Crazy stuff: sudo snap install signal-desktop

pparent

Do you know how to adapt scaling of a snap app in Ubuntu Touch, or how to easily pass it parameters like ?

GDK_SCALE=2

Normally I would pass it in the .desktop file but snap constantly rewrites the .dektop file

pparent

@Moem
Honestly I see 4 simple steps to make it a usable client at least for basic chat:

1°) Adapt the scale (normally it should be easy)
2°) Show the keyboard when clicking on an input (I'm supposing Mir2.0 might help with that)
3°) Adapt UI to hide left menu when in chat view (Should be doable with minimal patches)
4°) Connect to content Hub to Import/export files.

pparent

I've actually succeeded to start the app with acceptable scaling by creating a dummy unconfined app with simply a .desktop file with the launcher:

Exec=env GDK_SCALE=2 /snap/bin/signal-desktop --no-sandbox %U

pparent

Maybe @ChromiumOS-Guy can help us figure out how to enable keyboard, as you did it with uWolf ?

t12392n

Nice find!

Unfortunately its the desktop app which cannot be a "main" app, as in you always need to keep a separate phone.

@pparent said in Crazy stuff: sudo snap install signal-desktop:

I've actually succeeded to start the app with acceptable scaling by creating a dummy unconfined app with simply a .desktop file with the launcher:

Exec=env GDK_SCALE=2 /snap/bin/signal-desktop --no-sandbox %U

That might be worth a guide/instruction with steps on how to do.

pparent

@t12392n said in Crazy stuff: sudo snap install signal-desktop:

Unfortunately its the desktop app which cannot be a "main" app, as in you always need to keep a separate phone.

Or you install it in waydroid in the same phone and open it from time to time only.

pparent

@t12392n said in Crazy stuff: sudo snap install signal-desktop:

That might be worth a guide/instruction with steps on how to do.

I will publish a repository and a .click file for signal-launcher, pretty dummy stuff, but it can help making it usable for reading messages only, until we find a way to make the keyboard usable.

pparent

This post is deleted!

pparent

And the desktop notifications even show up when the phone is suspended , that's nuts!

pparent

Actually it's interesting to note that Mobian package works as well if you install it with apt-get [NOT RECOMMENDED If you don't know what you're doing]

https://github.com/0mniteck/Signal-Desktop-Mobian/

pparent

I've succeeded in opening the keyboard when editing text in signal-desktop !!!!

I could do it reusing the work of @ChromiumOS-Guy in uWolf!

I can officially send signal messages from a native Ubuntu Touch app, without Waydroid!

Even though for now it's not convenient , since keyboard hides the text area, and the enter button of the keyboard somehow does not trigger sending the message, and the "send" button in signal is hidden until you expend the editing area. But still very usable.

For now everything is messy, but I will try to make it available soon (I think it should be possible to do a click package, but I'm not sure yet)

Ps: Note that I could do it with Mobian version only for now.

wally

@pparent Some of us old-fashioned (and long-winded) folks LIKE to be able to press <Enter> without sending the message
But however it worked in the end, I sure wouldn't complain!

Congrats on what sounds like an amazing start on this!

pparent

I've succeeded in making a .click package, here is the topic for the app development:

https://forums.ubports.com/topic/11532/signal-ut-signal-desktop-for-ubuntu-touch

Shapa

@pparent I am using signal from openstore really cool stuff kodos to you

Does it mean we can convert other snaps app to ubuntu touch ?

I am thinking firefox browser could be good use case

pparent

@Shapa said in Crazy stuff: sudo snap install signal-desktop:

Does it mean we can convert other snaps app to ubuntu touch ?

Well you could. But probably not directly , for most packages if you want to make it fully integrated. As you may have seen I'm now recompiling Signal-Desktop from source code, and apply some patches for different things like having a responsive interface and a functional keyboard. The whole process requires quite a bit of manual work to get close to a fully integrated and working application.

@Shapa said in Crazy stuff: sudo snap install signal-desktop:

I am thinking firefox browser could be good use case

Isn't uWolf good enough for that? uWolf is basically a custom firefox.

pparent

Actually I had looked through the portfolio of apps available in snapcraft.io for arm64, and I've not seen many that would make a lot of sense to use on a phone.

Moem

@pparent Just recently someone asked whether it's possible to edit Open Streetmap maps on UT...

How about this? https://snapcraft.io/josm

pparent

@Moem
Look a the interface it's very far from being responsive or usable on a phone screen, it's very much designed for desktop

https://josm.openstreetmap.de/wiki/Fr:Introduction

Good candidates are applications close to being responsive.

I guess you have noted there might be a future possibility to port for Organic Maps, their desktop app seem close from responsive (but requires Qt6)

https://flathub.org/en/apps/app.organicmaps.desktop
https://organicmaps.app/news/2024-01-27/how-to-run-organic-maps-on-windows/

Also I've noted this app that could be cool:
https://snapcraft.io/openboard

The only tedious thing with this kind of package is that they have some dependencies that are not present in the system and that you have to embed inside the package. Well If it's a few dependencies it's ok but I guess when there are unmet dependencies about Qt modules it can get very tricky.

gpatel-fr

@pparent said in Crazy stuff: sudo snap install signal-desktop:

there might be a future possibility to port for Organic Maps, their desktop app seem close from responsive (but requires Qt6)

I use it on my desktop, like it but I find the possibility of using it on a small screen like the one of my FP5 rather unlikely. Could depend on how responsive it is really. I am investigating the possibility of using flatpak under UT BTW.

pparent

@gpatel-fr said in Crazy stuff: sudo snap install signal-desktop:

Could depend on how responsive it is really.

Well it seems to me that the Android app and the desktop app are the same code based on Qt. At least the two of them point to the same repository.