Session Desktop1.18.3

Session Desktop lets you exchange messages from a Linux desktop instead of relying on a browser or mobile interface. It uses onion routing to pass communications through several network paths, helping conceal each user’s IP address from the other side and from individual routing points.

The application connects to Oxen Service Nodes, which form a decentralized, Sybil-resistant network for handling Session traffic. These nodes can retain messages while a recipient is offline, so delivery can occur without both participants being connected simultaneously. The same service-node network supplies the paths used for onion routing and IP-address obfuscation. Its role is specifically messaging across the Session network, not general file management or other desktop activities.

Developed and published by Alan Pope, this open-source communication software suits Linux users who want a desktop messenger built around distributed infrastructure. The current 1.18.1 release requires Linux with snapd and is provided for x86_64 (amd64) systems. The available Linux build is an unofficial repackaging of the official upstream build, but its software content is unmodified from upstream.