Offline Mode (Electron Wrapper)

[ChinmayVS]

offline-mode-demo.mp4

Closes #4409

How To test :

npm i
npm start

Demo:

[ChinmayVS]

@walterbender @pikurasa I want you to explore this idea of mine. Locally running Music Blocks as a desktop application. Allows the users to install through Microsoft Store and Linux Snap store being one the future implication.

[omsuneri]

@ChinmayVS i have a question that do we still can launch the web app locally on browser or not ??
again if yes then i think it need to be dicussed but if no then we should not do that as directly migrating from the webapp to the local app is difficult in many terms as from users' perspective
more discussion is needed before this..

[ChinmayVS]

Hey @omsuneri if I'm understanding you right, you can run the desktop app from npm start and the local browser development stays as usual (launch from index.html or python script or docker). We should totally have discussions on this and implications next steps. Consider this to be an addition of offline mode so it can reach more users.

[omsuneri]

@ChinmayVS I m curious about knowing how this would be beneficial as I feel web app more comfortable from a children's perspective also if it resolves the performance issue like reducing loading and import export time then we can think of it

[Commanderk3]

@ChinmayVS I suspected we could save or download MB, and my assumption was true. Have a look at this video :->

mb.mp4

[ChinmayVS]

@ChinmayVS I m curious about knowing how this would be beneficial as I feel web app more comfortable from a children's perspective also if it resolves the performance issue like reducing loading and import export time then we can think of it

Hey I completely hear you, but I think the point I'm pushing here is quite different from abandoning the web app. The idea is to be seen as an addition where the user gets the opportunity to make projects even without internet services.

[pikurasa]

I'm not quite sure where this is going, but please be aware of https://github.com/ukkari/musicblocks-electron and MB in the Google Play store, as well as MB in flatpak

[ChinmayVS]

I'm not quite sure where this is going, but please be aware of https://github.com/ukkari/musicblocks-electron and MB in the Google Play store, as well as MB in flatpak

Hey, I wasn't aware of this. However after setting up the repository locally, I figured out that it does not work, maybe as it points to commit which was made 6 years ago, also other dependencies and lockfile are outdated as well as the project is not maintained.

By adding the electron wrapper in the main repository:

• The desktop application will always point to the latest commit/work with the latest release
• No need to maintain a different repository (no need to care about things getting outdated)

I'm aware about the app on play store and flatpak release , however it would also be a good idea to bundle it as a snap as it is used more in linux based os, and bundle it as a Windows version (.exe) and macOS version (.dmg)

This would help increase the project use in offline use-cases and make it available on every OS. Hence,
reaching more people

[arjunjayan999]

I'm not quite sure where this is going, but please be aware of https://github.com/ukkari/musicblocks-electron and MB in the Google Play store, as well as MB in flatpak

@pikurasa I was checking the android version out, and it isn't updated for the newer android versions.

I used the link in the README.md, does it need to be updated?

[pikurasa]

I used the link in the README.md, does it need to be updated?

You are looking at the right spot. I've asked @fakela for assistance.

[pikurasa]

By adding the electron wrapper in the main repository:

Sure.

I was sending the link so you had additional context. That was for an offline version that was requested by the Japanese government when we were working for them.