Novell To Release Ximian Connector Under GPL 497
ashmodai9 writes "According to this article on LinuxToday.com as well as this press release directly from their site, Novell announced that its "Connector for MS Exchange Server would be integrated into Evolution 2.0 and made available as open source, beginning today with the current Connector 1.4." Apparently, downloads will be available for the current version of Evolution starting May 14th."
Thanks to reader crafterm, a snippet from Novell's Connector website: "With the Connector for Microsoft Exchange installed, Evolution functions as an Exchange client, enabling users to become full participants in company-wide group scheduling and other collaborative tasks. Linux and Solaris users can access public folders, Global Address Lists, email, calendar, task lists, and group scheduling information." Update: 05/11 17:58 GMT by T :
In related news, ChiralSoftware writes "Codeweavers' long-awaited sequel to Crossover 2.1 is here. Just like the old version, the new version lets you install MS Office on Linux desktops. The new version adds support for Outlook XP, Lotus Notes and Microsoft Project."
Don't wait until the 14th. (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Novell owns Evolution?? (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Novell owns Evolution?? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Novell owns Evolution?? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Excellent news for the FOSS community! (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Novell owns Evolution?? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:That's great news! (Score:5, Informative)
Re:That's great news! (Score:2, Informative)
Cached Mode? (Score:4, Informative)
One is cached mode - no more online/offline dicking around - it really works *well*. I have not had any screwy problems as of yet. (Basically Outlook caches your email - a seamless synchronization of your folders and it automatically detects a connected state)
The other thing is the RPC over HTTP - so I can get full exchange functionality over the internet, just as if I was using IMAP or POP standards, but with the full exchange server deal: contacts, calendars etc. It's really been handy - no opening VPN connections or using webmail to check my work mail on my laptop.
Are these two features available with Novell's solution? Even if they aren't I'm sure they will be. And having the option is great for the future even though, we are on the MS road for the time being. But for now, Exchange 2003 has worked very well, certainly better than our Linux pilot (Debian/FetchMail/Exim etc. with Thunderbird) - but our Linux pilot was kneecapped by having to operate in a mixed environment (which these new connectors would fix), and obviously going with Exchange cost us a whole lot more money! (Like $20K or thereabouts instead of free - consulting and hardware fees would've been required in both cases - and the Linux consulting was a lot cheaper believe it or not)
Re:Macs. (Score:4, Informative)
To complete it, just build yourself a Connector package.
It's been tested internally at Ximian and Novell in the past, although it was determined it wouldn't be worthwhile to release it as a product. But now that it's free, you can do it.
a.
Re:I wonder what MS will think of this (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Wonderful, wonderful - alll we need is a server (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Macs. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Wonderful, wonderful - alll we need is a server (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Lotus/Domino? (Score:1, Informative)
The big issue is that someone has to be bothered to write the stuff, but (unlike with Exchange 'MAPI' RPC) the tech & documentation is there.
Re:Good for KDE folks, too (Score:5, Informative)
From the KDE 3.3 Release Plan [kde.org]:
Redesign filters to use Sieve internally. Allow editing of Sieve scripts on IMAP servers to get rid of the bug reports a la "KMail doesn't support IMAP folders for fitering"
Check Out OpenGroupWare (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Novell owns Evolution?? (Score:4, Informative)
Novell Buys Ximian [slashdot.org]
And later Novell buys SuSe [slashdot.org]
So obviously, since Evolution is a product by ximian, it is now owned by Novell
Re:One more step, a Win32 port of Evolution (Score:5, Informative)
I imaging the reference to WIMP is the WIMP-GTK [sourceforge.net] theme for GTK-on-Windows that mirrors the look of Windows.
This is how Gaim [sourceforge.net] handles their Windows "port" (thought I don't think "port" is really the rigtht word.
Novell buys Linux software maker Ximian (Score:1, Informative)
http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0804ximian.ht
http://www.sltrib.com/2004/Apr/04172004/busine
CrossOver Office 3.0 now supports Notes 6.5.1 (Score:5, Informative)
CodeWeaver is happy to announce that today we have shipped version 3.0 of CrossOver Office.
We've added new, official, support for Outlook XP, Microsoft Project, and Notes 6.5.1. Unofficially, we're excited by users comments that far more applications are working now. These include programs like Framemaker and Microsoft Money. You can see the full list of changes here:
http://www.codeweavers.com/site/products/cxoffice
Further, this version marks some fairly ubstantial changes in our CrossOver Product line. First, we have merged the CrossOver Plugin product into the CrossOver Office product offering, so now all non server versions of CrossOver automatically provide
the Plugin functionality.
Re:Paging Steve Jobs! (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Indeed: havoc in redmond (Score:5, Informative)
Ximian Connector has been listed on Microsoft's website for a long time as a partner product, so they have no reason be suprised. Connector uses APIs which MS built in for the explicit purpose of interoperatbility.
Be clear on one thing (bolded for emphisis): In order to use Ximian Connector, you need to buy an Exchange CAL and a Windows CAL.
MS gets paid whether you are using Outlook or not -- in fact they get paid more because Unix cilents aren't using a free IMAP server or something.
Re:Indeed: havoc in redmond (Score:3, Informative)
AFAIK Mozilla only works with Exchange Server via IMAP. Many companies turn off IMAP/POP3 on their servers. The only way to grab your mail is to use outlook or a connector.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, I'll load up mozilla now and try it.
Re:Wonderful, wonderful - alll we need is a server (Score:3, Informative)
They would both be nice choices -- Miguel is largely responsible for Mono, however. So, you might say he is biased
Miguel on Mono [ondotnet.com]
Re:Paging Steve Jobs! (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Wonderful, wonderful - alll we need is a server (Score:3, Informative)
Now, if only we had something affordable that could do that on the Linux server side, with clients on Linux, Windows and Mac platforms...and no, webmail doesn't cut it...
I'm not so sure webmail doesn't cut it. I recently rolled out a web based groupware server based on qmail/vpopmail/phpgroupware and the users couldn't be happier. They do everything they used to do on Exchange and I freed up a sizable chunk of IT's budget by no longer needing Win2k/2k3 Server license, Exchange license, and CALs. That adds up.
I installed Mozilla Firebird on the Ghost build host and have the browser start with all the pages they need in tabs. Aside from some Oracle and AS/400 users, most never have to leave the browser to do their work.
Web applications are great in an enterprise environment, they free up a bunch of my time so I can do useful things like post on slashdot ;)
Re:thunderbird? (Score:3, Informative)
Now can Thunderbird provide a hook so that you could personally set up some module someone else writes to integrate with Exchange? There I have to think it's an easy yes. As long as Thunderbird doesn't incorporate GPL code and just provides standardized hooks, you could add a GPL module that does the trick. Alternately, someone could write an "Exchange to POP3 converter" like Hotmail Popper and other similar projects.
And certainly there's nothing keeping you from forking Thunderbird into a GPL project that I know of, but I don't think your fork, Exchange or not, would be the dominate one.
Re:Don't wait until the 14th. (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Don't wait until the 14th. (Score:1, Informative)
And yes, corporations that have Microsoft server infrastructure (like Exchange) do pay this.
Re:Great -- but not fantastic -- news (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Excellent news for the FOSS community! (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Bynari Insight Server (Score:3, Informative)
We use some of the features, but not all of them. I've got no complaints. Remember, what you're really buying is the connector component which translates the Outlook info into "regular" mail that can be stored in Cyrus IMAP -- everything else is open source.
Their version-in-the-works will integrate Spamassassin and ClamAV too. Hopefully they'll have the hooks for other AV products as well.
Re:Exchange Server alternatives or better options? (Score:2, Informative)
CrossOver 3.0 Supports Visio XP.... I know.. I'm running it..
Re:Why won't you support Linux companies? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Excellent news for the FOSS community! (Score:4, Informative)
Re:No Open Source equivalent? (Score:3, Informative)
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the Evolution connector uses WebDAV (i.e. HTTP) to connect through Outlook Web Access. It doesn't speak the MAPI protocol that Outlook itself uses to connect to Exchange. If you can't use the webmail internally, the connector won't work either...
Re:Yast open sourced and now Ximian Connector? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Don't wait until the 14th. (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Great -- but not fantastic -- news (Score:3, Informative)
Care to point out an MS article that dictates otherwise?
OpenGroupware is now an Exchange killer! (Score:3, Informative)
This is great news for OpenGroupware [opengroupware.org]. It's a full featured calendar, email and groupware server.
Previously, the only end to end open source solution you could set up with OpenGroupware was using Mozilla Calendar, another iCalendar app, or by using the built in web client. The Mozilla/iCalendar support is good, but "provides little "groupware" functionality and the support for it is to be consider experimental" [opengroupware.org].
There are plugins for Outlook and Evolution, but they were both not open source. It was actually pretty funny, an open source server, an open source client (evolution), and a closed source, very expensive connector to get the two to talk to each other! Look for "Ximian Connector" in their FAQ:
http://www.opengroupware.org/en/users/faq [opengroupware.org]
OpenGroupware will not be able to use this Evolution connector directly, but since it is open source, it will be adapted for this purpose. Helge Hess the main developer for OpenGroupware has said as much [opengroupware.org].
Re:Doesn't Mozilla do this? (Score:1, Informative)
What the Connector does is allow Evolution to access the Exchange Calendar/Addressbook/Mailboxes via the WebDAV protocol (the calendar/addressbook data is not accessable from Mozilla over IMAP).
Fedora != Red Hat (Score:1, Informative)
So yes, the mindshare is gone.
Re:What's the difference? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Opposite Problem (Score:2, Informative)
You may also try the java desktop system with crossover or wine to run the propriatary programs...