Ghost FTP 0.99.36 — desktop-only project, complete repository audit (Preview)

Predecessor: v0.99.35. This is an unverified Preview source candidate; no new binary or stable release is claimed until exact-SHA CI and real-device tests pass.

Product platforms

Ghost FTP now maintains Windows, Linux and macOS desktop applications only. The discontinued mobile application and its source, Gradle build, automation, release assets and active verification contracts were removed from the repository. Old public tags and released artifacts remain historically immutable; this change does not unpublish old releases or revoke already-installed software.

Security and dead-code verification

• Maintain Rust/Tauri and TypeScript desktop transfer, credential, UI, capability and update checks; Go installer/runtime tests; and native Swift/macOS security tests.
• No code is automatically deleted merely because a text-only dead-code scanner considers it unreferenced. Preserve dynamic Tauri IPC, Swift selectors, Go callbacks and test harness entrypoints.
• Keep SFTP and Agent verified-prefix transfer safety, FTP/FTPS restart-only fallback, staging integrity and secret-redacted errors.
• Preserve certificate/host-key verification and reject insecure downgrade behavior.
• Replace former multi-platform reference assumptions with 30 Windows and 29 Linux design references, none certified as pixel-perfect without genuine runtime screenshots.
• Retain externally verifiable protocol E2E for FTP, FTPS and SFTP. Provider-specific cloud authentication, account-scoped operations, large multipart uploads and desktop visual parity require actual credentials, devices and independent live acceptance.

Required release gates

The exact source SHA must pass source audit tests, cargo fmt --check, cargo check, cargo test, Clippy, desktop frontend typecheck/build, Go tests/vet, Swift checks, localhost protocol E2E, security regression suites, Windows/Linux/macOS package builds and artifact SHA-256 validation.

These source changes do not certify every external FTP server, all authentication combinations, 1:1 pixel parity or production deployment readiness.

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.