this is a little chrome app wrapper so the open source slack clone, "mattermost" can be run in an isolated chrome window that opens links in the main chrome instance. Since it's a chrome app, you can pin the app icon to the windows start menu. clicking links in chat open in Chrome, not in the chat window.

This is unofficial, not related or approved by anyone, but it is working nicely for myself and my team.

I only tried this in Windows 7 using Chrome stable, it will probably work anywhere chrome runs, give it a try!

Mattermost Chrome Web App

This is a chrome extension that provides a web wrapper to make mattermost chat work like a standalone chrome app so links will open in your main chrome window.

To set your own url and try it unpacked

git clone https://github.com/tmuka/mattermost-chrome-app.git onto your local machine
edit manifest.json file and update the "urls" and "web_url" lines with your mattermost team url. save changes.
in chrome, open url chrome://extensions/
enable checkmark "Developer mode" (this will let you install an unpacked local extension)
click "Load unpacked extension"
browse to and select the folder you cloned this project into.
open url chrome://apps/ , there should be a white icon for "Mattermost Chrome App", right click on it, click "App Info". Click "Create shortcuts".
Now you should have an icon in your taskbar quick launch and start menu to directly open Mattermost chat.

To pack the extension

in chrome, open url chrome://extensions/
enable checkmark "Developer mode" (this will let you install an unpacked local extension)
click "Pack extension"
click browse for "Extension Root Directory" and select the folder you cloned and configured
click "pack extension", save the file to wherever you want it for installation and sharing

To install packed extension

in chrome, go to url chrome://apps
open windows explorer, navigate to the folder you saved mattermost_chrome_app.crx file into. drag and drop that file onto the chrome://apps window.
that should have added an white icon for "Mattermost Chrome App", right click on it, click "App Info". Click "Create shortcuts".
Now you should have an icon in your taskbar quick launch and start menu to directly open Mattermost chat.

Bonus Custom CSS

I also use a few lines of custom CSS that make the view more compact. I use the Stylish chrome extension to apply the styles located in the mattermost_compact.css file. By default i hide username and timestamp, unless they are hovered over, but i added an optional commented out section to the css you can uncomment so they are only hidden for repeated messages from the same user.

Future enhancements