notifications.el server mode?

notifications.el server mode?

[Ted Zlatanov]

Can Emacs use notifications.el as a server (recipient)?  Currently it
seems that it can only be a client (sender).  If not, how hard is that
to add?

Thanks
Ted

Re: notifications.el server mode?

[Michael Albinus]

Ted Zlatanov <tzz@lifelogs.com> writes:

> Can Emacs use notifications.el as a server (recipient)?  Currently it
> seems that it can only be a client (sender).  If not, how hard is that
> to add?

notifications.el uses the D-Bus specification of the
org.freedesktop.Notifications service on the session bus. Of course,
there could be an implementation of this service inside Emacs.

But according to the D-Bus architecture, there can be only one service
using a given service name at a time; the Emacs notification daemon
would need to replace the desktop's default notification daemon, which
might not be desirable (except you regard Emacs as *the* desktop, aren't
you?)

> Thanks
> Ted

Best regards, Michael.

Re: notifications.el server mode?

[Ted Zlatanov]

On Sat, 11 Jun 2011 11:23:53 +0200 Michael Albinus <michael.albinus@gmx.de> wrote: 

MA> Ted Zlatanov <tzz@lifelogs.com> writes:
>> Can Emacs use notifications.el as a server (recipient)?  Currently it
>> seems that it can only be a client (sender).  If not, how hard is that
>> to add?

MA> notifications.el uses the D-Bus specification of the
MA> org.freedesktop.Notifications service on the session bus. Of course,
MA> there could be an implementation of this service inside Emacs.

Great.  How hard is it to add?

MA> But according to the D-Bus architecture, there can be only one service
MA> using a given service name at a time; the Emacs notification daemon
MA> would need to replace the desktop's default notification daemon, which
MA> might not be desirable

So we'll need a way to find if a notification daemon is running, too?

MA> (except you regard Emacs as *the* desktop, aren't you?)

Almost :)  I want it to provide the things I listed in
http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.devel/139687 plus notifications
as requested here.  But it shouldn't be the WM, IMO that won't work.

Ted

Re: notifications.el server mode?

[Michael Albinus]

Ted Zlatanov <tzz@lifelogs.com> writes:

> MA> notifications.el uses the D-Bus specification of the
> MA> org.freedesktop.Notifications service on the session bus. Of course,
> MA> there could be an implementation of this service inside Emacs.
>
> Great.  How hard is it to add?

I could provide you the D-Bus frame functionality, that's easy. I have
no idea how hard it is to implement the functionality with Emacs frames
and icons; this I would let to you :-)

Note, that the daemon would be responsible to handle *all* notifications
swimming around the session, not only the ones sent from Emacs itself.

> MA> But according to the D-Bus architecture, there can be only one service
> MA> using a given service name at a time; the Emacs notification daemon
> MA> would need to replace the desktop's default notification daemon, which
> MA> might not be desirable
>
> So we'll need a way to find if a notification daemon is running, too?

That's simple. D-Bus allows registration of services, kicking existing
ones out. It's not a common use case, though :-)

> Ted

Best regards, Michael.

Re: notifications.el server mode?

[Ted Zlatanov]

On Sat, 11 Jun 2011 13:03:29 +0200 Michael Albinus <michael.albinus@gmx.de> wrote: 

MA> Ted Zlatanov <tzz@lifelogs.com> writes:
MA> notifications.el uses the D-Bus specification of the
MA> org.freedesktop.Notifications service on the session bus. Of course,
MA> there could be an implementation of this service inside Emacs.
>> 
>> Great.  How hard is it to add?

MA> I could provide you the D-Bus frame functionality, that's easy. I have
MA> no idea how hard it is to implement the functionality with Emacs frames
MA> and icons; this I would let to you :-)

That would be great.  I'll handle the messages, sure.

MA> Note, that the daemon would be responsible to handle *all* notifications
MA> swimming around the session, not only the ones sent from Emacs
MA> itself.

No problem :)

>> So we'll need a way to find if a notification daemon is running, too?

MA> That's simple. D-Bus allows registration of services, kicking existing
MA> ones out. It's not a common use case, though :-)

I keep discovering uncommon needs as I work on the Emacs desktop
functionality...  Thanks for your help!

Ted

Re: notifications.el server mode?

[Michael Albinus]

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Ted Zlatanov <tzz@lifelogs.com> writes:

> MA> I could provide you the D-Bus frame functionality, that's easy. I have
> MA> no idea how hard it is to implement the functionality with Emacs frames
> MA> and icons; this I would let to you :-)
>
> That would be great.  I'll handle the messages, sure.

I've appended a very raw frame, which works already for me. You'll get
the idea.

If you want to test, you might use another Emacs instance for sending a
notification. Running notifications.el and ofn-daemon.el in the same
Emacs instance does not work yet, because notifications.el uses the
synchronous `dbus-call-method'. This must be replaced by
`dbus-call-method-non-blocking', then both packages could be used in the
same Emacs instance.

As test, I have sent

   (notifications-notify :body "Hello Ted, this is Michael.")

> Ted

Best regards, Michael.


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