[benthecarman]

What Changed

Linux releases now publish a .deb alongside the AppImage, built from the same electron-builder run by adding deb to the Linux target list (plus the homepage and maintainer metadata the Debian control file requires) and including *.deb in the workflow's collect and publish steps.

Made with gpt-5.6-sol

Why

The AppImage was the only Linux artifact, so anyone who installs through a package manager had no supported path — no desktop entry, no /usr/bin entry, and no dpkg/apt upgrades — and since the .deb reuses the already-staged app, the release gains it without a second build

UI Changes

None

Checklist

• This PR is small and focused
• I explained what changed and why
• I included before/after screenshots for any UI changes
• I included a video for animation/interaction changes

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Note

Low Risk
Changes are limited to Linux packaging metadata, release asset globbing, marketing download links, and tests; no auth, server, or updater behavior changes beyond documenting AppImage-only updates.

Overview
Linux desktop packaging now produces a companion .deb from the same electron-builder run as the AppImage by extending the Linux target list with deb, and setting linux.maintainer plus staged homepage metadata required for Debian control files.

The release workflow collects and publishes *.deb with the other desktop assets. The marketing download page adds a Debian/Ubuntu .deb card, and internal docs describe the new artifact.

In-app auto-updates on Linux remain AppImage-only; .deb installs are manual via dpkg/apt.

^{Reviewed by Cursor Bugbot for commit a81713a. Bugbot is set up for automated code reviews on this repo. Configure here.}

Note

Add Linux .deb package to desktop releases

• Updates build-desktop-artifact.ts to build a deb target alongside the AppImage on Linux, setting DESKTOP_LINUX_MAINTAINER and homepage metadata required for Debian control files.
• Updates the release workflow to stage and upload *.deb files to GitHub Releases alongside existing artifacts.
• Adds a Debian/Ubuntu download card to the marketing downloads page pointing to the new .deb artifact.
• Behavioral Change: Linux AppImage builds now also produce a .deb; the .deb is manual-install only — in-app updates on Linux remain AppImage-only.

^{Macroscope summarized a81713a.}

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[macroscopeapp]

Approvability

Verdict: Needs human review

This PR adds a new Linux .deb distribution format to releases, introducing new user-facing download options and modifying the production release pipeline. New features affecting release artifacts warrant human review.

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Dismissing prior approval to re-evaluate a81713a