# zalo-linux: a Linux package of the Zalo desktop app

> Repackages VNG's Zalo desktop app for Linux from the official macOS installer. The harness builds a .deb, and a headless smoke script expects the extracted bundle to open a window.

- Type: Case study
- Targets: App
- Category: Independent reconstruction cases
- Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
- Sources reviewed: 2026-10-27
- Added to the catalog: 2026-11-09
- Original resource: <https://github.com/thotam/zalo-linux>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/thotam/zalo-linux/blob/63b7293151b1dc6bf2cc1c995ea38970a8b96c09/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/zalo-linux-desktop-case/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/zalo-linux-desktop-case/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/zalo-linux-desktop-case/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- The README says npm run setup downloads the macOS DMG, extracts the bundle, and builds native modules, and that npm run build produces dist/Zalo-<version>.deb. The extracted app directory is gitignored. The project says it is not affiliated with or endorsed by VNG.
- scripts/_smoke-boot.sh treats SMOKE_OK after headless boot as success.
- LICENSE is the MIT license and states that the grant covers the build harness only. The Zalo application bundle is proprietary to VNG and is not in the repository.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/thotam/zalo-linux/blob/63b7293151b1dc6bf2cc1c995ea38970a8b96c09/README.md>
2. <https://github.com/thotam/zalo-linux/blob/63b7293151b1dc6bf2cc1c995ea38970a8b96c09/scripts/_smoke-boot.sh>
3. <https://github.com/thotam/zalo-linux/blob/63b7293151b1dc6bf2cc1c995ea38970a8b96c09/LICENSE>

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## About this entry

The description was reviewed against primary sources.
Original editorial content: MIT. Linked projects, papers and assets retain their own rights and licenses.