What is Kexi?

Quoting from the official description,

Kexi is a visual database applications creator, part of the Calligra Suite. It can be used for designing database applications, inserting and editing data, performing queries, and processing data. Forms can be created to provide a custom interface to your data. All database objects - tables, queries, forms, reports - are stored in the database, making it easy to share data and design.

This guide is about building Kexi from git sources. I will assume you're trying to build the latest 3.1Alpha. I am using Arch Linux for building this, should work almost the same in other distributions.

Contents

• Setting up the environment
• A Word about dependencies
• Getting the Sources
• Building Dependencies and Kexi
• Running Compiled Kexi

The official guide to building Calligra and Kexi can be found here

Note: This is for building Kexi, if you just want to use Kexi then I'll be easier to just install it using your package manager

Setting up the environment

Before anything else, you need to make sure that you have the C++ development toolkit including gcc, git, and cmake installed.

As described in the official guide, you need to setup some directories and environment variables before you start building kde applications.
Here's the directory structure that is being described here:

$HOME/kde
├── build/
├── inst5/
└── src/

$HOME/kde/src/ : source code from github of different projects.

$HOME/kde/build/ : CMake generated build directories.

$HOME/kde/inst5: directory where compiled sources will be installed.

So after you're done creating those directories, you've to setup some environment variables.

If you followed the recommended setup of directories, then just copy paste the following into your shell.

export XDG_DATA_DIRS=$HOME/kde/inst5/share:$XDG_DATA_DIRS
export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS=$HOME/kde/inst5/etc/xdg:$XDG_CONFIG_DIRS
export PATH=$HOME/kde/inst5/bin:$PATH
export QT_PLUGIN_PATH=$HOME/kde/inst5/lib64/plugins:$HOME/kde/inst5/lib/plugins:$HOME/kde/inst5/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/plugins:$QT_PLUGIN_PATH
export QML_IMPORT_PATH=$HOME/kde/inst5/lib64/qml:$HOME/kde/inst5/lib/qml:$HOME/kde/inst5/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qml
export QML2_IMPORT_PATH=$HOME/kde/inst5/lib64/qml:$HOME/kde/inst5/lib/qml:$HOME/kde/inst5/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qml
export XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/kde/Settings
export KDETMP=/tmp/kdedev-$USER
export KDEVARTMP=/var/tmp/kdedev-$USER
export KDESYCOCA=$KDEVARTMP/ksycoca

Now you need to create two more temporary directories, run the following two commands.

mkdir -p $KDETMP
mkdir -p $KDEVARTMP

Okay, setup is done now. Let's talk about the various sources and dependencies now.

A Word about dependencies

Detailed info: kexi/README.PACKAGERS

Kexi has both build time and running time dependencies. That means you need to build the dependencies before you build Kexi.

Buildtime Dependencies:

• Kdb
• Kproperty
• Kreport
• KexiMarble (Optional)
• Other packages like GraphViz and doxygen (Optional)

Runtime Dependencies:

• Breeze icons theme
• libspeechd (optional)

About the Optional dependencies, you can just install the optional package with your package manager and it will just be fine.

Important Note: You should uninstall any version of Kexi/Kdb/Kproperty/Kreport installed by your package manager to avoid conflicts
during the build process.

Getting the Sources

If you don't have a KDE developer account, then you have to get the sources from anongit.kde.org, If you have kde developer access, then you can use git.kde.org instead of anongit.kde.org
So cd into ~/kde/src and run the following commands:

$ git clone git://anongit.kde.org/kdb.git
$ git clone git://anongit.kde.org/kproperty.git
$ git clone git://anongit.kde.org/kreport.git
$ git clone git://anongit.kde.org/kexi.git
$ git clone git://anongit.kde.org/breeze-icons.git

Now you should have the sources of all the build dependencies, runtime dependencies and soure of Kexi itself in the ~/kde/src directory.

Note about breeze icons:

Kexi requires breeze icons rcc file as a running time dependency, some OS'es provide that by default.
If your OS does not provide the rcc file with breeze icons, then you have to build it like you'd build the other build time dependencies.

Previously we set env variable XDG_DATA_DIRS to ~/kde/inst5/share:$XDG_DATA_DIRS. This is important because Kexi looks for breeze
icons and Kexi icons in XDG_DATA_DIRS

More info here: kexi forum/Running Compiled Kexi

Now that you have the sources, let's start building Kexi.

Building Dependencies and Kexi

You don't need to know CMake to follow this guide but If you want to contribute to kde software,
learning CMake would be a good idea.

So following are the build steps:

Building and Installing KDb

$ cd ~/kde/src/kdb
$ cmake -H. -B~/kde/build/kdb -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=~/kde/inst5
$ cd ~/kde/build/kdb
$ make install -j4

Building and Installing KProperty

$ cd ~/kde/src/kproperty
$ cmake -H. -B~/kde/build/kproperty -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=~/kde/inst5
$ cd ~/kde/build/kproperty
$ make install -j4

Building and Installing KReport

$ cd ~/kde/src/kreport
$ cmake -H. -B~/kde/build/kreport -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=~/kde/inst5
$ cd ~/kde/build/kreport
$ make install -j4

Now that the build dependencies are installed, let's install Kexi.

Building and Installing Kexi

$ cd ~/kde/src/kexi
$ cmake -H. -B~/kde/build/kexi -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=~/kde/inst5
$ cd ~/kde/build/kexi
$ make install -j4

Note: If there are warnings about missing optional packages just use your package manager to install them.

Running compiled Kexi

Now that everything is built, let's run Kexi.

$ cd ~/kde/inst5/bin
$ ./kexi-3.1

That's it! :)

I am a slow learner, I've been programming for almost two years now but I know much less than people who started with me.
I entering my 20s this year, so this scares me much but I guess it just takes time.
So I'll keep on doing what I am doing.

ps. just a sample post

currently playing: Mac Demarco

So yesterday on 19th March 2018 we organized a small event on Online Privacy and Safe browsing habits, though the event was a success we had to face a lot of difficulties.

This guide is about the steps to follow everytime you organize an event. I hope this will be helpful.

Step 1: Draft a proposal of the event and an application

Here you have to draft a proposal for the event, what you want to do in the event, what do you need, which room do you need etc. If there's an external speaker coming, you MUST have his portfolio ready to show his/her authenticity. You should get both signed by the HoD of the department.

Step 1 should be done atleast 2-3 days before the actual event.

If you need room permission from the dean get it too. because the rooms get booked.

Step 2: Print posters and banners only after event gets confirmed

This is pretty obvious but mistakes have been made. Post posters everywhere in the college, talk to other students about the event, if possible make class announcements.

Step 3: If you have a speaker, Get a room where the speaker can relax.

Step 4: Once a room is confirmed, get the projector and audio system working.

Biren Das (He's a ~55y/o guy, short, dark complexion, does not carry a phone) you can always find him around the boys gym room. He's the mic incharge. Talk to him atleast 2-3 hours before the event.

Talk to systems admin about the event, he sits next to Buljit sir's room.

Step 5: Once the event has started...

Learn and have fun.

EDIT: I do not agree with past me anymore, I should do more OSS :p
Everyone should be making something of their own, but not when there is something more important to do.
I wasted almost half of my summer creating a stupid static site generator because I didn't like jekyell.
But in the end, nothing really cams out of it. I am the only user of that generator.

But the good thing is I love using it. The only regret is that I planned soing some theory related study this summer,
I could not do that properly so again I would say If you have more important stuff to do, then don't waste time on doing your own open source project.

Also this is no advice, just saying.

July 2017 I applied for the MSP programme not expecting much from it. Along with few other hundreds I got into the programme and did the required.
Then came the MSP summit, I am from Assam so I had to think twice whether to go or not because Pilani was quite far from where I stay. After some thought,
I and my friend, fellow MSP from Assam (Amartya Saikia) decided to go and we bought our travel tickets.

I was not expecting anything from it, I remember on day1 somebody asking 'What do you expect from this summit' I literally had no clue at that moment.
I went with the flow for the next two days at the summit.

The organizing team did a tremendous job organizing such a big event, handling so many students is no small deal. Kudos to the BITS Pilani Team.

Things that I found amusing

I thought it would be a developer conference and we'll develop something but it was more of a networking and knowledge exchange programme.
It was good. All MSPs were extremely friendly and it was an experience that I surely will remember pretty accurately for a very very long time.

Met so many new people. I really enjoyed the live music and fun, it is something we geeks are usually forbidden to (atleast for me, haha)

Things to take away

• MSIC is important
• Doing your workshops and clicking pictures and uploading them in the group is importanter
• Having fun amidst and spreading the love for code is the importantest
• Have to work harder to be a better MSP, it does not stop there.

Microsoft being a corporate company, trying to keep in good touch with students is very nice of them.

Nevertheless, Will try my best to do all I can being a MSP.
Thanks to Vibhor Sir and fellow MSPs for making this happen and it was quite an experience. :)

EDIT: Abhishek Garg, a MSP from Meerut reminded me of a incident in the comments do here it is.

Story time

Day 1, We all know Sagar Verma right? the guy with his amazing guitar, voice and the wavy hands.
So after the summit night was over at the clock tower building, Sagar was playing open air acoustic from 1am till 4am under the Vallabhbhai Patel statue. I was there enjoying his music and stories. Had some talk with Rahul Bhaiyya(my mentor msp), It was fun 11/10.

It was 4:30am I reached my hostel and the door was locked from the inside. About 15 MSPs were inside. couldn't knock as it would wake all up. So there was this register and I started tearing off blank pieces of it and throwing them at a MSP I know from bus. This continued for about atleast 30 minutes.
I thought I'd sleep in the corridor that night(jk). Luckily a MSP was awake and noticed my nuisances, (Abhishek from Meerut) He finally opened the door and I was able to sleep. Slept for 3 hours that day.

MSP Summit gave me so many good memories. thanks everyone!

So this is the first post I am writing using gitpushblog, a static blog generator that sucks but I like it.
This will probably be a topography test, so let's see.

Also I'll be blogging in various topics if this works. k?

Heading 1

that was a heading h1

Heading 2

that was a heading h2

const foo = 'bar';
const life = () => {
        console.log(foo);
};

some blockquotes,

Hey I am something wise

Another one

Another one

ENOUGH OF THAT, let's see what else you got

Youtube videos?

Works!

What else we got?

• Images
• Links maybe?

Image

Links

click me to go to heaven