Qt Plugins external folder?

[SGaist]

To check the why, you should start Qt Creator from the command line so you can set the QT_DEBUG_PLUGINS environment variable and see what happens.

[davecotter]

it's a bug. i've tried literally every possible approach. shows no errors, just won't load. i've even tried symlink directly from inside the app bundle but nope. the only way to get the plugin to load is to directly install it inside the app bundle (or launch qt creator with a script that passes in my plugins directory, even if it is identical directory to what is in the qt.conf file)

[cristian-adam]

@davecotter Here is how I develop my Qt Creator plugins. Currently doing https://github.com/cristianadam/llama.qtcreator/

A "+" kit with the path to the Qt Creator with plugins dev support

I have a Kit with an updated CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH:

-DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH:FILEPATH=%{Qt:QT_INSTALL_PREFIX};/Users/cristian/Applications/Qt Creator 17.0.1/Qt Creator.app/Contents/Resources

A custom executable pointing to Qt Creator

Executable: %{IDE:Executable:FilePath}
Command line arguments: -pluginpath %{buildDir}

This way I can start Qt Creator with my plugin. I can debug my plugin ... etc.

[cristian-adam]

For the first point on macOS you need to use the "installer" https://download.qt.io/official_releases/qtcreator/17.0/17.0.1/qt-creator-opensource-mac-x86_64-17.0.1_installer.dmg

This is how I've installed the Qt Creator SDK for developing plugins.

[davecotter]

@cristian-adam thanks for that but the point is i want to be able to just "double click" the regular "Qt Creator" app, and have it auto-load my plugin. without having to launch on the command line and pass the path, without having to launch a script that launches the app with the path, and certainly without having to launch Qt Creator to launch Qt Creator.

[cristian-adam]

@davecotter The plugins are located in these directories (for manual installation / deletion):

macOS: ~/Library/Application\ Support/QtProject/Qt\ Creator/plugins/17.0.1
Linux: ~/.local/share/data/QtProject/qtcreator/plugins/17.0.1
Windows: %localappdata%\QtProject\QtCreator\plugins\17.0.1

[davecotter]

Test Results Summary:
✅ Test 1: Explicit -pluginpath
Path: /Users/davec/Library/Application Support/QtProject/qtcreator/plugins
RESULT: SUCCESS - Plugin loaded and MCP server responding

❌ Test 2: Default plugin locations
No -pluginpath argument
RESULT: FAILURE - Plugin not loaded, MCP server not responding

❌ Test 3: Qt Creator 17.0.1 specific path
Path: ~/Library/Application Support/QtProject/Qt Creator/plugins/17.0.1
RESULT: FAILURE - Plugin not loaded, MCP server not responding

❌ Test 4: Symlink inside app bundle
RESULT: FAILURE - Plugin not loaded
Method: Symlink from "/Users/davec/Developer/Qt/Qt Creator.app/Contents/PlugIns/external" to plugin directory

✅ Test 5: SUCCESS: Plugin in qtcreator directory
Location: /Users/davec/Developer/Qt/Qt Creator.app/Contents/PlugIns/qtcreator/
RESULT: Plugin loaded successfully!

[cristian-adam]

@davecotter I have this plugin loaded:

/Users/cristian/Library/Application\ Support/QtProject/Qt\ Creator/plugins/17.0.1/ggml.llamacpp/Qt\ Creator.app/Contents/PlugIns/qtcreator/libLlamaCpp.dylib 

Qt Creator does log the plugin paths it looks into, when enabling logging:

QT_LOGGING_RULES=qtc.extensionsystem*=true ./Qt\ Creator

I've got:

qtc.extensionsystem: Plugin search paths: QList("/Users/cristian/Applications/Qt Creator 17.0.1/Qt Creator.app/Contents/PlugIns/qtcreator", "/Users/cristian/Applications/Qt Creator 17.0.1/Qt Creator.app/Contents/Resources/lua-plugins", "/Users/cristian/.config/QtProject/qtcreator/lua-plugins", "/Users/cristian/Library/Application Support/QtProject/Qt Creator/plugins/17.0.1", "/Users/cristian/Library/Application Support/QtProject/Qt Creator/plugins/17.0.0")

[davecotter]

i have this:

qtc.extensionsystem: Plugin search paths: QList(
    "/Users/davec/Developer/Qt/Qt Creator.app/Contents/PlugIns/qtcreator", 
    "/Users/davec/Developer/Qt/Qt Creator.app/Contents/Resources/lua-plugins", 
    "/Users/davec/Developer/Qt/Tools/QtCreator 17.0.1/PlugIns", 
    "/Users/davec/.config/QtProject/qtcreator/lua-plugins", 
    "/Users/davec/Library/Application Support/QtProject/Qt Creator/plugins/17.0.1", 
    "/Users/davec/Library/Application Support/QtProject/Qt Creator/plugins/17.0.0"
)

and yet:

❌ Test 3: Qt Creator 17.0.1 specific path
Path: ~/Library/Application Support/QtProject/Qt Creator/plugins/17.0.1
RESULT: FAILURE - Plugin not loaded, MCP server not responding

[davecotter]

okay so i think this is a bug