How to start a foreground service in Qt6 ?

[Ivelin]

Hello,

I am well aware how to start a background service in Qt6 since it is fine written in the official documentation, but how do you do that with a foreground service? I have found no information about that in Qt6 anywhere!

Here's a simple example for implementing a background service:

BootService.java

package tech.secureme.services;

import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import org.qtproject.qt.android.bindings.QtService;
import android.content.Intent;

public class BootService extends QtService {

    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();
    }

    @Override
    public void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();
    }

    @Override
    public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
        int ret = super.onStartCommand(intent, flags, startId);

        return START_STICKY;
    }

    public static void serviceStart(android.content.Context context) {
        android.content.Intent pQtAndroidService = new android.content.Intent(context, BootService.class);
        pQtAndroidService.addFlags(android.content.Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
        context.startService(pQtAndroidService);
    }

    public static void serviceStop(android.content.Context context) {
        android.content.Intent pQtAndroidService = new android.content.Intent(context, BootService.class);
        context.stopService(pQtAndroidService);
    }
z
}

BootService.h

#ifndef BOOT_SERVICE_H
#define BOOT_SERVICE_H

#include <QtCore/QObject>
class BootService : public QObject
{
private:
    BootService();
    ~BootService();
    static BootService *instance;

public:
    void start_service();

    static BootService *getInstance();
};

#endif // BOOT_SERVICE_H

BootService.cpp

#include "BootService.h"
#include <QtCore/private/qandroidextras_p.h>

BootService *BootService::instance = nullptr;

BootService::BootService() {}

BootService::~BootService() {}

BootService *BootService::getInstance() {
    if (instance == nullptr)
        instance = new BootService();
    return instance;
}

void BootService::start_service() {
    QJniObject::callStaticMethod<void>("tech.secureme.services.BootService",
                                       "serviceStart",
                                       "(Landroid/content/Context;)V",
                                       QNativeInterface::QAndroidApplication::context());
}

main.cpp

#include <QGuiApplication>
#include "services/BootService.h"
#include <QtCore/private/qandroidextras_p.h>
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{

#if defined(Q_OS_ANDROID)
    for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++)
    {
        if (argv[i])
        {
            if (QString::fromLocal8Bit(argv[i]) == "--service")
            {
                QAndroidService app(argc, argv);
                // do something
                return app.exec();
            }
        }
    }
#endif
    QGuiApplication app(argc, argv, true);

#if defined(Q_OS_ANDROID)

    BootService::getInstance()->start_service();
#endif

    return app.exec();
}

AndroidManifest.xml

... unnecessary code to show
        <service android:process=":qt_service" android:name=".services.BootService">
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.lib_name"
                android:value="-- %%INSERT_APP_LIB_NAME%% --" />
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.arguments" android:value="--service" />
            <meta-data android:name="android.app.background_running" android:value="true" />
        </service>

But how do I turn this into a foreground service ? Could someone please explain me ?

[leekh9047]

@Ivelin Hey any luck with foreground service? I
am trying to do this too but no doc/reference

[EyeOhTee]

@Ivelin @leekh9047 Any luck with this?
I'm struggling with getting the background service to run in a separate process. When I run in the same process, it crashes. Ultimately I'd like to make the service a foreground service that owns a reference to my backend.