On Wed, 2 Feb 2005 03:10:42 +0100, Helge Hess <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Re: [otlkcon-devel] Re: Exchange 5.5 Server project
Helge - you're right, I was referring to Novell's GroupWise, not OpenGroupware as I wrote. But your other criticisms, of Open-Xchange (your competition :), aren't really accurate. O-X is GPL, I build from source, and I believe that Netline accepts patches (though they do not offer CVS write access). O-X does not require money to obtain and run - the commercial "product" is 1> delivering a working app to Novell, and 2> probably selling Outlook (etc) connectors for clients for O-X. All their O-X network interfaces are open standards: WebDAV, iCal, IMAP, etc; as are all their data interfaces. In fact, their architecture is integration, of standards-compliant (and even completely open, if you choose) server apps, glued together under a comprehensive scheme via Java app server (eg. Tomcat), SQL DB (eg. Postgres), OpenLDAP and Apache webserver. The source is open, the software doesn't cost a penny, and it uses popular F/OSS SW that many of us are already using. And it really works, delivering lots of PIM functions, community functions, and stability in lots of actual installations. As I mentioned, Netline gets paid by Novell to develop/publish O-X. Novell offers it, and support, to their customers. That completes a model similar to RedHat: we don't get CVS writes to RH9, or even Fedora, but it's clearly OSS (and Fedora is F/OSS). Novell has the same model for their own SuSE Linux, and aren't even proprietary in requiring either SuSE or the Ximian Desktop/clients to use O-X. Or to use their proprietary GroupWare, which is a combination of O-X, popular Novell components (derived from Netware) and components from the previous completely proprietary versions of Groupware - which are being gradually replaced by O-X components. So O-X (and Novell in general) don't mean "vendor lock-in" in any way (except they don't sell support contracts for other vendors's software). BTW, I note that I have no business relationships with any of these companies, except that I'm running O-X (for free, like anyone else :). The problem with O-X, as I originally posted, is that their connector is neither free, nor open - nor is it expected to become so. That's why I'm posting in a thread about writing a new "Exchange server replacement" in an "Outlook connector replacement" group. O-X is open enough to matter (except for CVS write, which is not necessary for my purposes, though the development might go faster with it). Especially when developing an Outlook connector. Because O-X works well, with open/standard data formats/protocols, it isn't necessary to change the O-X source to make a connector - though reading the O-X source will certainly help. So again, I say that O-X seems probably a better place to put development time than writing our own competition to O-X, even if that means asking Netline directly if we can contribute code in their mostly closed development team model. If enough people want to contribute that kind of code, they very well might open the team more; I haven't seen lots of requests for that, though I've seen some offers of help in their threads, all of which have been met with acceptance in some format. Of course, Helge, your OpenGroupware project might be just as worthy as O-X of contributions - I haven't evaluated it, because O-X is looking satisfactory to me, and comes with Novell support when I want it. But I'm really suggesting that we developers not spend as much time on a *new* Exchange replacement server; rather work on an open Outlook connector. O-X is very far down that road. So again, completely within the scope of this group, I say that we would best direct our efforts to finishing a GPL Outlook MAPI connector. Any real desire to work on a server for it would be best satisfied working on an existing GPL Exchange server project, like O-X - or OpenGroupware. -- (C) Matthew Rubenstein ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by: IntelliVIEW -- Interactive Reporting Tool for open source databases. Create drag-&-drop reports. Save time by over 75%! Publish reports on the web. Export to DOC, XLS, RTF, etc. Download a FREE copy at http://www.intelliview.com/go/osdn_nl _______________________________________________ otlkcon-devel mailing list otlkcon-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/otlkcon-devel