How I'm now using Signal on UT

[Moem]

Unfortunately, there is currently no native, working Signal client for UT and this is unlikely to change soon. But if that's a problem that impacts you, read on! I found a solution that works well for me and maybe it will work for you, too.

My solution consists of several parts:

• Signal for Android, running in Waydroid. You can download it from their webpage or from F-Droid or Aurora Store.
• Signal Desktop running on several computers, and linked to the first Signal, which is the primary device. All others are secondary devices. You can have only one primary.
• Cinny, running on UT, using a Matrix bridge to connect to Signal. This is very new to me and yet it was easy.

I followed these instructions given by Danfro:

For everyone here who is looking for an alternative to use Signal on Ubuntu Touch.
There is a matrix signal bridge hosted here: https://tchncs.de/matrix.
This can be used with Cinny or any other Matrix client. Instructions are given on the website there.
Because Cinny in OpenStore is quite outdated, feel free to use my updated version from the CI here: https://github.com/Danfro/cinny-click-packaging/actions.
Note: Some things do still not work. Image download is fine, but right now no other file types. I am working on it...

• Open Cinny (or another matrix client)
• create a new room
• invite the bridge bot @signalbot:tchncs.de
• open your primary signal device and head for settings, linked devices
• add new device
• got to chat with bridge bot and type "login" as message
• scan the qr code with your primary device, it should now link them
  Done.

I had an extra step because my primary is running in Waydroid and it's a pain generating and scanning a QR code on one and the same device, plus it refused to work. So I installed the latest Cinny on a spare phone and used that to link Cinny to Signal. It worked fine.

I hope this is useful to anyone else!

[messayisto]

@Moem thanks, I did the same yesterday and I am so glad to have signal back on my device this way. And you're so much better and faster than me in documenting it for other users - thanks for that, too.
By the way: I had to restart my device once for showing up Cinny in the setting list for notifications.

[Moem]

@messayisto said in How I'm now using Signal on UT:

I had to restart my device once for showing up Cinny in the setting list for notifications.

True! Good addition. Thanks for that, and for your kind words.

[Robipo]

@Moem said in How I'm now using Signal on UT:

Because Cinny in OpenStore is quite outdated, feel free to use my updated version from the CI here: https://github.com/Danfro/cinny-click-packaging/actions.

Noob question: how do I actually install the github version? I searched the archive and the best I could find is this: https://forums.ubports.com/topic/6335/how-do-i-install-click-clickable-packages-outside-of-the-openstore/5

Thanks

[Moem]

@Robipo Good question! I don't know how to get it from that link either, I got it directly from Danfro. I can't attach it here, it's too large.
The filename is cinny.nitanmarcel_4.4.0_arm64.click
Once you get it, though:

• doubletap the file to open it
• when asked what to open it with, choose OpenStore.

[danfro]

@Robipo When I wrote this post, I didn't know, that Github only provides downloadable files for users that are actually logged in to Github.

So currently you can either log into Github (if you have an account) and download it from there, or use the latest .click I provided in our Telegram QA group.

I will release Cinny soon in OpenStore (I got the "go ahead" from the old maintainer today.), but a couple of steps need to be done until that is achieved.

[Robipo]

@danfro It work fine with the click file in Telegram. I had downloaded the files from Github, but maybe I did something wrong creating the click file. Whatever. It works. Thanks

[danfro]

@Robipo Glad to hear you got it working. Hopefully soon that wouldn't be needed anymore (except for pre-release testing).

[Moem]

@danfro You have at least two testers now!

[Sander]

Thank you @moem for documenting this and @danfro for maintaining the Cinny app! I've found bridging to Matrix very useful for WhatsApp. Personally, I use Beeper as a homeserver for this. It's an iOS and Android app that lets you connect multiple chat services and protocols in one place. Beeper uses Matrix underneath, so you can also log in to Beeper with Cinny once your account is set up. Here's how I got it working:

• Create a Beeper account on iOS or Android. I set mine up using the app installed on WayDroid. If you see a popup with a recovery code during setup, be sure to save it for later.
• Link WhatsApp (or Signal, or any other supported chat service - I haven't tested them all) to Beeper through the Beeper app.
• Install Cinny on Ubuntu Touch and set the homeserver address to beeper.com.
• Get a password for Beeper:
  • This is necessary because Beeper's official app only uses email codes for login and doesn't require a password.
  • In Cinny, enter your Beeper username and click on Forget Password?.
  • Follow the instructions in the email to generate a password for your account.
• Verify Cinny as a Matrix client. A red shield will appear in the left sidebar. Click it, choose Verify Manually, and enter the recovery key you saved when setting up your Beeper account.
• That's it! Your bridged chat services should now appear in Cinny's sidebar.

[danfro]

@Sander Thanks a lot your detailed walkthrough.

I actually wanted to recommend to everyone using matrix (new users expected here ) to set it up in a second device. Why?

Chats in matrix are mostly encrypted. Those chats are only visible on verified so called sessions. A session is any other matrix client logged in with the same username and homeserver.

As described by you, one can use a key to verify. But I found that more difficult than with a second device by comparing a few emojis.

A second device can be any matrix client that supports verification. This can be Cinny or Element on desktop or another phone. But it can also be a web client e.g. cinny web. Just use a different device in case your phone breaks or get lost.

Regarding Cinny, I am struggling with the terrible last mile fixing some last downloads. I am almost there for releasing. But I guess it will take a few more days...

[Moem]

Today, my desktop Signal told me to sign into my mobile Signal in order to keep the account active. Briefly running original Signal for Android in Waydroid was enough to make it happy again.
This may be a monthly thing. Not horrible, but good to be aware of, as I don't think Cinny passes that message on.

[RedXXIII]

Hello, I installed Cinny UT (from Danfro) via the openstore, but notifications do not work. Maybe it's because the old Cinny was already installed? I do receive notifications from the old Cinny. Will removing the old Cinny allow the new one to show notifications? Or should I remove both versions and then install only the new one?

[danfro]

@RedXXIII This must be some system bug, but after installing Cinny-UT, you need to restart your device once. This triggers Cinny being available in system settings under notifications. They should then work without you doing anything.

[AppLee]

Hi @RedXXIII

I think I had something similar.
I removed the old Cinny and I now have the notifications from Cinny UT by Danfro.

So should be fine in my experience.

[wally]

Big thank yous @Moem for showing your work on this and @danfro for getting an up to date Cinny app for us all. Really, really appreciated!

[danfro]

Anyone else here using the tchncs signal bridge and having problems recently? It stopped working for me.

From reading in their support chat I learned, that might be due to some "federation issues" with tchncs and matrix.org. Whatever that means.

[Moem]

@danfro said in How I'm now using Signal on UT:

It stopped working for me.

And for me.

[messayisto]

@Moem so for me...

[messayisto]

@messayisto its working again since this morning... hum...@danfro can you share the link you reffered to about the sign
al bridge?