Conduit

A Slack client that does not ship a copy of Chrome.

Conduit is a WeeChat-style Slack client built in C++ with Dear ImGui. It looks like you are SSH'd into a server from 2003. It renders inline images and animated GIFs, connects over the same WebSocket the browser uses, and runs in about 40MB of RAM.

Windows · macOS · Linux Open Source C++ / Dear ImGui

Why this exists.

Slack's official client is an Electron app, which means it ships an entire copy of Chrome so you can read "sounds good, let's circle back on that." Every day. On a laptop with a fan and a battery.

Conduit is the other approach. Native C++, immediate-mode UI, one WebSocket, a SQLite cache, and a message list that looks like IRC because that is how chat should look: 20:34 <alice> hey everyone. It needs no admin privileges, no app installation in the workspace, and no OAuth dance with your IT department.

It does not do huddles, voice, or video. Slack's huddle protocol is proprietary and reverse engineering it is a Sisyphean nightmare, so use the real client for calls. Not proud, just practical.

What it does.

Real-time messaging

Over the same WebSocket the browser uses, not polling. Threads get a dedicated side panel and reply input.

Rich content

Block Kit rendering for bot messages, attachment cards with coloured borders, inline images, animated GIFs, and full-colour custom workspace emoji.

Real mentions

Converts @username to Slack's internal format so people actually get notified, with tab completion and a live popup as you type.

Multi-workspace

Auto-discovers every workspace you are logged into, with an Alt+N switcher and a /switch command to hop between them without restarting.

Keyboard driven

Alt+1-9 for channels, slash commands, tab completion, and a Ctrl+K command palette. Draggable resizable panes that persist between sessions.

SQLite cache

Messages, channels, users, bookmarks, reminders, drafts and saved items cached locally, with automatic schema migrations. Unsent drafts survive restarts.

How it signs in, and what it keeps.

Conduit authenticates as you, using the session your browser already has. That is worth understanding before you install it.

On first launch it reads your existing Slack session out of your browser's local storage, decompressing Chrome or Edge's LevelDB to find the workspaces you are already signed into. On modern browsers with App-Bound Encryption you paste one cookie value manually.
Those credentials are then stored in your operating system's credential store, not in a plaintext config file, so the discovery step only happens once.
Everything talks directly from your machine to Slack. Locke Werks operates no server in this path and receives nothing.
No telemetry, no analytics, no crash reporting, no "we'd love your feedback" popup. It does not phone home at all.
Cached messages live in a local SQLite database in your own user profile.

This is an unofficial client that is not affiliated with or endorsed by Slack. Check your workspace's policies before connecting one to it.

Conduit

Why this exists.

What it does.

How it signs in, and what it keeps.

Install.