indicator-datetime starting ringing almost immediately if timer is set in current minute

[Bartosz Kosiorek]

indicator-datetime doesn't check seconds for alarms.

Reproduce scenario
1. Let's say we have time: 22:00:20
2. If I set Alarm for 22:00:10, then alarm rings immedietely, which is ok.
3. Unfortunately when I set Alarm to 22:00:50, it will also start ringing immedietely

Currently:
4. Alarm is ringing immediately (22:00:20)

Expected:
4. Alarm is ringing after 30 seconds 22:00:50

It is an blocker for Timer implementation in Clock app:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-clock-app/+bug/1427566

Old description:
Steps to reproduce:
1. Install Timer: https://uappexplorer.com/app/timer.mivoligo
2. Set timer to 15 seconds in current minute
3. Start timer

Currently:
4. Alarm is ringing immediately if it is set in current minute

Expected:
4. Alarm is ringing after 15 seconds

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

I analyzed this issuevand the ics file is correct. So it is indicator-datetime bug.

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Investigation could be started from:

./src/wakeup-timer-mainloop.cpp: void set_wakeup_time(const DateTime& d)
and also:
./src/alarm-queue-simple.cpp: m_triggered.insert(std::make_pair(appointment.uid, alarm->time));

[Michael Zanetti (mzanetti)]

To be clear, it's not "less than 60 seconds". As the duplicate of this report correctly states, this happens if the alarm is scheduled within the current minute.

[Pat McGowan (pat-mcgowan)]

Is the alarm api appropriate to support timers? or just all we have atm

[Michael Zanetti (mzanetti)]

It's all we have atm. I could imagine it as a timer api but it would probably require better precision (it's off up to 5 seconds in some cases atm) and some other fixes (like calling back the originating app on clicking the notification, instead of the clock app). Also it has the side effect that such timers will show up as alarms in the datetime indicator and iirc the clock app. Both of them are probably questions for design. On the other hand, a proper timer api could offer better features I think. Depends if we want to allow, e.g. focusing/resuming the app when the timer is due so other things could be done instead of just ringing a notification.

[Pat McGowan (pat-mcgowan)]

@michael yeah so all of that make using the alarm api for this seem like the wrong approach, and we should provide a proper timer api.

For example see http://developer.android.com/reference/android/os/CountDownTimer.html
or perhaps
https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/Foundation/Classes/NSTimer_Class/
or in the meantime uses Qt timers
http://doc.qt.io/qt-4.8/timers.html

I would think to start requiring the app in the foreground is ok for the timer use case, but yeah would like something fancier

The bug should still be fixed.

[Pat McGowan (pat-mcgowan)]

Opened bug #1583639 for a real API