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This guide walks you through building Tabby AI Keyboard locally for production deployment.

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Prerequisites

Before building, ensure you have:
  • Node.js 20 or higher
  • pnpm package manager (version 9)
  • All required environment variables configured in .env.local

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Build Scripts Overview

The build process uses several npm scripts defined in frontend/package.json:12-19: 
{
  "build": "run-s next:build electron:build",
  "dist": "run-s build electron:dist",
  "next:build": "next build --turbopack",
  "electron:build": "tsup",
  "electron:dist": "electron-builder",
  "electron:dist:deb": "electron-builder --linux deb"
}

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Building for Windows

1

Navigate to frontend directory

Open your terminal and change to the frontend directory:
cd frontend
2

Install dependencies

Install all required dependencies using pnpm:
pnpm install
3

Run the build command

Execute the dist command to create the production executable:
pnpm run dist
Or using npm:
npm run dist
This command:
  • Builds the Next.js application with Turbopack
  • Compiles the Electron main process using tsup
  • Packages everything into a Windows installer using electron-builder
4

Locate the executable

The resulting .exe installer will be created in:
frontend/dist/
The installer uses NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) with the following configuration:
  • Allows user to choose installation directory
  • Creates desktop and start menu shortcuts
  • Supports per-machine installation

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Building for Linux

1

Navigate to frontend directory

cd frontend
2

Run the Linux build command

To create a Debian package (.deb):
pnpm run electron:dist:deb
This creates a .deb package in the frontend/dist/ directory.
The Linux build is configured in package.json:197-203 to target the Development category and includes proper icon configuration.

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Build Configuration

The electron-builder configuration in package.json includes:

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Application Settings

  • Product Name: Tabby
  • App ID: com.tabby.ai-keyboard
  • ASAR Packaging: Enabled for code protection

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Included Files

The build packages:
  • Electron build artifacts (build/)
  • Next.js standalone output (.next/standalone)
  • Static assets (.next/static)
  • Public files (public/)
  • Required native modules (*.node, *.dll)

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Windows NSIS Installer

{
  "oneClick": false,
  "perMachine": true,
  "allowToChangeInstallationDirectory": true,
  "createDesktopShortcut": true,
  "createStartMenuShortcut": true
}
Make sure all environment variables from .env.local are properly set before building, especially:
  • NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL
  • NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY
  • NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL
  • NEXT_PUBLIC_MEMORY_API_URL

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Troubleshooting

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Build Fails on Windows

If the build fails, ensure:
  • You have the latest Windows Build Tools installed
  • Visual Studio C++ build tools are available
  • All dependencies installed successfully with pnpm install

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Missing Dependencies

The postinstall script automatically runs electron-builder install-app-deps. If you encounter native module issues, try: 
pnpm run postinstall

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TypeScript Errors

Run type checking before building: 
pnpm run typecheck
This runs tsc --noEmit to check for TypeScript errors without generating output files.

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