Bug 490711

Summary:	Improve usability of Kio slaves based tools.
Product:	[Applications] digikam	Reporter:	Christoph Thielecke <crissi99>
Component:	Plugin-WebService-FileTransfer	Assignee:	Digikam Developers <digikam-bugs-null>
Status:	RESOLVED FIXED
Severity:	wishlist	CC:	caulier.gilles, metzpinguin
Priority:	NOR
Version First Reported In:	8.2.0
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Ubuntu
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:	https://invent.kde.org/graphics/digikam/-/commit/ee888b2b894965240b6aa0dd8364a3fc895e9e40	Version Fixed/Implemented In:	8.9.0
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Christoph Thielecke 2024-07-23 15:31:05 UTC

Digikam can only access to local file systems.
KDE offers a common interface to various places without needing administrator privileges:
- ftp:/	Using FTP protocol
- fish:/	Using SSH protocol
- sftp:/	Using FTP over SSH
- smb:/	Using Windows networks
- network:/	Network browser
- webdav:/      Using WebDAV protocol
- ...

Adding a plugin make the use possible would make KDE users life easier.

Please make the access using kio possible.

Comment 1 caulier.gilles 2024-07-23 17:42:57 UTC

The plugin already exists. It's Tools/Export to remote Storage.

https://i.imgur.com/X04F75N.png

https://docs.digikam.org/en/export_tools/remote_export.html

Best 

Gilles Caulier

Comment 2 Christoph Thielecke 2024-07-24 08:48:45 UTC

I gave a closer look on that.
Unlikely, it has several problems:
- it's not user friendly by default. The user can't browse using kio unless he has to set manually "Use system file dialogs" at Preferences/Misc/Appearance section of the configuration panel).
- For import it does not work.
- It does not work as storage folder.

Comment 3 Maik Qualmann 2024-07-24 09:40:13 UTC

It is not possible to manage a collection via KIO. Our metadata tools Exiv2 and ExifTool can only access local files. We can talk about an extension for the import tool to access KIO resources.

One more word about portability. It would be a KDE (native) only story, attempts to use the complete KIO in Windows, macOS or even in the AppImage failed due to dependencies.

Maik

Comment 4 caulier.gilles 2024-07-24 10:41:17 UTC

So, as Maik said, due to Exiftool and Exiv2 supports only local file, KIO extensions needs to be written and it's out of topic with digiKam.

We have a weird experience with KIO in the past (10/15 years ago), and we drop KIO support from digiKam core. We will not go back in this direction at all.

About the plugin usability, sure it can be improved... All contributions are welcome.

Gilles Caulier

Comment 5 caulier.gilles 2025-11-06 18:18:54 UTC

Git commit ee888b2b894965240b6aa0dd8364a3fc895e9e40 by Gilles Caulier.
Committed on 06/11/2025 at 18:11.
Pushed by cgilles into branch 'master'.

Import from remote storage: as Export to remote storage, use KUrlComboRequester to edit place and protocol to configure the source url.
Read and save urls history form config file.
Improve usabilty of import and export with KIO Slave tools.
FIXED-IN: 8.9.0

M  +1    -1    core/dplugins/generic/webservices/filetransfer/ftexportwindow.h
M  +101  -34   core/dplugins/generic/webservices/filetransfer/ftimportwidget.cpp
M  +18   -0    core/dplugins/generic/webservices/filetransfer/ftimportwidget.h
M  +42   -0    core/dplugins/generic/webservices/filetransfer/ftimportwindow.cpp
M  +17   -0    core/dplugins/generic/webservices/filetransfer/ftimportwindow.h

https://invent.kde.org/graphics/digikam/-/commit/ee888b2b894965240b6aa0dd8364a3fc895e9e40