ARM64 builds of Element Desktop for Linux ✅ & Windows 🔳

[MasterJubei]

Are there any plans for a desktop executable that supports ARM64? The only download link I see is for amd64. Is the only option the "install as App" in chromium based browsers?

[germain-gg]

Looking at https://github.com/vector-im/element-desktop/blob/master/scripts/hak/target.js#L28 it appears that there is a build target for ARM64.

The link is not straight forward to find, but here you go https://packages.riot.im/desktop/install/macos/arm64/

Hope this helps!

[t3chguy]

@gsouquet that's macos exclusive though, not for linux or windows which both also support arm64.

The Arm Surface Pro X is by default running Windows, doubt you can get Macos running on it.

[itsrachelfish]

My friend is also using Windows on Surface Pro X with an ARM processor and would like to chat on element. Right now he is using an x86 emulator and it's super slow

[MaxGitHubAccount]

I did not find element in the store on my pinephone, I wondered why and know from ubuntu that I have to add a repository so I did this only to see the platform does not support arm. Would be helpful in order to use element also on linux phones.

[uhoreg]

See also https://github.com/vector-im/element-web/issues/6153. Perhaps we should make this issue about ARM64 Windows, and keep 6153 about ARM64 Linux.

[MaxGitHubAccount]

ARM64 != ARM - 6153 is about ARM.

[ell1e]

Fwiw, it seems like the flathub Element release appears to be kind of blocked on an ARM64 .deb release: https://github.com/flathub/im.riot.Riot/issues/167#issuecomment-801571904 so if the debian one existed, they would probably also expand the flathub architectures timely if I'm reading that right.

[netnut404]

I should add that I have tried every matrix client I can get on my debian arm64 and they all are pretty alpha, and have fairly huge issues in one way or another so having the flagship client on the architecture would go a long way (I have been trying to use a Matrix client on a librem5).

[1ace]

With the M1/M2 MacBooks being able to run Linux, more and more people are using Linux on aarch64, which means more and more people are running into this issue.

Could someone provide a progress update? What are the current blockers?

[alfredonodo]

Hi, any update? Thank you

[t3chguy]

Blocked on migration to Github Actions

[t3chguy]

https://github.com/vector-im/element-desktop/pull/423 adds support for building for Windows ARM64, we will soon be investigating shipping these builds

[t3chguy]

Windows ARM64 builds are blocked on https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/issues/7492 as without that they cannot auto-update.

[t3chguy]

@daniellekirkwood ping as requested

[t3chguy]

element-nightly is available for ARM64 Linux via packages.element.io - element-desktop to follow in the next release

https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/2403652/234642447-5848017b-6b8a-4174-9a95-95ac5218ed6a.mov

[sim6]

Now aarch64 packages are available from official installation instructions: https://element.io/download#linux

[docgalaxyblock]

Hey folks, does https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder-binaries/issues/52 still holds back the win arm64 build?

Would it make sense to rename this issue to ARM64 builds of Element Desktop for Linux (✅) & Windows (🔳) ?

[t3chguy]

@docgalaxyblock yes the ARM64 build fails to start due to the issue you linked. We could possibly ship an ARM64 build without Squirrel but then it'd have no update facility which is not likely something we wish to support

[docgalaxyblock]

ok - Personally evenif I need to check for updates myself on a regular basis I prefer this over the translated x86_64 one. It sound like there is no secret place to download the artefacts?

In my above linked issue you @t3chguy linked the fork of Squirrel by develar - how about the https://github.com/Squirrel/Squirrel.Windows? That one has recent activity.

[t3chguy]

@docgalaxyblock unfortunately https://www.electron.build/ doesn't allow specifying a fork of Squirrel.Windows as far as I am aware.

It sound like there is no secret place to download the artefacts?

Not at this time due to it being additional work to maintain a squirrel-less build artifact

[andirsun]

WHat about fedora linux packages ?

[Jasonthefirst]

I would be really happy if this feature request is revisited again as the new ARM Windows machines are really powerful and fast but the emulation takes more power especially with something like a chat app that is constantly on.

[t3chguy]

Unfortunately without hard forking electron-builder it would be something that they need to solve first