Need help developing a video, voip, messaging client
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Hi everyone
I'm new to Ubuntu Touch and I'm needing an app that works like Signal on Android. I've been trying to use FluffyChat and Axolotl, but they don't have video chat capabilities. I can't replace my Android phone with Ubuntu Touch until I get this functionality... so I am wanting a solution asap.
I need to develop a couple of messaging apps. One that connects with the Matrix API and another that connects with the WeChat API.
I was wanting to develop it using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Based on what I have found, it seems like it is possible with the help of Cordova. Cordova would provide the ability to access the hardware like the camera, microphone, etc. using HTML, CSS, and JS. The problem is, I can't get it to install or work with Ubuntu.
The instructions I found seem to be outdated - probably a few years old and it won't work. When I try it gives me various errors - I'd be more specific but I forgot what the errors were. I tried installing the 3.3.0 version but it doesn't seem to exist anymore.
Is Cordova's compatibility with Ubuntu being maintained at all? If so, does anyone have updated instructions for how to get it to work?
If it's not being maintained, what language would an app have to be in to have the ability to connect to the camera? Would it need to be QML? Python? Or something else? Are there instructions anywhere for how to do it?
I'm new to developing apps.. I generally just work on websites and build some web applications, so forgive my ignorance
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Sorry, Cordova support was dropped in the moment that Canonical announced end of life for their Ubuntu Touch efforts. Also, currently ther eis no reall good API for video capturing and playback in a webview. Otherwise video chat might have been done already soem time ago by others
Our preferred App development toolkit where you could also get access to camera, mic, speaker easily is Qt with QML (which is very similar to JavaScript and CSS ideas for layout). But, in order to make a ccomplex app like a chat client you also will need to code in C++, otherwise your code will get huge, messy and slow
Our Signal client, Axolotl, on the other hand, is written in Golang and some HTML/CSS bits in the UI, and you could connect with those guys here: @nanu-c and @Fla
You can find a lot of info here: https://forums.ubports.com/category/35/app-development and especially here: https://docs.ubports.com/en/latest/appdev/index.html
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@flohack thank you for the info and links. It sucks that cordova was dropped because it would have made making apps easier and faster, at least for me lol.
While there's definitely a lot of useful apps available that people have made, I think there needs to be a good video chat app and some more features added to the existing ones before people will be comfortable leaving Android and iOS completely. That's why I am trying to find a way to develop some apps - because I need video chat to communicate with my family.
I haven't done anything with golang before but it sounds like something to look into. Qt and QML also sound like something I need to check into. I have programmed in C++ before but it's been a long time.
I think I'll start looking at golang and QML first because those seem like the easiest routes to creating apps. With a video chat app, even if all it does are video and voice calls, it would at least provide the basic functionality Ubuntu Touch is lacking. So it may not need to be really complex. Just the ability to see contacts and make and receive calls since there are already apps that do messages and can send pictures etc, at least for Matrix and Signal. WeChat doesn't have anything yet though, which sucks.
Since I'm new at this, I'm trying to do things in baby steps. Focusing on simple functionality and expand it out as I learn more.
Thank you again for the info! That helps a lot and gives me at least some direction to look into.
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@lisali hello! We of course want to have video chat in Axolotl, which will allow the hundreds of Axolotl users to talk with the millions of Signal users with video chat. So please join the effort instead of starting something new
Come on Telegram on our dev channel: https://t.me/axolotl_dev -
@fla Hi! Lol, ok, I joined. There's a lot I need to learn, but I'll contribute whatever I can.
I still plan to develop an app that connects to the WeChat API because my husband and I need it to communicate with his family in China. If China didn't ban Signal and other messaging apps, we would have a lot more apps to choose from.
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