Ghost FTP 0.99.33 — Windows/Linux unsigned installer readiness (Preview)

Previously published: v0.99.32. The published tag, source SHA and all release assets are immutable. This new version is not published until exact-head CI and automatic release gates succeed.

Windows/Linux improvements

• The signed in-app updater no longer displays the false “Ghost FTP is up to date” confirmation when it returns no package; a newer manually downloadable edition may exist.
• Help & About → Updates offers Open official Windows / Linux downloads, using only an exact allowlisted GitHub Releases URL. No arbitrary external URLs or unverified package installation.
• The app does not replace a signed update already installed and waiting for restart with a new check.
• Updater failure diagnostics are redacted before logging; a real updater-store regression runs in CI.
• Windows x64 portable EXE, NSIS Setup EXE and MSI, and Linux x86_64 DEB, RPM, AppImage and standalone binaries are regular installable artifacts without requiring a commercial publisher certificate. Automatic updates remain signed-only.

Verification and upgrading

Download the relevant native package from official Releases and the matching GhostFTP-v<VERSION>-SHA256SUMS.txt. Verify SHA-256 before running an unsigned binary; an unsigned binary has no publisher identity guarantee. Back up the Ghost FTP profile and keychain state before upgrades and finish transfers before replacing an active installation. Linux Secret Service must be unlocked for password persistence; no plaintext fallback.

Windows and Linux installed-package smoke, Tauri frontend QA, Rust, protocol E2E and SHA-256 artifact checks are release gates; target hardware, Wayland, KDE/GNOME and long-running FTP/SFTP interruption testing remain additional acceptance requirements.

Release labeling: The global release train remains Preview while the cross-platform signing/production gates are incomplete. Directly installable unsigned Windows/Linux artifacts are distinct from signed auto-updates and do not independently certify all features as stable on all machines.

Linux installation: choose the correct Ghost FTP package

Platform: Linux x86_64 / amd64. These are package-family labels, not
certifications that every distribution/version has been tested. The native
Windows/Linux build currently runs on an Ubuntu 22.04 x86_64 GitHub runner;
installed-device checks across other distributions remain required.

Replace <VERSION> with the exact published tag number. Verify
GhostFTP-v<VERSION>-SHA256SUMS.txt before executing installers. A SHA-256
checksum only verifies integrity against that manifest; it does not prove
publisher identity or replace a cryptographic code signature.

No native package is currently built for Linux ARM64/aarch64,
32-bit x86, musl-only Alpine, or every NixOS/immutable-container configuration.
Arch Linux, Manjaro, EndeavourOS, Gentoo, elementary OS and others may be
candidates for AppImage/manual installation, but are not certified based
solely on an Ubuntu runner. Check compatible dependencies first; do not force a
Debian RPM/DEB package onto an unrelated distribution. On Wayland systems,
GTK/WebKit or XWayland availability can affect behavior.

Required acceptance before claiming distribution support

For each distribution and version named as tested, record its exact image
version, x86_64 architecture, display protocol (X11/Wayland), WebKitGTK/GTK
versions, GNOME Keyring/KWallet state, and the native binary hash. Verify:

1. Install, first launch, File Manager/Sites/Transfers/Settings/Sync navigation,
   resize at 1290×852 and 480×600, and correct keyboard focus.
2. FTP warning, verified FTPS TLS and SFTP SSH host-key checks on actual
   endpoints; failed identity checks must not connect.
3. Queue retry/cancel, interrupted upload/download preservation, symlink and
   overwrite safety, and shutdown/restart without losing profile metadata.
4. OS-backed credentials with locked and unavailable Secret Service; no
   plaintext fallback or secret-bearing logs.
5. Uninstall and reinstall without silently deleting stored user documents,
   connection profiles, or keys.

Current GitHub Actions Linux QA produces real Xvfb/WebKit screenshots of
seven core workspaces, not mockups. Those captures prove native rendering under
the CI environment; they do not certify a GNOME/KDE/Wayland distro or pixel
parity with all 29 user-supplied Linux design references.

Related: Linux handbook ·
Native desktop build ·
Published releases.

Operational prerequisites for unsigned desktop builds

Running the native binary does not require a purchased signing certificate. Verify the SHA-256 checksum of your package against the matching official release manifest; this validates file integrity, not cryptographic publisher identity. Saved credentials require an unlocked Secret Service provider and the secret-tool client (the DEB declares libsecret-tools, the RPM declares libsecret). An unavailable vault is a blocking error, not a reason to store plaintext passwords. Before upgrading, create an encrypted backup and ensure all transfers are finished. The desktop Updates screen offers the complete GitHub Releases index because signed auto-updates and manually downloadable package editions are independent.