KDE PIM/Development: Difference between revisions

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= Developer Information =
'''KDE PIM''' is an application suite that helps you to organize your mail, addresses, todo's, appointments -- and keep this information in sync with your mobile phone.


'''KDE PIM''' is an application suite for [http://www.kde.org KDE SC] that helps you to organize your mail, addresses, todo's, appointments, and so on. Beyond this, it keeps your mobile phone and PDA in-sync with your desktop data.
Development of KDE PIM applications takes place in [http://cgit.kde.org/ KDE's git repositories]. Together, the applications are about 74MB of source. This page gives you a place to start and explains how development within KDE PIM works.


Development of KDE PIM applications takes place mostly in [http://gitweb.kde.org/ KDE's git repositories]. Together, the applications are about 74MB of source -- a daunting amount. These developers webpages are meant to give you a place to start, to collect documentation and explain how development within KDE PIM works.


== Getting Started ==
= Prerequisites =
You might want to make a backup of your valuable data. Most of it lives in <nowiki>~/.kde</nowiki>. You may also backup your Akonadi server config files in <nowiki>~/.config/akonadi</nowiki> and your kdepim applications data in <nowiki>~/.local/share/akonadi</nowiki>. It may be easier to just create an additional user and give it a copy of your data, and run PIM master there.


To get started, all you really need are a few git clones. After that, you can compile and run the latest-and-greatest (and probably buggy) versions of the KDE PIM applications. When you find a bug, you can fix it, create a patch, and send it to us! That's the way KDE PIM applications are continually improving. There is [[KDE_PIM/Development/Start|much more]] information available to begin with, though.


== Mailing Lists ==
= Compiling KDE PIM =
KDE PIM is currently split across 40 modules. To build them all in the correct order, you should use [https://kdesrc-build.kde.org/ kdesrc-build]. Setting it up is detailed at [[Get Involved/development]].


Mailing lists are probably the ultimate source of development information. Follow discussions of KDE core and application developers and ask your questions. Unless you don't think about what you are saying, you will surely get an answer. The following mailing lists might be of interest for you:
{{Note|You really need to build and submit patches against Git master to make a positive contribution to KDE PIM. If you work on or with the last released version, you're usually a month or four behind the times, and that makes a huge difference in KDE PIM.}}


The kdepim list [mailto:[email protected] [email protected]] is for ''discussion about development'' of the KDE personal information management suite, KDE PIM. Read more about how to subscribe to the [[KDE_PIM/Development/Start#Mailing Lists|kde-pim mailinglist]]. For ''questions about using KDE PIM'', please refer to the mailinglist [[KDE_PIM/Contact#The_users_mailing_list|kdepim-users]].
Add the following to your <nowiki>~/.kdesrc-buildrc</nowiki> file:


The mailinglist kde-devel at [mailto:kde-devel@kde.org kde-[email protected]] is for discussions about general KDE application development. Finally, the [mailto:qt-[email protected] qt-[email protected]] mailing list is for Qt developers. As KDE is based on Qt, you may find this list valuable.
<pre>
include ~/kde/src/kdesrc-build/kf5-frameworks-build-include
include ~/kde/src/kdesrc-build/kf5-kdepim-build-include
include ~/kde/src/kdesrc-build/kf5-applications-build-include
include ~/kde/src/kdesrc-build/kf5-workspace-build-include
</pre>


== Developer meetings ==
In addition, you cannot use the standard <nowiki>prefix.sh</nowiki> file mentioned on the [[Get Involved/development]] page; you must use a custom script:


One of the fun ways to improve the KDE PIM codebase is to get together for a [[KDE_PIM/Meetings|hackfest]]. Since most -- but by no means all -- of the KDE PIM developers are in Western Europe, getting together isn't all that hard to do. Over the years we've had seven meetings in Osnabrück, and several elsewhere.
<pre>
# This must match the path in kdedir option in kdesrc-buildrc
export KDE_PREFIX=~/kde/usr
export PATH="${KDE_PREFIX}/bin:${PATH:-/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin}"
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${KDE_PREFIX}/lib64:${KDE_PREFIX}/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
export QT_PLUGIN_PATH="${KDE_PREFIX}/lib64/plugins:${KDE_PREFIX}/lib/plugins:${QT_PLUGIN_PATH:-/usr/lib64/qt5/plugins:/usr/lib/qt5/plugins}"
export QML2_IMPORT_PATH="${KDE_PREFIX}/lib64/qml:${KDE_PREFIX}/lib/qml:${QML2_IMPORT_PATH:-/usr/lib64/qt5/qml:/usr/lib/qt5/qml}"
export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${KDE_PREFIX}/lib64/pkgconfig:${KDE_PREFIX}/lib/pkgconfig:${PKG_CONFIG_PATH:-/usr/lib64/pkgconfig:/usr/lib/pkgconfig}"
export XDG_DATA_DIRS="${KDE_PREFIX}/share:${XDG_DATA_DIRS:-/usr/share}"
export SASL_PATH="${KDE_PREFIX}/lib64/sasl2:${KDE_PREFIX}/lib/sasl2:${SASL_PATH:-/usr/lib64/sasl2:/usr/lib/sasl2}"
export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS="${KDE_PREFIX}/etc/xdg:${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS:-/etc/xdg}"
# Un-comment this if you want to have the devel version in parallel with the stable version installed by your distro
#export AKONADI_INSTANCE=devel
</pre>


The last meeting / hackfest was in january 2009 in Osnabrück.
You may need to update some of the variables to fit your environment.
 
Now, compile everything!
{{Input|1=<nowiki>
kdesrc-build kde-pimlibs kde-pim
</nowiki>}}
 
If the build fails, you can check the log file to see why it failed. It will likely be because of a missing dependency.
 
 
= Running KDE PIM =
There are two methods to run KDE PIM:
* <code>source</code> the custom script you created earlier and then run <code>akonadictl --instance devel start</code>. This will start a new instance of Akonadi which will run in parallel with the system one.
* Put the contents of the custom script you created earlier into your <nowiki>~/.bashrc</nowiki> file, then log out and then log back in. Thereafter, whenever you run KDE PIM, it will be from your compiled version
 
 
= Additional information =
* Now that you can compile KDE PIM from source, when you find a bug you can fix it, create a patch, and send it to us!
* Subscribe to the [http://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-pim kde-pim mailing list]. It is for '''discussion about development'''. Please don't wildly post all your compilation problems there. Ask on [[#IRC (Chat)|IRC]] for such issues.
* Most of the developers hang around in one development IRC channel or another. On [http://www.freenode.net/ freenode] (irc.kde.org), you can find <nowiki>#akonadi</nowiki> for development discussion on Akonadi, and <nowiki>#kontact</nowiki> for development discussion on Kontact and its components. Please don't post user-questions there.
* [https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/ Qt documentation]
* [http://api.kde.org/ KDE API documentation]
* Visit the [http://techbase.kde.org KDE techbase site] for very detailed information about KDE development. You'll find lots of stuff, e.g. documentation, tutorials, reference guides, etc.
* http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/PIM has lots of information you may read before starting contributing to KDE PIM.
* http://userbase.kde.org/Kontact is the central place for user tips and tricks.
* One of the fun ways to improve the KDE PIM codebase is to get together for a [[KDE_PIM/Meetings|hackfest]]. Since many of the KDE PIM developers live in Western Europe, getting together isn't all that hard to do. Over the years we've had seven meetings in Osnabrück, and several elsewhere.

Revision as of 04:27, 30 December 2018

KDE PIM is an application suite that helps you to organize your mail, addresses, todo's, appointments -- and keep this information in sync with your mobile phone.

Development of KDE PIM applications takes place in KDE's git repositories. Together, the applications are about 74MB of source. This page gives you a place to start and explains how development within KDE PIM works.


Prerequisites

You might want to make a backup of your valuable data. Most of it lives in ~/.kde. You may also backup your Akonadi server config files in ~/.config/akonadi and your kdepim applications data in ~/.local/share/akonadi. It may be easier to just create an additional user and give it a copy of your data, and run PIM master there.


Compiling KDE PIM

KDE PIM is currently split across 40 modules. To build them all in the correct order, you should use kdesrc-build. Setting it up is detailed at Get Involved/development.

Note

You really need to build and submit patches against Git master to make a positive contribution to KDE PIM. If you work on or with the last released version, you're usually a month or four behind the times, and that makes a huge difference in KDE PIM.


Add the following to your ~/.kdesrc-buildrc file:

include ~/kde/src/kdesrc-build/kf5-frameworks-build-include
include ~/kde/src/kdesrc-build/kf5-kdepim-build-include
include ~/kde/src/kdesrc-build/kf5-applications-build-include
include ~/kde/src/kdesrc-build/kf5-workspace-build-include

In addition, you cannot use the standard prefix.sh file mentioned on the Get Involved/development page; you must use a custom script:

 # This must match the path in kdedir option in kdesrc-buildrc
 export KDE_PREFIX=~/kde/usr
 
 export PATH="${KDE_PREFIX}/bin:${PATH:-/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin}"
 export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${KDE_PREFIX}/lib64:${KDE_PREFIX}/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
 export QT_PLUGIN_PATH="${KDE_PREFIX}/lib64/plugins:${KDE_PREFIX}/lib/plugins:${QT_PLUGIN_PATH:-/usr/lib64/qt5/plugins:/usr/lib/qt5/plugins}"
 export QML2_IMPORT_PATH="${KDE_PREFIX}/lib64/qml:${KDE_PREFIX}/lib/qml:${QML2_IMPORT_PATH:-/usr/lib64/qt5/qml:/usr/lib/qt5/qml}"
 export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${KDE_PREFIX}/lib64/pkgconfig:${KDE_PREFIX}/lib/pkgconfig:${PKG_CONFIG_PATH:-/usr/lib64/pkgconfig:/usr/lib/pkgconfig}"
 export XDG_DATA_DIRS="${KDE_PREFIX}/share:${XDG_DATA_DIRS:-/usr/share}"
 export SASL_PATH="${KDE_PREFIX}/lib64/sasl2:${KDE_PREFIX}/lib/sasl2:${SASL_PATH:-/usr/lib64/sasl2:/usr/lib/sasl2}"
 export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS="${KDE_PREFIX}/etc/xdg:${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS:-/etc/xdg}"
 
 # Un-comment this if you want to have the devel version in parallel with the stable version installed by your distro
 #export AKONADI_INSTANCE=devel

You may need to update some of the variables to fit your environment.

Now, compile everything!

kdesrc-build kde-pimlibs kde-pim

If the build fails, you can check the log file to see why it failed. It will likely be because of a missing dependency.


Running KDE PIM

There are two methods to run KDE PIM:

  • source the custom script you created earlier and then run akonadictl --instance devel start. This will start a new instance of Akonadi which will run in parallel with the system one.
  • Put the contents of the custom script you created earlier into your ~/.bashrc file, then log out and then log back in. Thereafter, whenever you run KDE PIM, it will be from your compiled version


Additional information

  • Now that you can compile KDE PIM from source, when you find a bug you can fix it, create a patch, and send it to us!
  • Subscribe to the kde-pim mailing list. It is for discussion about development. Please don't wildly post all your compilation problems there. Ask on IRC for such issues.
  • Most of the developers hang around in one development IRC channel or another. On freenode (irc.kde.org), you can find #akonadi for development discussion on Akonadi, and #kontact for development discussion on Kontact and its components. Please don't post user-questions there.
  • Qt documentation
  • KDE API documentation
  • Visit the KDE techbase site for very detailed information about KDE development. You'll find lots of stuff, e.g. documentation, tutorials, reference guides, etc.
  • http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/PIM has lots of information you may read before starting contributing to KDE PIM.
  • http://userbase.kde.org/Kontact is the central place for user tips and tricks.
  • One of the fun ways to improve the KDE PIM codebase is to get together for a hackfest. Since many of the KDE PIM developers live in Western Europe, getting together isn't all that hard to do. Over the years we've had seven meetings in Osnabrück, and several elsewhere.