There is now an easier way with automatic Signal Desktop installer, which also keeps Signal auto updated.
This guide is for Linux systems, but as Node.js and NW.js are cross-platform, it is more or less the same for macOS and Windows. I will provide CLI commands, as they are universal for different Linux distros, but most of the steps could be as easily done with your GUI apps of choice.
Install NW.js:
sudo npm install -g nw
(global)
or
npm install nw
(current user)
Create app folder and go into it:
mkdir -p ~/apps/Signal && cd $_
Get latest Signal Desktop package:
wget -O signal.zip "https://j.mp/signal-desktop-crx"
This redirects to package download from Google Chrome Store servers.
If you want to know more, there are also other options to get the package.
Unzip Signal Desktop package:
unzip signal.zip
Signal Desktop is ready to use, launch it:
nw ~/apps/Signal
But you would probably want a more convenient way to launch it, so…
Create a .desktop file:
echo -e "[Desktop Entry]\nExec=nw /home/$USER/apps/Signal\nIcon=/home/$USER/apps/Signal/signal.png\nName=Signal\nPath=\nStartupNotify=true\nTerminal=false\nType=Application" > ~/.local/share/applications/signal.desktop
And get an icon for it:
wget -O signal.png "https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=0B-sCqfnhKgTLbmdTSEpTaVVuRGM"
Now Signal Desktop should appear in the programs list.
Don't forget, though, that this kind of setup is not supported by Open Whisper Systems, and for now you are on your own for keeping it up-to-date (when new version is available, just delete everything except icon from app directory and repeat steps 4 and 5 to install it).
For any further info (bug reporting, contributing, etc.) please use official Signal Desktop repository: https://github.com/WhisperSystems/Signal-Desktop#signal-desktop
Build it yourself:
sass
gem: sudo gem install sass
/tmp
, and go into unpacked directory (it will be like /tmp/Signal-Desktop-0.34.0
)npm install
node_modules/grunt-cli/bin/grunt
dist
directory, move its contents to the previously created app directory: mv dist/* ~/apps/Signal/
cd ~/apps/Signal
Download it from Google servers directly:
/
and before any other non-letter symbol, e.g. in https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/signal-private-messenger/bikioccmkafdpakkkcpdbppfkghcmihk?hl=en
URL app ID is bikioccmkafdpakkkcpdbppfkghcmihk
. Well, bikioccmkafdpakkkcpdbppfkghcmihk
is actually Signal Desktop app ID, so you could just trust me and use it :)https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx?response=redirect&prodversion=999&x=id%3D_____%26installsource%3Dondemand%26uc
, replacing _____
with app ID, so that would be https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx?response=redirect&prodversion=999&x=id%3Dbikioccmkafdpakkkcpdbppfkghcmihk%26installsource%3Dondemand%26uc
with Signal Desktop app ID, this is where shortened https://j.mp/signal-desktop-crx
from step 4 redirects to.Download it from Google servers with chrome-extension-downloader.com:
This setup is not dependent on Chromium (or derivative) browser installation and does not use any of its files or settings. Still, at its core NW.js and therefore this setup uses the same technology used in Chromium based browsers, including Blink rendering engine and V8 JavaScript engine.