---
title: "Set Up Rocket Chat Dev Environment"
slug: "open-source-projects"
description: "Learn how to set up your Rocket Chat development environment. Build, customise, and deploy secure communication solutions for enterprise needs."
updated: 2026-08-07T13:41:33Z
published: 2026-09-03T14:44:28Z
canonical: "developer.rocket.chat/open-source-projects"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.rocket.chat/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set Up Development Environment

Rocket.Chat provides separate development environments for the core server, desktop app, and mobile app. These guides help contributors and developers run Rocket.Chat from source, build features, test changes, debug issues, and contribute to the codebase.

> [!WARNING]
> ⚠️ This is not a deployment guide. If you want to deploy Rocket.Chat for your team or organization, refer to [Deploy Rocket.Chat](https://docs.rocket.chat/docs/deploy-rocketchat). The recommended deployment methods are [Docker](https://docs.rocket.chat/docs/deploy-with-docker-docker-compose) and [Kubernetes](https://docs.rocket.chat/docs/deploy-with-kubernetes).

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/27ca1fd4-36d7-4cde-b4eb-97fc1652954c/Images/Documentation/Server application.svg?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-07T10%3A01%3A49Z&se=2026-11-07T11%3A01%3A49Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=OG4YCXZkF%2Fv%2Bju9PgZgBzEa8pv7y%2B6IgMtO%2BECmHJMI%3D)

[**Server**](/v1/docs/server)

This is the core of Rocket.Chat server that powers web, mobile, and desktop applications. Set up a development environment on Gitpod, Linux, etc., and customize the server application to suit your brand's needs.

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/27ca1fd4-36d7-4cde-b4eb-97fc1652954c/Images/Documentation/Desktop application.svg?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-07T10%3A01%3A49Z&se=2026-11-07T11%3A01%3A49Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=OG4YCXZkF%2Fv%2Bju9PgZgBzEa8pv7y%2B6IgMtO%2BECmHJMI%3D)

[**Desktop**](/v1/docs/desktop-app)

Develop and customize a Rocket.Chat desktop application for platforms like Windows and macOS.

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/27ca1fd4-36d7-4cde-b4eb-97fc1652954c/Images/Documentation/Mobile application.svg?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-07T10%3A01%3A49Z&se=2026-11-07T11%3A01%3A49Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=OG4YCXZkF%2Fv%2Bju9PgZgBzEa8pv7y%2B6IgMtO%2BECmHJMI%3D)

[**Mobile**](/v1/docs/mobile-app)

Set up a development environment for the Rocket.Chat mobile application and test features for Android and iOS.