Unofficial Microsoft Teams client for Linux

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Nature of this client & AI‑authored code

  • Commenters quickly notice the project is mostly AI-assisted (CLAUDE.md, commit messages), sparking concern it may become hard to maintain or abandoned over time.
  • Several point out the client is essentially a wrapper around the Teams web app with extra integrations (tray icon, link handling, PiP, etc.), not a full native reimplementation.
  • One contributor reports adding PiP/video controls was straightforward, suggesting the maintainer is open and the codebase usable.

Why an unofficial Teams client exists

  • Main use case: people who prefer Linux (or BSD) but must use Teams for work, especially in enterprises, government, or Microsoft‑centric environments.
  • Benefits over plain PWA noted: system tray notification badges, respecting the desktop’s default browser for links, multi-account profile handling, and more “native app” feel.
  • Some say it works better and has fewer bugs than the official (now-retired) Linux client; there’s even interest in using it on Windows because the official app is disliked.

Teams on Linux and in browsers

  • Many run Teams successfully as a PWA via Chromium/Edge on Linux, sometimes in “app mode,” with full support for calls and screen sharing (given correct XDG portal setup).
  • Experiences diverge sharply: some report flawless screen sharing in Firefox; others report it completely broken or degraded (low resolution, camera access errors) unless spoofing Chrome.
  • Several argue that using the web client is safer and sufficient; wrapping it adds attack surface.

General sentiment on Teams

  • Large fraction of comments are strongly negative: reports of sluggish UI, high resource usage, confusing chat vs. channel model, flaky notifications and message delivery, weird bugs (wrong windows opening, “just me” chats, auto‑updates mid‑call).
  • Multiple people describe daily friction with formatting, code blocks, copy/paste, markdown, and thread layout, especially for text‑heavy/engineering workflows.
  • Others claim Teams works reliably for them (especially on Windows), is “good enough,” and excels at large meetings and deep integration with the Microsoft 365 stack.

Alternatives, constraints & philosophy

  • Many prefer Slack + Zoom / Meet; some refuse Teams outright and ask clients to switch tools, but others emphasize current job markets and corporate mandates leave little choice.
  • Several lament proprietary, heavy chat/video apps and reminisce about simpler, open protocols (IRC, Jabber); others defend building such unofficial clients as fun, useful personal projects despite vendor risk.