Bug 490926

Summary: MacOS: Language servers don't start, due to no PATH definition in GUI
Product: [Applications] kate Reporter: Lassi Väätämöinen <lassi.vaatamoinen>
Component: generalAssignee: Waqar Ahmed <w.ahmed23>
Status: ASSIGNED ---    
Severity: normal CC: christoph, waqar.17a
Priority: NOR    
Version: Git   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: macOS (DMG)   
OS: macOS   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Lassi Väätämöinen 2024-07-28 14:05:08 UTC 
SUMMARY
When starting from the GUI in MacOS, Language servers cannot be started, since Kate cannot find them in PATH

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1.  Install bash-language-server via Homebrew
2.  Open Kate from MacOS panel or via Finder
3. Browse to a Bash script file to start language server

OBSERVED RESULT
 "Failed to find server binary: bash-language-server. Please check your PATH for the binary."

EXPECTED RESULT
bash-anguage-server would be started

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Kate:  24.11.70 / Nightly build: kate-master-7636-macos-clang-x86_64.dmg
macOS: Ventura 13.6.7
Qt Version: 6.7.1
KDE Frameworks: 6.4.0

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
/etc/paths: contains /usr/local/bin, so it is added to PATH in Bash shell.
When starting from bash shell: '/Applications/kate.app/Contents/MacOS/kate', the Language Server also starts OK.

So this looks like a path setting issue and/or issue with starting other processes in macOS.

WORKAROUNDS TRIED (but not leading to solution):

1. I tried setting the path into .plist file in Kate.app via LSEnvironment, but that did not help, or I could not make it properly effective.

2. Also, I tried setting the application path in the LSP settings to the JSON "path" attribute of bash-language-server, but still the same error message appeared about not able to locate bash-language-server in PATH

3. When setting the full path '/usr/local/bin/bash-language-server' to the "command" field in the User Server settings, I get a bit forward: "env: node: No such file or directory". Node would be in /usr/local/bin/node , too. So now it seems to progress up to the bash-language-server, but it cannot find node from the PATH. (Same problem would probably happen with almost all other LSP servers.)

So the PATH should be somehow set to Kate.app , but I have not yet found a way.
Comment 1 Waqar Ahmed 2024-07-29 07:37:33 UTC 
Does something like this works: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/829749/launch-mac-eclipse-with-environment-variables-set ?
Comment 2 Lassi Väätämöinen 2024-07-29 08:55:02 UTC 
(In reply to Waqar Ahmed from comment #1)
> Does something like this works:
> https://stackoverflow.com/questions/829749/launch-mac-eclipse-with-
> environment-variables-set ?

I can check if there's something I haven't tried. Glancing quickly through, most of the comments are from 2009, so I am fairly certain those don't work.

I tried some *.plist magic from instructions that were written 2017...2022, and those did not work either. Apple has changed / broken / jailed more stuff since then, so we'd probably need actual Mac-expertise to help with this, maybe.
Comment 3 Christoph Cullmann 2024-07-29 11:58:08 UTC 
I think it might make sense to add some way in the Kate config dialog to add directories to the paths we use, an on macOS that is all a pain. Will not hurt on other systems, too.
Comment 4 Waqar Ahmed 2024-11-14 13:21:23 UTC 
@Lassi Väätämöinen can you test: https://invent.kde.org/utilities/kate/-/merge_requests/1621 ?
Comment 5 Lassi Väätämöinen 2024-11-14 13:30:00 UTC 
(In reply to Waqar Ahmed from comment #4)
> @Lassi Väätämöinen can you test:
> https://invent.kde.org/utilities/kate/-/merge_requests/1621 ?

I haven't been able to make MacOS builds happen. Is there some CI build that can be done?

I know we have nightly builds, but those are off 'master' branch, I guess?
Comment 6 Waqar Ahmed 2024-11-14 13:44:37 UTC 
It can be triggered manually on the MR. I just triggered them so hopefully new binaries will appear soon
Comment 7 Lassi Väätämöinen 2024-11-14 14:00:21 UTC 
Ok, nice. I hope I'll have time to try it tonight.
Comment 8 Lassi Väätämöinen 2024-11-14 17:35:47 UTC 
(In reply to Waqar Ahmed from comment #4)
> @Lassi Väätämöinen can you test:
> https://invent.kde.org/utilities/kate/-/merge_requests/1621 ?

Downloaded: https://invent.kde.org/utilities/kate/-/jobs/2286643

I was only able to start Kate off the command line. Starting from the GUI I only got a popup "kate is damaged and can't be opened. You should move it to Bin"

So with this build I cannot try to verify if the reported issue is fixed.
Comment 9 Christoph Cullmann 2024-11-14 19:27:14 UTC 
I triggered a new build, perhaps other stuff was damaged there.