Restore support for Qt 6.6.3 and Android 7.1 #12457
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Restored support for Qt 6.6.3 while preserving the existing build configuration for the primary supported Qt version (6.8.2). Changed the min. Android SDK version to 25 when the Qt version supports it. This allows targeting Android 7.1-based GCS such as the CubePilot Herelink or the SkyDroid H16. Key changes: - Lowered the QGC_QT_MINIMUM_VERSION CMake variable to 6.6.3, the latest Qt version compatible with Android 7.1. - Disabled the CMake features introduced in Qt versions 6.7 and 6.8 when configuring the project for Qt 6.6.3. - Updated build.gradle to utilize qtGradlePluginType only when available. - Reintroduced the "package" attribute in AndroidManifest.xml, which is necessary for Qt 6.6.3 but non-disruptive for the main supported version.
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Not sure if you're interested in merging this, and my guess is that probably not, but it restores support for popular Android GCS like the Herelink and the SkyDroid H16. My hope is that 5.0 can be compatible with them out of the box, without messy patches. |
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Yeah I think it's fine until we have to start checking Qt versions in the code all over the place. But we aren't using anything introduced in Qt6.8 yet, except for maybe QtMultimedia related stuff |
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For my current version of Herelink I just downgraded the min sdk version and still use 6.8: https://github.com/DonLakeFlyer/Herelink-QGC/blob/master/custom/cmake/CustomOverrides.cmake Why not do that instead? |
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But looking at the CMake and the GitHub workflows you're using Qt 6.6.3, no? Or am I missing something? AFAIK Qt 6.8 just doesn't support Android SDK 25. |
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Sorry, I'm confused as to where we ended up. I can't remember the driver to move from 6.6.3 to 6.8. I think because 6.8 was LTS maybe? But LTS doesn't help us that much since open source doesn't get LTS updates anyway? In general I'd rather pick a Qt version and use that for everything. Is there good reason to move to 6.8 from 6.6? |
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I recall one reason was supporting Arm based desktop builds |
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Hmm, yeah. Useful. Maybe I'm overreacting to supporting multiple Qt. In reality the downgrade is just for things like Herelink/Skydroid. If it works it works. How about if we only allowed downgrade for android builds and messaged usage for Herelink/Skydroid situations? That limits exposure on desktop. |
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Put some more thinking into this, also looking at my own android custom builds. I think the way to do this is to support down to 6.6.3 on Android. But I would still lock down to specific android versions. Desktop 6.8.2 only. Android either 6.6.3 or 6.8.2 only. I've run into problems in the past with not locking down to specific Qt versions. By being really specific it reduces the support burden of odd things breaking or people doing odd things with version of Qt that don't run through CI. If someone wants to run some other version of Qt they can hack the make scripts if they really need it. But it isn't supported by default. Then the question would be what to do with the android builds coming out of CI. I would propose those are built on 6.6.3 by default. Then that will keep checks on the Herelink style controller requirements. Comments? |
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I think that's a good idea. It's probably not going to be easy to support 6.6.3 in the long term though, even if none of the features of newer versions are used. Not a great example, but take #12179. Should that workaround for the Qt bug be used so that 6.6.3 works as expected, at the expense of worse and less canonical code for 6.8? That's a tiny visual bug, but I imagine there are many bigger ones that do impact functionality. IMO, a good compromise is to support 6.6.3 until the next QGC stable to give these Android GCS one last big update, and then support a single LTS Qt. |
Yeah, kinda what I was thinking as well |
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So I'm gonna merge this since it lets me make forward progress again on Herelink version. |
Restore support for Qt 6.6.3 and Android 7.1
Description
Restored support for Qt 6.6.3 while preserving the existing build configuration for the primary supported Qt version (6.8.2). Changed the min. Android SDK version to 25 when the Qt version supports it. This allows targeting Android 7.1-based GCS such as the CubePilot Herelink or the SkyDroid H16.
Key changes:
Checklist:
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