Missing documentation for command line options

[Edu4rdSHL]

• [x] I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates

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Bug Description

Documentation for command line options is missing.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Search documentation for command line options.

Actual Result:

Doesn't exist documentation for command line options.

Expected Result:

Documentation is available.

Screenshots

Platform Info

Signal Version: all desktop versions.

Operating System: GNU/Linux ArchLinux.

Linked Device Version: doesn't matter.

[stale[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[fdutheil]

I second this, I just discovered by accident that the critical "--disable-gpu" exists (while not being exposed in application settings panel). Looking for documentation on other knobs and found nothing. Moreover, if this switch really exists and is not implemented at the Signal App level, I can't find it in Electron's documentation either.

[fdutheil]

Hello fellas, I understand the intention behind the massive close of tickets. BUT. This one is NOT a feature request.

I haven't seen any serious IT project stating that documentation is optional, have you? ^^

[josh-signal]

Oops sorry, this was marked as a bug and not meant to be closed.

[Redsandro]

Similarly, signal-desktop is missing minimal embedded documentation for command-line arguments. In Linux, it's good practice to accept both -h and --help to trigger minimal documentation without starting the app. It's also good practice in general to not start the app when bad command line arguments are provided.

So the minor annoyances when using this app for the first time are as follows.

• (1) Command-line arguments not documented.
• run signal-desktop --help. (2) No embedded cli documentation.
• Since the argument does not exist, the app should not start. (3) app starts anyway.
• repeat for -h and /? (the latter being Windows formatting for de facto help iicr)

I think the original issue by @Edu4rdSHL can be amended as follows:

1. Search documentation for command line arguments.
2. Try -h, --help and /? command line arguments.

If there are no command line arguments worth noting, the --help should at least explain this and write something about the electron options being installed in the launcher by default, like --no-sandbox

Here is the output from a very similar app called element-desktop:

element-desktop --help
Options:
  --profile-dir {path}: Path to where to store the profile.
  --profile {name}:     Name of alternate profile to use, allows for running multiple accounts.
  --devtools:           Install and use react-devtools and react-perf.
  --no-update:          Disable automatic updating.
  --hidden:             Start the application hidden in the system tray.
  --help:               Displays this help message.
And more such as --proxy, see:https://electronjs.org/docs/api/command-line-switches

So in case it helps anyone else coming here when googling "signal-desktop command line arguments", that last line tells us to check this for electron command line arguments.

Unfortunately though unrelated, the flag --hidden doesn't work for Signal-desktop, something I was initially attempting to do and what lead me here.

[DidierLoiseau]

@Redsandro FYI there are --start-in-tray and --use-tray-icon options

[Victor239]

I think --use-tray-icon is redundant if using --start-in-tray.

[Redsandro]

Are these Electron flags or Signal-specific flags?

[hubyhuby]

Any news on the available command line arguments ? Her is a listing of what I found so far : --disable-gpu or --in-process-gpu --use-tray-icon --no-sandbox

[kcpr]

I would also be grateful for the list of options. For now I'm looking for something that would disable the tray icon (as it became a default I believe). Anyone knows it maybe?

[vsessink]

When documenting the undocumented switches, this could also be the place to mention a few quirks resulting from these very options: when using "--use-tray-icon", Signal will emit the "minimizeToTrayNotification--body" message, saying you can "change this [the tray icon showing] in Signal settings" - which is currently not true under Linux.

[quazgar]

Adding another undocumented CLI option: group invite links: An invite which looks like this:
https://signal.group/#12345-abcde
translates to this command line call, which is valid even when there is already a running instance:
signal-desktop sgnl://signal.group/#12345-abcde

[l-mb]

After a recent update, the signal-desktop app on openSUSE wouldn't properly start. When I looked for ways how to disable the GPU options via some obscure config file, the search led me here to find out that there's a handy command line option for it!

So yes, please consider adding --help :-)

[retiolus]

Any updates on this? Kind of sucks that signal-desktop --help doesn't return anything...

[seefood]

Another useful commandline I was happy to discover: signal-desktop --user-data-dir=$HOME/.config/Signal-1 running another instance of the client if you have more than one user/number to login with. found here: #1720 Then scrolling down I also saw a --profile option, I have a feeling it does the same in a slightly different way.

[storm49152]

The --profile option was implemented in a forked repo, which was only built for Windows, and archived on 6 oct 2022. There is no use in trying it now.

Multiple instances