macOS application with Catalyst

[FramboisePi]

Hello,

As said here in https://github.com/nextcloud/spreed/issues/1100, it would be really useful to have a macOS application for Nextcloud Talk.

Apple recently introduced Project Catalyst which allows to port iOS app to macOS easily. https://developer.apple.com/ipad-apps-for-mac/

I don’t know if it would be possible to make a client this way. If it is the case, I think it would be a great improvement for Talk.

[Ivansss]

Apple recently introduced Project Catalyst which allows to port iOS app to macOS easily. https://developer.apple.com/ipad-apps-for-mac/

We were really excited when Apple did that announcement :) We will definitely try to port this iOS app to a macOS app.

I will post updates about this process in this issue.

[tiiiecherle]

Are there any news or developments on this? We would really like to use spreed/talk in production but the desktop app for mac is an essential requirement.

Has anyone managed to build natively, with catalyst or nativefier? Or any other way or integration for a mac desktop app.

Thanks to the nextcloud and spreed/talk team, amazing work ;)

I'll be thankful for any help and would happily try a beta or test version.

[Ivansss]

We didn't start implementing this, but we will try it at some point. I will update this issue when we have news :)

[f1yankees]

+1 on this, would be very helpful in these times!

[aniqueta]

Agreed. @Ivansss This would be a more performant option for Macs than using the web version.

[BJKle]

@Ivansss any news here? I've been using the IOS version on my M1 system but a native app would be really great.

[BJKle]

@Ivansss I have to ask again, because the new version 13 crashes and can't be used anymore. :-(

[Ivansss]

any news here? I've been using the IOS version on my M1 system but a native app would be really great.

A specific UI for the iPad is in the roadmap :)

I have to ask again, because the new version 13 crashes and can't be used anymore. :-(

Could you paste here any logs from the crash?

[SystemKeeper]

(
	0   CoreFoundation                      0x000000019b583838 __exceptionPreprocess + 240
	1   libobjc.A.dylib                     0x000000019b2ad0a8 objc_exception_throw + 60
	2   CoreFoundation                      0x000000019b614694 -[NSObject(NSObject) __retain_OA] + 0
	3   CoreFoundation                      0x000000019b4e4cd4 ___forwarding___ + 1444
	4   CoreFoundation                      0x000000019b4e4670 _CF_forwarding_prep_0 + 96
	5   NextcloudTalk                       0x00000001045652d4 NextcloudTalk + 234196
	6   NextcloudTalk                       0x000000010456574c NextcloudTalk + 235340
	7   NextcloudTalk                       0x0000000104569710 NextcloudTalk + 251664
	8   NextcloudTalk                       0x0000000104568f18 NextcloudTalk + 249624
	9   NextcloudTalk                       0x0000000104913a58 _Z23RLMAddNotificationBlockI10RLMResultsEP20RLMNotificationTokenPT_U13block_pointerFvP11objc_objectP19RLMCollectionChangeP7NSErrorEP7NSArrayIP8NSStringEPU28objcproto17OS_dispatch_queue8NSObject + 1058456
	10  NextcloudTalk                       0x00000001049139dc _Z23RLMAddNotificationBlockI10RLMResultsEP20RLMNotificationTokenPT_U13block_pointerFvP11objc_objectP19RLMCollectionChangeP7NSErrorEP7NSArrayIP8NSStringEPU28objcproto17OS_dispatch_queue8NSObject + 1058332
	11  NextcloudTalk                       0x00000001049139ac _Z23RLMAddNotificationBlockI10RLMResultsEP20RLMNotificationTokenPT_U13block_pointerFvP11objc_objectP19RLMCollectionChangeP7NSErrorEP7NSArrayIP8NSStringEPU28objcproto17OS_dispatch_queue8NSObject + 1058284
	12  NextcloudTalk                       0x0000000104568d48 NextcloudTalk + 249160
	13  NextcloudTalk                       0x0000000104578828 NextcloudTalk + 313384
	14  NextcloudTalk                       0x000000010479d1ec NextcloudTalk + 2560492
	15  NextcloudTalk                       0x00000001047aee04 NextcloudTalk + 2633220
	16  libdispatch.dylib                   0x000000019b256128 _dispatch_call_block_and_release + 32
	17  libdispatch.dylib                   0x000000019b257ec0 _dispatch_client_callout + 20
	18  libdispatch.dylib                   0x000000019b266384 _dispatch_main_queue_callback_4CF + 996
	19  CoreFoundation                      0x000000019b5458e8 __CFRUNLOOP_IS_SERVICING_THE_MAIN_DISPATCH_QUEUE__ + 16
	20  CoreFoundation                      0x000000019b5042fc __CFRunLoopRun + 2524
	21  CoreFoundation                      0x000000019b5031a8 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 600
	22  HIToolbox                           0x00000001a3428b40 RunCurrentEventLoopInMode + 292
	23  HIToolbox                           0x00000001a34288b4 ReceiveNextEventCommon + 552
	24  HIToolbox                           0x00000001a3428674 _BlockUntilNextEventMatchingListInModeWithFilter + 72
	25  AppKit                              0x000000019dcf5660 _DPSNextEvent + 836
	26  AppKit                              0x000000019dcf4000 -[NSApplication(NSEvent) _nextEventMatchingEventMask:untilDate:inMode:dequeue:] + 1292
	27  AppKit                              0x000000019dce5e4c -[NSApplication run] + 596
	28  AppKit                              0x000000019dcb7878 NSApplicationMain + 1064
	29  AppKit                              0x000000019dfa6ad0 +[NSWindow _savedFrameFromString:] + 0
	30  UIKitMacHelper                      0x00000001ae434e18 UINSApplicationMain + 1280
	31  UIKitCore                           0x00000001be341b1c UIApplicationMain + 164
	32  NextcloudTalk                       0x0000000104595a8c NextcloudTalk + 432780
	33  libdyld.dylib                       0x000000019b425430 start + 4
)

[Ivansss]

Could you send the crash report to ivan [at] nextcloud [dot] com? So we can symbolicate the crash report.

[Ivansss]

I have to ask again, because the new version 13 crashes and can't be used anymore. :-(

Fixed in #680 @BJKle Bugfix has been included in Talk iOS version 13.0.1. (which will be available tonight or tomorrow in the App Store) Sorry for the trouble 😬

[andreasfichtner]

Hi @Ivansss, I would also be very interested in getting this up and running. I checked it out and activated the Catalyst button, for now the WebRTC library seems to be the problem as it isn't built for x64: Undefined symbols for architecture x86_64: "_OBJC_CLASS_$_RTCEAGLVideoView", referenced from: objc-class-ref in CallViewController.o ld: symbol(s) not found for architecture x86_64 Is there any way to get this prioritized? Might only need very few changes after all.

[SystemKeeper]

Hey @andreasfichtner If you want to try it yourself, you can find information about building WebRTC at https://github.com/nextcloud-releases/talk-clients-webrtc

Looks like catalyst is supported, but not enabled by default: https://chromium.googlesource.com/external/webrtc/+/master/tools_webrtc/ios/build_ios_libs.py