<!-- Source: Magnotia Master Brief — §17 Desktop Distribution Deep Dive -->

## 17. Desktop Distribution Deep Dive

### Tauri advantages
- Installer sizes: 2.5–10 MB (vs. 80–150 MB for Electron)
- Idle memory: 30–40 MB (vs. 200–300 MB for Electron)
- Sub-second startup times
- 70,000+ GitHub stars, 35% year-on-year adoption growth
- Built-in auto-updater with Ed25519 signature verification

### Code signing requirements
- **macOS:** Apple Developer Programme (£79/year) + notarisation mandatory. Unsigned apps trigger "damaged app" dialogue.
- **Windows:** EV certificate (£240–£480/year) for immediate SmartScreen bypass. Unsigned executables trigger warnings.
- **Linux:** Users more tolerant of unsigned software. Flathub + AppImage.

### Discovery patterns for successful indie desktop apps
- Free or generous free tier drives adoption
- Organic search and content marketing drive discovery (Obsidian: 52.9% organic search traffic)
- Community building on Discord/Reddit/Twitter creates advocates
- Product Hunt launch provides initial visibility spike
