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In development

Tarn for Linux

Tarn for Linux is in development and not released. It draws its interface with Native Shell (GTK 4 widgets) over the same Rust core as macOS, and renders pages in WebKitGTK 6.0 from your distribution, which the distribution keeps patched. It has the sidebar, spaces, a private space and Shield's three levels. So far it has been checked in Docker under Xvfb, never on a real desktop.
Shell
Native Shell 0.5.0, GTK 4
Engine
WebKitGTK 6.0 from the distribution
Packages
.deb, .rpm, AUR PKGBUILD
Distributions
Debian 13, Ubuntu 26.04, Fedora 43, Arch
Checked in
Docker under Xvfb
Tarn on Linux: the start page with the Tarn icon and a search field, beside the sidebar of tabs
The start page: one field to search or enter an address.

What works on Linux today?

The checks ran in a Fedora 43 container under Xvfb, and the packages were installed and started on Debian 13, Ubuntu 26.04, Fedora 43 and Arch.

  • Sidebar with tabs, spaces and profiles, each profile with its own website data
  • A private space in an ephemeral session: cookies, localStorage and IndexedDB reach no file
  • Shield: Standard, Strict and Lockdown, private-network blocking and HTTPS-only on any port
  • Find in page, zoom, downloads, prompts that name the asking site, and TLS errors that always fail
  • The Shield panel for a site, with Default, Standard, Strict and Lockdown and a zoom control
    Shield per site, with the same three levels as on macOS.
  • Settings with search engine, default Shield level, blocking switches, clear-data buttons and Open Private Space
    Settings: search engine, default Shield level and what to block.
  • A page with matches highlighted and the find bar at the bottom of the window
    Find in page highlights every match.
  • The private space, marked Private at the top of the sidebar, with a test page open
    The private space keeps its website data in memory.

How is it built?

The window state lives in the shared browser-core crate; the Linux app only renders it. Pages run in Tarn's own web-view component on WebKitGTK, with Shield's rules compiled into WebKit content filters. Website data lives in $XDG_DATA_HOME/tarn/webkit, in folders only you can read.

How does it differ from macOS?

Same features and the same Shield, with a few gaps WebKitGTK and the packaging choice bring.

  • No app sandbox: the shell runs as your user from a distribution package; there is no Flatpak or AppImage
  • Prompts from a cross-origin frame show the top page's origin, and such permissions are never remembered
  • A file saved in the private space stays in ~/Downloads after the space closes

Can I build or try it?

Yes, with access to the repository and Docker; no Linux desktop is needed. The same scripts build the packages.

docker build -t tarn-linux-fedora -f linux/docker/fedora.Dockerfile linux/docker
linux/scripts/cargo.sh test --locked && linux/scripts/test-display.sh
linux/packaging/build-all.sh deb-debian|deb-ubuntu|rpm|arch

Questions

Can I install Tarn on Linux?

Not from a release yet. The repository builds .deb packages for Debian 13 and Ubuntu 26.04, an .rpm for Fedora 43 and an AUR PKGBUILD, but none is published.

Which engine does Tarn use on Linux?

WebKitGTK 6.0 from your distribution. Tarn never ships WebKit itself, so your distribution patches it.

Why no Flatpak or AppImage?

By decision. Distribution packages depend on the distribution's WebKitGTK, so the engine stays patched by the distribution rather than by Tarn.

Is the Linux app the same as the Mac app?

Same features and the same Shield on the same Rust core, with a different interface layer: Native Shell with GTK 4 widgets instead of GPUI.

Has it run on a real desktop?

No. It has been checked in Docker under Xvfb, and the packages were installed and started on four distributions. A real desktop, HiDPI and input methods are still open.

What it does not do yet

  • Not released, and never run on a real Linux desktop: only in Docker under Xvfb.
  • HiDPI, input methods and screen readers are not checked yet.
  • amd64 packages are not built yet.
  • The tests ran with WebKitGTK's bubblewrap sandbox turned off; the app does not turn it off, but it has not run with it on.
  • No extensions, as on iOS and Android.
  • data: and about: navigations without a user gesture are treated as frames and allowed, because WebKitGTK does not say whether a navigation targets the main frame.

Last reviewed

Try Tarn on your Mac

No account to make and nothing sent home. macOS 14 or later; other platforms are in development.

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