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KDE Connect⚓︎

KDE Connect is a project that enables all your devices to communicate with each other. Here's a few things KDE Connect can do:

  • Receive your phone notifications on your desktop computer and reply to messages
  • Control music playing on your desktop from your phone
  • Use your phone as a remote control for your desktop
  • Run predefined commands on your PC from connected devices. See the list of example commands for more details.
  • Check your phone's battery level from the desktop
  • Ring your phone to help find it
  • Share files and links between devices
  • Browse your phone from your desktop
  • Control the desktop's volume using your phone
  • Send SMS from your desktop

Installation⚓︎

KDE Connect is available for openSUSE Leap and Tumbleweed from the main repository. Use the following instructions, should you need to install it.

Info

If you use a desktop environment other than KDE's Plasma, you might also want to install indicator-kdeconnect, that provides a system tray as a GUI for other desktops.

Using YaST⚓︎

YaST Software Management

  1. Launch YaST
  2. Select Software Management
  3. Type kdeconnect in the Search field and click Search
  4. In the result list select kdeconnect-kde
  5. Click Acept to confirm the installation

Using the terminal⚓︎

  1. Refresh your local repository sudo zypper ref
  2. Run sudo zypper install kdeconnect-kde

Android Installation⚓︎

The app for Android can be found in both the Google Play Store and the free store F-Droid.

Firefox Extension⚓︎

If you are a Firefox user, this extension might be of your interest.

Configuration⚓︎

In order for the secure communication to take place, ports in the firewall have to be opened up. We can do this using YaST Firewall or using the command firewall-cmd from the terminal.

Info

Note the zone of your current interface. If you do not specify the zone of the interface, it defaults to public.

Using YaST Firewall to open the ports⚓︎

YaST Firewall

  1. Launch YaST
  2. Select Firewall
  3. Within the Zones list, select Public
  4. From the list of Known services search for kdeconnect, then click Add
  5. Click Accept
  6. The Firewall Service settings will save and the service will restart

Using firewalld-cmd from the terminal to open the ports⚓︎

The easiest way to configure firewalld is through the terminal.

The example below is adjusting the default zone using the kdeconnect service file for firewalld (/usr/lib/firewalld/services/kdeconnect-kde.xml). This service holds the list of ports required for a proper operation. For most user cases, this is an acceptable default.

$ sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --permanent --add-service=kdeconnect-kde
$ sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Android Configuration⚓︎

Most networks should allow automatic discovery of the devices running KDE Connect.

Pairing devices⚓︎

  1. Launch KDE Connect on your computer
  2. Launch KDE Connect application on the Android device
  3. In the Android device, within Available devices select your computer
  4. Tap Request pair

Once paired, scroll through the options to determine how much information you want communicated back and forth between devices.

Troubleshooting⚓︎

Devices are running KDE Connect, but they can't see each other⚓︎

  • Ensure that the devices in question are on the same network
  • Ensure the necessary firewall ports have been opened. If they have been opened, try restarting the firewall daemon using the YaST Firewall Tool Go to KDE Connect Settings (on Android and/or openSUSE) and manually refresh the devices

KDE Connect crashes or restarts when trying to pair with another device⚓︎

  • Some times, a corrupt config file may cause KDE Connect to crash when trying to pair with a device. In that case, deleting the config files in ~/.config/kdeconnect might help.

The devices suddenly stop communicating⚓︎

If both devices are on the network and the firewall is properly configured but no notifications are being displayed one or the other may device have fallen asleep. Likely the service stopped or was suspended on the mobile device.

Open the KDE Connect settings on either device and ping the opposite or select Refresh to force connection.

Learning more⚓︎

References⚓︎

Last update: 2022-06-14