# signalapp / Signal-Desktop



## MasterOne (Mar 14, 2021)

I was just wondering if someone would be interested in porting signalapp / Signal-Desktop or if there is specific reason why it hasn't been ported yet (Linux only?).

P.S. I'm not using FreeBSD (waiting for 13.0 RELEASE to go onto my new laptop) or Signal yet, nor am I a developer, so this is just out of interest.


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## Maxfx (Feb 23, 2022)

Signal desktop is here https://github.com/MikaelUrankar/signal-desktop/tree/5.32.0/ports/net-im/signal-desktop only run makefile. Now is not in porttree


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## Crivens (Feb 23, 2022)

When will it be in ports? I kinda dislike installing anything so sensitive as crypto-messaging from unveted sources.


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## Maxfx (Feb 23, 2022)

Crivens said:


> When will it be in ports? I kinda dislike installing anything so sensitive as crypto-messaging from unveted sources.


I dont know. This is not my port


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## acheron (Feb 24, 2022)

Crivens said:


> When will it be in ports? I kinda dislike installing anything so sensitive as crypto-messaging from unveted sources.


I don't know if I'll be able to commit it, one of the dependency requires an old version of devel/gn, the newer one is incompatible and probably impossible to workaround.
I understand your concern about security, keep in mind that signal-desktop uses a 1.6GB of yarn modules and electron16. So if you really care about security I wouldn't use it. The linux version uses a prebuilt binary for : libcrypto.a, ringrtc, libsignal-client.


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## pebkac (Mar 4, 2022)

acheron any way to thank you by paying a coffee (or two...) for you? 
If yes feel free to PM me.

I am working with FreeBSD on my everyday laptop and Signal is the one application that is missing and having that one in ports would significantly simplify my life.

I hear you regarding the dependency, but maybe enough caffeine (or whatever it is that you are enjoying) helps you finding a solution.


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## acheron (Mar 12, 2022)

My problem with devel/gn is fixed, I need to convince tagattie@ to update electron to v17 and push it into the ports tree. I'll then be able to push signal-desktop into the ports tree.


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## pebkac (May 9, 2022)

acheron do you still intend to commit signal-desktop?


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## acheron (May 9, 2022)

I would love too. Signal is a fast moving target and uses electron 18 now. I've tried to port it, it builds fine, seems to run ok with a few examples but crashes with a recent version of signal.


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## pebkac (May 9, 2022)

I see.

Does it always need to be the latest version? One update per quarterly package build and then in between only if something breaks should be enough, no?


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## acheron (Jun 23, 2022)

I've committed net-im/signal-desktop


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## pebkac (Jun 23, 2022)

Thank you so much, acheron!!


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## Zagzigger (Jul 30, 2022)

Very good. Just tried it briefly, and it works as described. 
I personally believe the availability of native applications, such as this, add immensely to the appeal and value of FreeBSD.
Thanks - excellent stuff.



acheron said:


> I've committed net-im/signal-desktop


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## smithi (Jul 30, 2022)

pebkac said:


> Does it always need to be the latest version? One update per quarterly package build and then in between only if something breaks should be enough, no?



Fast-moving target is quite an understatement with Signal.

My list of (Android) versions from Super Backup archives for all 2021 until Jan 2022:


```
total 1898368
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 44962073 Jan 12  2021 Signal_5.0.9.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 45142297 Jan 14  2021 Signal_5.0.10.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 44846291 Jan 14  2021 Signal_5.1.8.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 45018323 Jan 16  2021 Signal_5.1.9.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 45158224 Jan 19  2021 Signal_5.2.3.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 45231979 Jan 28  2021 Signal_5.3.7.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 45231979 Jan 31  2021 Signal_5.3.7.1.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 35265718 Feb  8  2021 Signal_5.3.12.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 35430467 Feb 24  2021 Signal_5.4.7.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 35870885 Mar  6  2021 Signal_5.4.12.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 36640206 Mar 24  2021 Signal_5.5.5.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 37030064 Apr  9  2021 Signal_5.6.4.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 39830224 Apr 15  2021 Signal_5.7.6.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 39757452 Apr 23  2021 Signal_5.8.10.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 39881056 May  5  2021 Signal_5.9.5.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 39881056 May  7  2021 Signal_5.9.6.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 39881056 May  8  2021 Signal_5.9.7.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 35286700 May 15  2021 Signal_5.10.8.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 35823292 May 22  2021 Signal_5.11.5.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 35758376 Jun  3  2021 Signal_5.12.3.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 36146738 Jun 11  2021 Signal_5.13.8.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 36359909 Jun 25  2021 Signal_5.14.5.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 36538762 Jul  3  2021 Signal_5.15.6.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 36542723 Jul 17  2021 Signal_5.16.3.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 36587582 Jul 23  2021 Signal_5.17.3.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 37538008 Jul 27  2021 Signal_5.18.4.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 37538008 Aug  3  2021 Signal_5.18.5.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 38346722 Aug  5  2021 Signal_5.19.4.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 38588558 Aug 13  2021 Signal_5.20.4.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 38760927 Aug 22  2021 Signal_5.21.5.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 38769119 Aug 25  2021 Signal_5.21.6.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 38876055 Sep  6  2021 Signal_5.22.7.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 38876055 Sep  9  2021 Signal_5.22.8.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 39760977 Sep 13  2021 Signal_5.23.6.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 39777361 Sep 17  2021 Signal_5.23.7.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 39777361 Sep 18  2021 Signal_5.23.8.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 39778991 Sep 28  2021 Signal_5.24.7.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 39778991 Oct  6  2021 Signal_5.24.7.1.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 39980276 Oct 10  2021 Signal_5.24.14.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 43985163 Oct 20  2021 Signal_5.24.17.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 43933499 Oct 31  2021 Signal_5.25.7.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 43949883 Nov 14  2021 Signal_5.25.8.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 44143472 Nov 23  2021 Signal_5.26.11.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 46520897 Dec  3 15:38 Signal_5.27.11.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 46520897 Dec  5 01:27 Signal_5.27.13.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 47083518 Dec 18 08:17 Signal_5.28.5.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 47140748 Jan 11 04:23 Signal_5.28.10.apk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root everybody 47046594 Jan 30 06:47 Signal_5.29.7.apk
```

TL;DR: 46 versions in 2021, and I don't auto-update so missed probably another half a dozen, as can be surmised from the version numbers.

I gave up logging them all after that, but there've been another 10 versions between 1st of June and today, 30th July.

Also perhaps interesting is the variance in size over that 18 months, now near 50MB.

As for security, I long ago gave up thinking that anything that's updated weekly on average, mostly for kiddie stuff like ever more emojies and other eye candy isn't an ideal vector for slipping in some malicious (or at least ill-considered) code on the supposed core functions.

Please do correct me if I'm mistaken, but it's a very long time since Ed Snowdon gave it his blessing, and I've heard of no other expert audits - though I suspect Telegram by D.D.M might well be riskier.


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## eternal_noob (Jul 30, 2022)

Confidential communication only works without any electricity involved.


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