[Ubuntu-touch-coreapps] Enabling Cmake for all the core apps

Sun Feb 16 13:42:38 UTC 2014

On 16/02/14 07:29, David Planella wrote:
> On Sun, Feb 16, 2014 at 2:28 AM, Sergio Schvezov 
> <sergio.schvezov at canonical.com <mailto:sergio.schvezov at canonical.com>> 
> wrote:
>
>     Just a quick self follow up
>
>     After removing my QtCreator config I get the Build/Ubuntu submenu
>     and could explore the context of the problem a bit more.
>
>     The desktop part can be resolved by changing the
>     -set(DESKTOP_FILE "${PROJECT_NAME}_${APP_NAME}.desktop")
>     +set(DESKTOP_FILE "${PROJECT_NAME}.desktop")
>
>
> Thanks Sergio for looking into that. I think Nekhelesh's point was 
> that before the cmake migration it was much easier to test pure QML 
> apps. Adding cmake to the mix now requires a build step that needs to 
> be done outside of Qt Creator to generate the .desktop file.
>
> Before, pressing Ctrl+F12 would just copy the files over to the device 
> and run the app. Granted, this would not test confinement, but for 
> rapid app development (and especially if it's an app that has been 
> tested to work in confinement) it is very convenient. App confinement 
> could then be tested with a click build and install before release.

This hid the fact that the source as it was, was insufficient to build a 
quality grade click package; ie; I cannot

bzr branch lp:ubuntu-clock-app trunk
cd trunk
bzr export app
click build app

If I do that, I would get a click that:

  * includes debian dir
  * has a desktop with:
      o Exec=.*/usr/share/ubuntu-clock-app/ubuntu-clock-app.qml
      o Icon=/usr/share/ubuntu-clock-app/.*
  * includes a test dir
  * includes un-gettexed po files

If you have a better idea on how to get this commonly fixed, I'll wait 
for an MR; cmake seemed like the right tool for the job to me.

> But I think the main point here is that we've broken Qt Creator's 
> workflow for pure QML apps by introducing a build step as a 
> requirement. Can we still get the best of both worlds, perhaps by 
> adapting Qt Creator's scripts (e.g. the one that is called by pressing 
> Ctrl+F12)?

ctrl+12 should be fixed; I would prefer a common workflow for everyone 
instead pure qml which 3 already aren't:

  * music
  * terminal
  * file manager

The new reminders application as well.

>     but to be honest, I think that qtcreator should look into the
>     manifest to search for desktop files; this would allow for an easy
>     transition to multiple apps per package namespace when it arrives.
>
>
> Would you mind filing a bug for that? I also agree that resolving this 
> dynamically would be much better than hardcoding it to a given 
> .desktop file name.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/qtcreator-plugin-ubuntu/+bug/1280781

>     After hacking the desktop file that in I saw why it wanted to sed it:
>     Exec=/usr/bin/export
>     DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:abstract=/tmp/dbus-LRsqEGysw5;
>     APP_ID=com.ubuntu.clock qmlscene
>     /home/phablet/dev_tmp/com.ubuntu.clock/ubuntu-sdk-13.10-armhf/click_package/share/qml/com.ubuntu.clock/com.ubuntu.clock.qml
>     --desktop_file_hint=/home/phablet/.local/share/applications/com.ubuntu.clock.desktop
>
>     It really should be installing the click package and using that so
>     it uses upstart-app-launch to launch the application under
>     confinement.
>
>
> I'm not sure I can follow this one. Could you elaborate on what's 
> needed to do here, whether fix the cmake rules or the Qt Creator scripts?

This is QtCreator; I don't see why when someone does ctrl+12 it doesn't 
just build the click package on the fly and run it. I may be missing 
something here.

> David.
>
>
>     On 15/02/14 21:48, Sergio Schvezov wrote:
>
>
>         On 15/02/14 18:53, Nekhelesh Ramananthan wrote:
>
>             This is a request to revert the cmake transition for all
>             the core apps since it is effectively blocking crucial
>             application testing on the device through QtCreator.
>             Before the cmake transition, my work flow comprised of
>             implementing a patch/feature and then immediately testing
>             it on the device by pressing Ctrl+F12 through Qtcreator.
>             This made testing applications on the device quite easy.
>             However as now, that no longer works since QtCreator now
>             complains of a missing desktop file. I have tried fixing
>             it by discussing it with zBenjamin and balloons on IRC,
>             however at the end of the day this is still broken.
>
>
>         What does ctrl+12 actually do? Does it require writable mode?
>
>
>             I understand the major motivation for the cmake transition
>             was to help easily build click packages (using
>             click-buddy) and ready them for deployment to the device.
>             However this is already easy enough to do in Qtcreator by
>             simply pressing *Ctrl+F12* or rather using the "*Install
>             on Device*" feature. As far as I understand, click-buddy
>             doesn't help with running autopilot tests on the device
>             either. I am really questioning the benefit of the cmake
>             transition. If there is something that I am missing here,
>             please do explain this to me.
>
>
>         The other major motivation is to actually build click packages
>         without any hacks; as it was before all the packages had
>         hardcoded paths for the debs.
>
>         If you run the autopilot tests in 'deb' mode you aren't really
>         testing on the target. To really test on the target you need
>         the click package built, installed, and run in confinement;
>         using debs doesn't provide any of that.
>
>         If the installing and testing requires writable mode on
>         devices, that it is also broken in my opinion.
>
>
>             If you agree to the request, please submit patches
>             reverting the commits done.
>
>
>         If there's no hard coding, I'm fine. But there was serious
>         hard coding before.
>
>         Although I say, do not despair :-)
>
>         Immediate temp solution, is to make the build dir your actual
>         branch in Project/Build
>         http://ubuntuone.com/3FqnDSLJpg2CUSYAtwj2oM
>
>         The reason you can't run locally in QtCreator is that, well,
>         the system doesn't know about out of source builds that
>         easily; and something like this is needed:
>
>         https://code.launchpad.net/~sergiusens/ubuntu-clock-app/run_from_qtcreator/+merge/206598
>         <https://code.launchpad.net/%7Esergiusens/ubuntu-clock-app/run_from_qtcreator/+merge/206598>
>
>
>         For running autopilot and installing on the device I would
>         need more info on what you currently do.
>
>
>
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