[wplug] kontact

Mon Jun 20 15:29:40 EDT 2005

On Mon, 2005-06-20 at 15:09 -0400, Greg Simkins wrote:
> exchange4Linux has a price tag if you want to connect to XP boxes:

Most of them have some cost associated with connecting with outlook.
(The cheapest, IIRC is kolab where you can use a beta connector
(konsec.com) for free (unsupported), or a supported connector for
something like $15(tolltec.com) (US) a seat.  Other projects seem to be
following the same trend, using the money from the connector to fund
development. 

exchange4linux is the same, (you don't have to buy the 599 euro server
you mention, you just have to pay them for the connector AFAICT).

(There is at least one project working to create an open connector, but
it hasn't even released a beta yet.) 

For my needs we are willing to accept that if we can get a certain
number of clients off of exchange and onto an linux/unix-based solution.
Cost is a factor, but not the primary one.  

We inherited several clients that "need" outlook.  Especially the shared
calendar aspects.  We've explained that we are not an MS shop and that
switching backends would allow us to serve them more effectively.  They
are considering and we are trying to get them a reasonable quote.  [They
are completely unwilling to consider switching clients.]  So, as long as
we keep the price "reasonable" (ie about the same that they are paying
for exchange + win2k server licenses + our wasted time), they are
willing to look at this.

> 
>  exchange4linux server suite 3.0 ISO Image / CD for easy install of a ready 
> to run exchange4linux server. Webbased configuration and usermanagement. New 
> optional PDF-server. New SPAM-Filter features. New Debian OS. SWAP 
> Unterstützung (HTTPS), PDA-Sync. and much more. 1 server key 5 client keys 
> Order no.: 1560
> Price: 599.00 €
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Rob Knapp" <myddrin at myddrin.com>
> To: "General user list" <wplug at wplug.org>
> Sent: Monday, June 20, 2005 8:53 AM
> Subject: Re: [wplug] kontact
> 
> 
> > On Mon, 2005-06-20 at 08:22 -0400, Greg Simkins wrote:
> >> Do you have any idea how Kolab compares to the Open Exchange that was
> >> discussed at Ohio Linux last fall?  I see that Suse pushes their own paid
> >> version of Open Exchange, but there is a free fork, which I was 
> >> considering
> >> using.  Perhaps Kolab is better.
> >
> > I'm currently investigating that.  The open-xchange I looked at was java
> > based (www.open-xchange.org), and I've had issues getting that to build.
> >
> > I'm also looking at xchange4linux (www.exchange4linux.org) which is also
> > being touted as an exchange replacement.
> >
> > Once we get all of these working and can evaluate each, I'll drop a line
> > to the mailing list with a short review.
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message ----- 
> >> From: "Rob Knapp" <myddrin at myddrin.com>
> >> To: <wplug at wplug.org>
> >> Sent: Monday, June 20, 2005 7:46 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [wplug] kontact
> >>
> >>
> >> > On Sun, 2005-06-19 at 19:55 -0400, Michael H. Semcheski wrote:
> >> >> Hey Everybody,
> >> >>
> >> >> This weekend I got a new hard drive and installed FreeBSD from 
> >> >> scratch.
> >> >> From
> >> >> there, I did something I've never done before, for whatever reason.  I
> >> >> used
> >> >> kontact, and I have to say I was impressed.
> >> >
> >> > Kontact also has an "exchange replacement" server called Kolab that
> >> > interoperates with Outlook, and several other groupware suites. [It 
> >> > even
> >> > has a thunderbird extension that lets you share calendars with non-
> >> > mozilla users.]
> >> >
> >> > I've gotten it to build on debian (which I use at home), but not on
> >> > NetBSD, which I use for work.  (The build is very much geared towards
> >> > linux and freebsd.)
> >> >
> >> > At anyrate, for people looking for a cross-platform exchange
> >> > replacement, it may be worth a look.  I was quite pleased with the most
> >> > recent release (2.0-rc3).
> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >> Kontact is the KDE integrated PIM.  Its got a calendar (kalendar), 
> >> >> kmail,
> >> >> todo
> >> >> functionality, notes, etc.  I used Outlook for a couple of weeks 5 
> >> >> years
> >> >> ago.
> >> >> There probably are some similarities between kontact and outlook, but 
> >> >> I
> >> >> don't
> >> >> know.  It doesn't feel like a rip off of anything.  Probably has a lot 
> >> >> of
> >> >> the
> >> >> same features as Evolution, but for me, it always seemed like their 
> >> >> were
> >> >> problems with Evolution.  Nothing I can put my finger on, it just 
> >> >> never
> >> >> got
> >> >> me hooked.
> >> >>
> >> >> For a while, I have been using Thunderbird / Sunbird as my email and
> >> >> calendar
> >> >> combo.  I think kontact blows them away.  To me, kontact had better
> >> >> filtering
> >> >> capabilities (sort by list ID, rather than just To or Cc or From). 
> >> >> The
> >> >> calendar works great.  I've used it pretty heavilly for two days and
> >> >> haven't
> >> >> seen any real bugs (try saying that about Sunbird).
> >> >>
> >> >> So thats it.  All I'm saying is if you're not 100% satisfied with your
> >> >> current
> >> >> personal information manager, give kontact a try.  The KDE programs
> >> >> always
> >> >> seemed like bastard children to me (KDE's a desktop environment not a
> >> >> browser
> >> >> or mail program, right?)  But I have new respect for the KDE krew.
> >> >>
> >> >> Hope you had a nice weekend,
> >> >>
> >> >> Mike
> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> wplug mailing list
> >> >> wplug at wplug.org
> >> >> http://www.wplug.org/mailman/listinfo/wplug
> >> > -- 
> >> > ---
> >> > Rob "Myddrin" Knapp
> >> > myddrin at myddrin.com
> >> > http://www.myddrin.com
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > wplug mailing list
> >> > wplug at wplug.org
> >> > http://www.wplug.org/mailman/listinfo/wplug
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> wplug mailing list
> >> wplug at wplug.org
> >> http://www.wplug.org/mailman/listinfo/wplug
> > -- 
> > ---
> > Rob "Myddrin" Knapp
> > myddrin at myddrin.com
> > http://www.myddrin.com
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > wplug mailing list
> > wplug at wplug.org
> > http://www.wplug.org/mailman/listinfo/wplug 
> _______________________________________________
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-- 
---
Rob "Myddrin" Knapp
myddrin at myddrin.com
http://www.myddrin.com