Hello, I haven't read your document you, but will do so shortly. However, a couple of notes.
1. Bacula *really* needs some way to backup Exchange in a way that if the user/admin wants, he can restore a single mail box. If you are working on such a feature, it would be *very* interesting to us. 2. At the moment, the backup/restore code of Bacula is rather monolithic -- that is we don't have plugins, which means that either we need to compile your libraries directly in the code, or wait until we have plugins. I would prefer to get the feature #1 above as soon as possible. 3. There is a *BIG* license problem with the GPL. Basically it forbids using GPL licensed code with a large class of OSI Open Software. This point seems to be very poorly understood by developers as was the case for myself. Bacula is licensed under GPLv2, but it will shortly be a modified GPLv2. Are you aware that since Bacula uses GPLv2, that we are forbidden from using GPLv3 code because it is not compatible, and much more seriously, we are forbidden (actually in violation of certain GPL licenses) to use OpenSSL code, which is the basis of our data and communications encryption. Now since we use OpenSSL, if we link in your GPL'ed software, we will be in violation of your license. The bottom line is as it stands the GPL prohibits developers from using a large class of OSI defined Open Source software. The solutions to the problem are: 1. Include software that is LGPL 2. Remove all 3rd party GPL'ed software from one's product, then modify one's GPL license to permit using OSI Open Source software. Bacula is just in the process of doing this. 3. Don't use any software that the FSF considers not compatible with the GPL. 4. Negotiate with each GPL software supplier to get a modification written into their license (not really very practical). Bottom line: IMO, the GPL is a very restrictive license that has some onerous terms that prevent using Open Source Software from other parties in one's program. If you are using an LGPL software license, then the above issues do not apply to you, and there would be no problem using your code in Bacula. If you are using a standard GPL license, we cannot use your code unless we work out some sort of special license with you otherwise our code which uses OpenSSL, and may use other OSI Open Source software that is non-compatible with the GPL would violate your license. Just so that it is 100% clear. Bacula IS and will remain Open Software. It is currently licensed as GPLv2. All versions up to the current code in the SVN are technically in violation of other peoples GPL licenses (ATT, Sun, FSF, ...) because we use their code mixed with OpenSSL. The current Bacula code is now free of all 3rd party GPL licenses, so we are now clean. I like the basic idea of GPL, especially the fact that if you modify and then distribute it you must make your modifications available, but I believe that both GPLv2 and GPLv3 are way too restrictive (and GPLv3 seems to me *way* too complicated). Final note: I really would like to try to work with you guys on your Exchange interface. Given the above license problems, do you think we can find a solution? Best regards, Kern On Friday 07 September 2007 02:01, Dan Shearer wrote: > Hello, > > I'm from OpenChange, the native-protocols Exchange replacement project > at http://openchange.org. Someone from Bacula was asking questions at an > OpenChange talk we gave in Cambridge this week, and in response we're > writing a backup tool that we think should meet your purposes -- either > to call as-is, or as a model so you can call our libraries yourselves. > > Some quick definitions: > > * MAPI Store. That's Microsoft Exchange. We have a prototype server > and after our client is released we'll be making sure that we are > also a MAPI store. > > * MAPI Client. That's either OpenChange libmapi (and the commandline > client that ships with OpenChange, openchangeclient), Outlook, or > some of the third-party groupware applications that use the same > Microsoft MAPI library as Outlook. libmapi works like Exchange. > > * libmapipfadmin. Like libmapi, only it adds administrative > functions. It doesn't yet have things Bacula is likely to use but > very shortly it will be able to inspect ACLs. > > * openchangemapidump and openchangemapirestore. These are the reason > I have written to this list! They don't exist, at least not in svn, > and we'd like your opinion on our implementation direction. > > I have written a summary of MAPI issues from a backup implementor's > perspective at > http://wiki.openchange.org/index.php/OpenChangeForMAPIStoreBackup . > You'll find there details of commandline facilities proposed, and > clearly this will show you how to use libmapi to achive similar things > (only better, since you're backup experts.) > > Feedback wanted! There's the openchange-devel mailing list, the wiki, > and irc. We want to push our backup client soon, but want to be sure the > design is approximately right as well. > > Regards, ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by: Splunk Inc. Still grepping through log files to find problems? Stop. Now Search log events and configuration files using AJAX and a browser. 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