GSoC/2019/StatusReports/WeixuanXiao

KDE Connect for macOS port

KDE Connect works well on Linux and is built with KDE Frameworks and Qt. There is already “Continuity” on macOS for iPhone and iPad running iOS. But there is no support, and there will never be official support for Android phone on macOS. It makes sense to use KDE Connect on macOS to give Android users a better experience.

During Google Summer of Code 2019, a port of KDE Connect for macOS comes up!

Introduction

This is the main page of KDE Connect, we can open it from the indicator in the tray bar of macOS. All available plugins are here, you can enable/disable or configure them.

Available devices will be listed on the left, you can choose them to pair/unpair with them/it.

KDE Connect KCM

The text that you copy on your Mac will be shared to your phone, and those you copy on your phone will be also synchronized to your Mac.

KDE Connect Clipboard

With KNotifications support for macOS, you can receive notification from your Android phones and react to them. You can ping your Mac to test whether they are well connected.

KDE Connect Notification

Except the functions showed, you can also do these from your Android phone:

• Keep your Mac awake when your phone is connected
• Share files and links between devices
• Control the volume of your Mac from the phone
• Use your phone as Trackpad and Keyboard to control your Mac
• Use your phone to control your slides during a presentation

You can do these from your Mac:

• Check battery level of your phone
• Ring your phone to help find it
• Send and receive SMS via your phone
• Browse and manipulate files in your phone

Release

The release can be found in Release page of my blog and KDE Community FTP.

You will be able to get more exciting functions from Nightly Build on KDE Binary Factory.

Build from source code

Currently, those releases only support macOS 10.14 Mojave, but you can build one from the source code on your Mac to benefit it. Since Qt 5.10 supports down to 10.9, KDE Connect for macOS should also work on it!

The codes can be found in Weixuan XIAO's KDE Connect repository.

You can follow instructions in Build on macOS - KDE Connect Wiki to build your own version of KDE Connect.

One more thing

In the following paragraphs, there are some details of my work in this summer.

Progress

[Done] Before May 6

• ✅ Keep investigating the causes of failure of interface boot and try to fix it
• ✅ Finish a HOW-TO wiki for building current version of KDE Connect on macOS

[Done] May 6 – May 26

• ✅ Keep track of development discussion on IRC, mailing list and telegram group
• ✅ Fix nightly build of macOS building on KDE Connect Jenkins
• ✅ Try to fix the failure of interface boot

[Done] May 27 – June 16

• ✅ Add vlc library blueprint of macOS version into Craft bin
• ✅ Fix the failure of interface boot by packaging it to a DMG file
• ✅ Use dbus in Craft rather than installing dbus with Homebrew
• ✅ Fix scripts of “package” option in Craft to build a dmg image
• ✅ Package kdeconnect-indicator, kdeconnectd, kdeconnect-cli to DMG package
• ✅ Fix dependencies of kdeconnect-indicator, kdeconnectd, kdeconnect-cli in DMG package
• ✅ DBus integration
• ✅ Private DBus Support

[Done] June 17 – June 28

• ✅ Inhibit screensaver implemented by macOS native command
• ✅ Implement system volume plugin for macOS

[Done] June 24 MID TERM EVALUATION

Up to first evaluation, KDE Connect could be started without explicit configuration. User could use it as a normal application.

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[Done] June 24 – July 21

• ✅ Implement native notifications on macOS
• ✅ Make the sftp plugin work by adding a stfp browser
• ✅ Integrate KDE Connect with macOS finder extension, which allows users to send files directly from Finder, this is implemented by a native assistant application, user can install it as they wish
• ✅ Make clipboard plugin work on macOS

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[Done] July 22 – August 18

• ✅ Implement virtual input plugin by coding another backend for macOS
• ✅ Debug and fix share and receive plugin on both Android and macOS sides
• ✅ Make the sftp plugin work by adding an integrated stfp browser
• Release a production-ready install package of dmg format(CodeSign)

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Contributions

During 3 months, I contributed to several projects in KDE Community, not only to make KDE Connect work on macOS, but also for a workable solution for KDE apps on macOS. Here are some of projects that I've contributed.

KDE Connect

• Use a private dbus for KDE Connect on mac OS macos-private-dbus branch
• Allow kdeconnectd auto launch from kdeconnect-indicator on macOS
• DBus wrapper for KDE Connect only dbus daemon on macOS: Add wrapper for macos dbus connection
• Enable sms test only when SMSAPP_ENABLED set to ON
• Fix macos build
• Screen saver inhibit plugin for macOS
• System volume plugin for macOS
• Clipboard sync plugin for macOS
• Implementation of virtual input plugin by fixing X11 or by coding another backend for macOS
• Integrate KDE Connect with macOS finder extension, which allows users to send files directly from Finder
• Hide icon and set HighRes feature
• Integrated SFTP browser

KNotifications

• Implement native notifications on macOS repository on GitHub

Craft Blueprints

• Add dbus-daemon to kdeconnect
• Add KDE Connect components for macOS
• Fix kdeconnect-indicator bundle on macOS
• Fix missing QtDBus lib for phonon-vlc building on macOS
• Copy smsapp and kdeconnect app into package for releasing
• Add kpeoplevcard blueprint

Craft

• Use macdeloyqt to fix all deps of exec in macOS package
• Copy kioslave into package to fix "Debug and fix share and receive plugin on both Android and macOS sides"
• Add qml dirs definitions into MacOSDMGPackager to make qml app correctly deploy

Other KDE projects

• Fix dependencies and kio-slave in Dolphin on macOS

Posts and Resources

Useful links:

• Build KDE Connect on macOS
• Get KDE Connect nightly building for macOS on KDE Binary Factory

Posts:

• Enable Notification of KDE Connect on macOS
• KDE Connect for macOS
• Craft packager analysis
• Craft VLC fix