64	Supported	Installer or portable ZIP
Linux	Not supported	No artifact is built
Mobile/tablet browsers	Not supported	Blocked to reduce data-leakage risk

Security Notes

macOS users installing via Homebrew bypass Gatekeeper automatically — no extra steps needed.

For manual downloads, only use the official Releases page. Release assets include detached .minisig signatures that can be verified with this pinned public key:

RWS+dNbWPLZ6W9TH486c9zdH84NiiuFnm4VpVTRlXoMHClyQx/fY7W2A

Windows SmartScreen may warn about unsigned builds; click More info → Run anyway if you trust the source.

AX Code Desktop is intended for trusted desktop workstations. Do not expose the development web UI publicly.

Development Web UI

The web package is the local UI substrate used by development and desktop packaging. It is not a supported end-user distribution mode.

From a development checkout:

pnpm install
pnpm run build
pnpm --filter ./packages/web run start -- --ui-password your-password

The web UI is available at http://localhost:3000 by default.

Development

Requirements:

• Node.js 24 (>=24 <25)
• pnpm 9.x (corepack enable)
• AX Code CLI

Useful commands:

pnpm install
pnpm run type-check
pnpm run lint
pnpm run test
pnpm run electron:dev
pnpm run electron:build

Package layout:

Package	Purpose
packages/ui	Shared React UI, stores, hooks, and components
packages/web	Local web runtime used by development and desktop packaging
packages/electron	Desktop shell (Electron)

Legacy Compatibility Notes

AX Code Desktop is the user-facing product name. Some internal package names, storage keys, environment variables, endpoint paths, and config directories still use openchamber so existing installs and migrated data continue to work.

Treat those names as legacy compatibility details, not as the public product identity for new docs, releases, or UI copy.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup and guidelines.

License

MIT. AX Code Desktop is maintained by DEFAI Private Limited.

This project includes software derived from OpenChamber. Upstream attribution is kept in NOTICE for provenance and license compliance; public product branding should use AX Code Desktop.

GitHub may display upstream OpenChamber contributors in repository contributor widgets. Those accounts are credited for upstream work and are not necessarily maintainers of, or direct contributors to, AX Code Desktop.