KDE Connect - Mobile Integration

    The 2013 Google Summer of Code project has allot going in the KDE desktop environment. Just look at the list of ideas here http://community.kde.org/GSoC/2013/Ideas, one that sparks particular interest to Android users is the KDE Connect project. The KDE Connect project's goal is to provide better integration with the Android platform.

Some of the features now available are:

• Call & SMS Notifications
• App Notification & Alerts
• Battery Status Support
• Clipboard Syncing
• Media Player Controls
• File Transfer

   The project is still in a pretty early stage, supports Android 4 and greater, but support for Android 2.3 is coming. Currently KDE Connect is limited to working over WiFi only, so both devices need to be on the same network, but the developer behind the tool, Albert Vaca, says that more back-ends are planned USB cable, bluetooth, cell network, without the user (or the plugin developers) having to worry about which one is used.

    There is a precompiled apk for Android avalable, it can be found on the main developer's website http://albertvaka.wordpress.com the best way to go is to compile from source to make sure your getting the latest version.

Let's install the desktop part

    To get it running install these dependencies on your favorite Linux distro:
If running Debian, Ubuntu or Mint use: sudo apt-get install
On an RPM based system such as Redhat, CentOS, Fedora, or SUSE use: yum install

cmake kdebase-workspace-dev libqjson-dev git

    After installing the dependencies use the terminal to make a new directory go into it, git the source, compile, then install it.


git clone git://anongit.kde.org/scratch/albertvaka/kdeconnect-kded

cd kdeconnect-kded

cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr ./

make

make install    (On Ubuntu & Mint use: sudo make install)

After compiling & installing we need to make KDE aware of KDE Connect

!!!Important to run this as normal user, non root or sudo!!!

qdbus org.kde.kded /kded loadModule kdeconnect

kbuildsycoca4 -noincremental

     now the device should be in the KDE system settings. If you installed the precompiled Android app then you're good to go.

Build the Android Side

    For those that want to compile the Android apk then the first step is to get the Android SDK. Google provides a bundle that has everything needed to start build an Android app, just download, unzip and run. Can be found at: Android SDK Bundle

    In the terminal make a new directory go into it and git the source.

git clone git://anongit.kde.org/scratch/albertvaka/kdeconnect-android

   After using GIT to get the source, open the eclipse that came with the Android SDK bundle and import the project. Should be able to build the app without much if any modification. Good luck and have fun, remember google is your friend.