Open RMBT Desktop

Requirements

The project requires Node.js v18 or later.

Simple setup

Install packages by running npm i or yarn install in the root folder and in the src/ui folder. Rename .env.example file into .env (look into the Configuration section of this document for details). Language support can be updated at src/assets/rtr/src/transloco.config.ts. In case of reinstalls, use npm install --no-package-lock.

Compilation and running

To download translations from the Crowdin API run

$ npm run prepare:translations

To run a measurement from the command line use (for development purposes only)

$ npm run start:cli

To launch the app in the dev mode use

$ npm run start:all

To build the app in the prod mode without launching it use

$ npm run package

The app will be placed in the out folder at the root of the project.

Distribution

macOS

Requires macOS Ventura or later, XCode 12.2.0 or later.

1. Newly create and download Distribution, Mac Installer Distribution, and Developer ID certificates from https://developer.apple.com/account/resources/certificates/list (more info at https://developer.apple.com/help/account/create-certificates/create-developer-id-certificates/), then install them in your Mac's default keychain. You may have to restart the system to apply the changes.
2. Put the name of the installed certificates into the .env file as APPLE_CODESIGN_IDENTITY,APPLE_INSTALLER_IDENTITY, and APPLE_STANDALONE_CODESIGN_IDENTITY respectively.
3. Create and donwload a distribution provisioning profile from https://developer.apple.com/account/resources/profiles/list and put it into the src/assets/<FLAVOR> folder as RMBTDesktop_Distribution_Profile.provisionprofile.
4. Set up the .env file with your APPLE_ID, APPLE_PASSWORD, and APPLE_TEAM_ID. See https://www.electronforge.io/guides/code-signing/code-signing-macos#option-1-using-an-app-specific-password for details.
5. Make sure that all files have 644 or 744 permissions set.
6. Remove the out folder, if exists, then build the distributable with

$ npm run make:app-store

to get a *.pkg file for App Store, or with

$ npm run make:macos

to get a *.dmg file for standalone distribution (e.g. via GitHub Releases).

In both cases, a *.pkg and a *.dmg will be placed in the out/make folder at the root of the project.

Provide --nosign option to the commands above, if you don't want the builder to go through the signing procedure, like this:

$ npm run make:macos -- --nosign

7. To upload the *.pkg file to AppStore use Transporter: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/transporter/id1450874784.

Note: by default macOS overwrites already installed packages, so, if you want to see the app in the menu and in the Applications folder on your dev machine, make sure to remove RMBTDesktop.app from anywhere else, including the out folder, before installing the *.pkg

Windows

Requires Windows 10 or later.

1. Configure, if needed, @electron-forge/maker-squirrel options of src/assets/<FLAVOR>/forge.config.js.
2. Build the distributable with

$ npm run make:windows

A setup *.exe will be placed in the out/make folder at the root of the project.

Linux

To build a *.deb package, you will need a Linux or a macOS machine with fakeroot and dpkg installed. Run:

$ npm run make:deb

To buila a *.rpm package, you will need a Linux machine with rpm and rpm-build installed. Run:

$ npm run make:rpm

Both deb and rpm packages will be placed in the out/make folder at the root of the project. RPMs built on macOS are not valid and can be discarded.

Updating

To enable auto-updates from Github releases, put the GITHUB_API_URL and GITHUB_TOKEN in the .env file.

Configuration

The project contains a .env.example file. You can use it as an example to configure the variables needed to successfully run a measurement. The path to your custom .env file can be passed through an environment variable RMBT_DESKTOP_DOTENV_CONFIG_PATH. Otherwise the client will read the variables from a .env file in the root of the project, if such exists.

Required variables

Variable	Description
CONTROL_SERVER_URL	A complete URL of an RMBT-compatible control server, including protocol, host, and port if needed.
SETTINGS_PATH	A control server endpoint starting with /, which is used to receive a measurement's settings including a unique id of the client.
MESUREMENT_REGISTRATION_PATH	A control server endpoint starting with /, which is used to register a measurement on the control server.
RESULT_SUBMISSION_PATH	A control server endpoint starting with /, which is used to submit results of a measurement to the control server.
HISTORY_PATH	A control server endpoint starting with /, from which we can receive a history of measurement results by the client's uuid.
HISTORY_RESULT_PATH	A control server endpoint starting with /, from which we can receive a saved measurement result by its test_uuid.
HISTORY_RESULT_PATH_METHOD	An HTTP method used to receive the result from the HISTORY_RESULT_PATH endpoint, either GET (when using the app with Specure servers) or POST (when using the app with RTR servers).
HISTORY_RESULT_STATS_PATH	A control server endpoint starting with /, from which we can receive the measurement result speed charts by its open_test_uuid. Required when using the app with RTR servers, otherwise optional.
HISTORY_RESULT_DETAILS_PATH	A control server endpoint starting with /, from which we can receive the measurement result details by its open_test_uuid. Required when using the app with RTR servers, otherwise optional.
HISTORY_EXPORT_URL	A URL used to export history as a PDF file. Once the file is downloaded, a dialog will be shown for the user to pick the folder where to save it.
HISTORY_SEARCH_URL	A URL used to export history as a CSV or XSLX file. Once the file is downloaded, a dialog will be shown for the user to pick the folder where to save it.
FULL_HISTORY_RESULT_URL	A full URL, without test_uuid, of a webpage, which contains a detailed measurement result.
FULL_STATISTICS_URL	A full URL of a webpage to be shown in an iframe on the Statistics screen.
FULL_MAP_URL	A full URL of a webpage to be shown in an iframe on the Map screen.
OPEN_HISTORY_RESUlT_URL	A full URL, without open_test_uuid, of a webpage, which contains an open measurement result for sharing.
FLAVOR	rtr or ont, determines the type of UI used for the Electron app. Defaults to rtr if not set.
ASSETS_FOLDER	A path to a folder that contains flavor specific files, such as icons and styles.

Optional variables

Variable	Description
HISTORY_RESULTS_LIMIT	An amount of history entries to load at a time (i.e. page size). If omitted, all the available entries will be shown to the user at once.
MEASUREMENT_SERVERS_PATH	A control server endpoint starting with / which returns a list of measurement servers from which the client will try to pick one to run a measurement against.
LOG_TO_CONSOLE	If set to true will output the client's logs to the stdout and stderr.
LOG_TO_FILE	If set to true will output the client's logs to a file in the log folder in the root of the project.
LOG_WORKERS	If set to true will output the client's worker's logs to files in the log folder in the root of the project. If set to another value or ommitted, only the main thread's output will be logged.
LOG_CPU_USAGE	If set to true will output the CPU usage in percent once a second during the measurement and submit it to the control server as well.
SSL_KEY_PATH and SSL_CERT_PATH	Paths to SSL key and certificate files, which should be used by the client to establish a secure connection to a measurement server.
PLATFORM_CLI	A short string to differentiate the CLI client from the Electron app on the BE.
CMS_URL	A CMS instance to use for the ont flavor.
ALLOWED_INACTIVITY_MS	Configures a period of inactivity allowed, in milliseconds, before the measurement is terminated. Default is 10 seconds.
ENABLE_LOOP_MODE	If set to true will enable rudimentary loop mode (cururently supported only by the electron GUI).
CROWDIN_PROJECT_URL	The translations' project in Crowdin. See .env.example on how to use. The avaialable languages can be configured in src/assets/<FLAVOR>/src/transloco.config.ts. The matching translation files should be present in src/ui/src/assets/i18n.
CROWDIN_API_TOKEN	More information at https://crowdin.com/project/open-rmbt-desktop/tools/api.
CROWDIN_UPDATE_AT_RUNTIME	If set to true, will try to download translations via the Crowdin API when user launches the app.
NEWS_PATH	A control server endpoint starting with / which returns a list of news available for the platform.
ENABLE_LANGUAGE_SWITCH	If set to true, will allow changing the app language from the settings.
APPLE_CODESIGN_IDENTITY	The name of the Distribution Certificate installed in your default Keychain.
APPLE_INSTALLER_IDENTITY	The name of the Mac Installer Distribution Certificate installed in your default Keychain.
APPLE_STANDALONE_CODESIGN_IDENTITY	The name of the Developer ID Certificate installed in your default Keychain. It is used in the same way as APPLE_CODESIGN_IDENTITY but for standalone distribution as \*.dmg files (not via App Store).
APPLE_ID	Apple ID associated with your Apple Developer account.
APPLE_PASSWORD	App-specific password. See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204397 for details.
APPLE_TEAM_ID	The Apple Team ID you want to notarize under. You can find Team IDs for team you belong to by going to https://developer.apple.com/account/#/membership.
WINDOWS_CERT_PATH	Full path to your certificate.pfx
GITHUB_API_URL	https://api.github.com/repos//, is used to check for new releases.
GITHUB_TOKEN	Github API token.
LOOP_MODE_MIN_INTERVAL	Minimal allowed interval between tests in the loop mode, in minutes.
LOOP_MODE_MAX_INTERVAL	Maximal allowed interval between tests in the loop mode, in minutes.
LOOP_MODE_DEFAULT_INTERVAL	Interval between tests in the loop mode, in minutes, suggested by default.
LOOP_MODE_MAX_DURATION	Maximal allowed duration of the loop mode tests, in minutes.
CPU_WARNING_PERCENT	Threshold of the CPU usage in percent, after which a warning is shown to the user during a test. Requires LOG_CPU_USAGE to be set to work.
ENABLE_HOME_SCREEN_JITTER_BOX	Enable the box on the home screen, that shows current ping, packet loss and jitter.
PACK_NAME	NPM name of the package.
PACK_PRODUCT_NAME	Human readable name of the package.
PACK_DESCRIPTION	Description of the package.
PACK_AUTHOR	Author of the package.
CHECK_IP_INTERVAL_MS	Interval for checking the IPv4/v6 addresses, in miliseconds (default: 10000, off: 0).