

Slack for Linux – Help Hack on This - wlaurance
https://github.com/wlaurance/slack-4-linux

======
majodev
Great idea.

I recently wrapped Cryptocat with node-webkit (still awaiting PR approval
[https://github.com/cryptocat/cryptocat/pull/694](https://github.com/cryptocat/cryptocat/pull/694)),
hence allow me to give you some lib recommendations:

\- Use node-webkit-builder ([https://github.com/mllrsohn/grunt-node-webkit-
builder](https://github.com/mllrsohn/grunt-node-webkit-builder)) for your
build-process (your Gruntfile.js looks very bloated currently).

\- Use node-notifier ([https://github.com/mikaelbr/node-
notifier](https://github.com/mikaelbr/node-notifier)) for desktop
notifications (looks like the best solution so far).

Anyways, best luck to you.

~~~
wlaurance
Awesome, thanks for the recommendations. I'm switching over to grunt-node-
webkit-builder.

I'm going to try to make it as easy as `npm install slack-for-linux -g' to get
the client in your path.

So this looks a lot cleaner than the other yeoman grunt generator I used
initially.

As for node-notifier, this seems easy. I guess the only thing is hooking into
the events emitted by the Slack Javascript? I need to dig in further for this.

Thanks,

Will

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lenish
For people who don't care for 'apps' that are just websites inside browsers,
Slack supports XMPP and IRC gateways. I've only used the IRC gateway, and
there are some janky bits, but it got the job done.
[https://slack.zendesk.com/hc/en-
us/articles/201727913-Connec...](https://slack.zendesk.com/hc/en-
us/articles/201727913-Connecting-to-Slack-over-IRC-and-XMPP)

~~~
andlarry
I've found the XMPP gateway doesn't display edited messages, so I stopped
using it. Now I just keep a Chromium window open.

~~~
lenish
The IRC gateway also does not. It typically wasn't an issue for me when I was
using it as most of my coworkers at the time did not frequently edit messages.

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yochaigal
I just built this in Ubuntu; works well enough - however it is identical to
just running an "app" from Chromium; so I think I'll keep doing that.

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sciurus
How does this differ from the official Slack "app" for Linux [0], which is
Google Chrome with an application shortcut?

It looks like all this does is open this page [1] in node-webkit. That means
the author has substituted Chromium for Chrome. Anything else?

[0] [https://slack.zendesk.com/hc/en-
us/articles/201746897-Slack-...](https://slack.zendesk.com/hc/en-
us/articles/201746897-Slack-apps-for-computers-phones-tablets)

[1]
[https://github.com/wlaurance/slack-4-linux/blob/master/app/v...](https://github.com/wlaurance/slack-4-linux/blob/master/app/views/index.html)

~~~
wlaurance
[https://github.com/wlaurance/slack-4-linux/commit/66be9fc406...](https://github.com/wlaurance/slack-4-linux/commit/66be9fc4066ce7b2d6217c850eb1ff1d78d9aa61)

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elvis635
Nice, I'll check it out!

Given the premium price of Slack compared to alternatives I'd have expected
that they were the one developing a Linux client

~~~
jess1003
Check out Hall for business messaging. Has a Linux, Mac, Windows, iPhone/iPad,
Android, & web apps. All free, with unlimited members, groups, integrations,
and history. [https://hall.com/download-hall/hall-for-
linux](https://hall.com/download-hall/hall-for-linux)

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bachmeier
What are the odds that this will ever work properly? That it won't break every
few months?

~~~
wlaurance
Internally it is using an iframe.

So that should continue to work decently. It's the building and packaging of
the thing that will break.

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vhost-
I use the IRC gateway with weechat. Makes me happy I don't need a bunch of
clients.

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stox
Does BoB approve?

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csense
What in the world is Slack?

~~~
mryan
[https://slack.com/](https://slack.com/)

