Open Source Microsoft Exchange Replacements?

Carl Farrington asks: "Do you think you could try to raise public awareness of the importance for an open source replacement for Microsoft Exchange (Outlook/MAPI compatible for shared/public folders). Current offerings are SuSE Linux Groupware Server, Communigate Pro (Stalker Software), Samsung Contact (ex. HP OpenMail) all of which are not open source / free. Kroupware is in development, but there will be no Outlook Connector for it. otlkcon is in slow development as a possible connector for Kroupware. There is also OSER (Open Source Exchange Replacement) which again looks like it needs more help. Is there any chance of getting some people to back this stuff? It's so important and is probably the major problem facing Linux as viable replacements for Win2000 servers." While this seems to be a question that keeps popping up in one form or another, it's always worthwhile to come back and point out alternatives, in development, that might need your help to get off the ground and running. So, if you're looking for an alternative to Exchange, would you be willing to contribute some time to one of the projects listed above? If you've been using Unix as an Exchange replacement, what did you do and how well has it been working?

Comments

Ask Slashdot? Just ask the Magic 8-Ball.

[Anonymous Coward]

"Outlook not so good"

Um..NO!

[LibertineR]

How about fixing something simple, like fucking FONTS!?!

Maybe then OSS might be ready to take on Microsoft's ace in the hole? How many projects are out there? How many have gotten fucking anywhere? Here's an idea; why dont we all just go install Netscape 4 again, and beat ourselves in the head until we bleed? Oh yeah, Exchange is dead meat. LOL!

Re:Go web based.

[isomeme]

Also its free and open sores software

I don't know if that was caused by a spell-checker run amok, English as a second language, or an intentional editorial stance. And I don't care. A new and highly useful descriptive phrase has entered my vocabulary.

Re:Bynari InsightServer

[showmeshowyoukikoman]

Love it or leave AC, you just posted an ad for an expensive piece of carp software!

I urge you to consider choosing your path wisely in this matter, and don't follow knee-jerk responses like this one!

It runs on Linux, right?

[sulli]

they should name it Linux Open Source Exchange Replacement

Re:What you'll need

[H310iSe]

and if you've ever admin'd an exchange box it would become clear that those 100 developers were from 50 countries, spoke 70 different languages and, since they hadn't developed their collaboration server yet, had no way to communicate. Plus 10 of them were from a country at war with 5 others and 1/3rd didn't have any computers to test with so they wrote code on paper and mailed it to MS. I'm pretty sure the guys who wrote the brick backup did it on paper, certain they never tested it.

And and and OH jesus don't get me started. Exchange=evil-come-to-earth.

Re:Communigate

[rprycem]

The first one is always free and the fourth one actualy works

Re:*Raises Hand*

[The Bungi]

Holds a fair chunk of contempt for MS and their sub-standard software.

It's so substandard that you and your pals can't code a replacement for it if your lives depended on it.

And PHP? Bwahahaha. You may start coding. Let me know how it goes.

Re:Communigate

[rowanxmas]

How come I keep thinking of a new Bill Clinton internet-porn scandal?

Re:Go web based.

[zulux]

Tried it. Our staff practially revolted at the idea of solely using web-based email instead of having a client.

That's easy to fix: Install Firebird and set ther home page to your groupware server. Then rename the Firebird desktop icon to "Groupware XP Professional 2004."

Chances are the'll never catch on...

Re:Go web based.

[Anonymous Coward]

Well,
I reformated win2k server at work and put BSD Unix with samba on it. Then I installed phpgroupware on it and told people to use that instead of outlook2k/exchange.
It was very stable and it worked great.
Then I got fired.
Still can't figure out why :)

True story!

Re:Bynari InsightServer

[SoSueMe]

"carp software!"
Carp, Haddock, it all sounds fishy to me.

exchange

[Anonymous Coward]

I'll beat the crap out of your favorite exchange server admin for free. And I'll even do it under an open-source compatible license!

I'm not a programmer. Just trying to pitch in and do my part.

Re:Communigate

[loginx]

We live in a changing world...
Today, the first bug-free software has seen the light... let me introduce you to...
NADA: http://www.bernardbelanger.com/computing/NaDa/

Simple... it does nothing, but it does it very well...

Definitely worth a try...
It works on all platforms... (windows, unix, linux, mac os, osx, embeded platforms, amiga, beos, etc...) and always does exactly what you expect it to!

AND!!! It's freeware!!!

Now why would you do that?

[chunkwhite86]

Now why do you want to replace MS Exchange? I love MS exchange so much, that I even help MS produce fixes for the product!

How you ask? Well it's simple. I write tiny bits of code, and release them into the wild. Some of the "glass half empty" folks call them "viruses" and "worms". They also call me nasty names like "hacker" and even "terrorist". I don't like that kind of language though.

I prefer to think of myself as an Independant Microsoft Security Analyst.

"Fall over" features

[leonbrooks]

Outlook not so good

The OSER project seems to agree:

The OSER project will: [...] Provide Fall Over [...] Features.

Guys, does it have to be that Outlook-compatible?

Re:"Fall over" features

[fubar1971]

Guys, does it have to be that Outlook-compatible?

No, just shared calendars would work for me. Right now I have a RedHat server running UW IMAP, LDAP, qpopper, qmail, and squirrel mail. It works great, except all of my lusers want to share Outlook calendars. I've tried to get them to use the calendar features in squirrel mail, but they revolted and screamed like little children "Why can't I do this in Outlook. Other companies do it, why can't we." I even went as far as adding an IE shortcut in the outlook bar, so the squirrel mail pages would open up inside of Outlook, but they still screaned like little infants for their 3 am feeding. I wish I was anaccomplished programmer so I could contribute to a project, but unfortunately I am a lowly little SA that makes all of the shiny boxes talk to each other. I would gladly contribute documentation, money, or even be a beta tester. Hell I would give up my left nut if thats what it would take to be able to just share calendars for a reasonable price. I've looked into some of the replacement products, and for the price I might as well buy Exchange. Now that I'm done ranting, please somebody out there, please give me a way to just share multiple calendars. If someone could do that then I will worship you like a God!

Re:"Fall over" features

[ckaminski]

And then all those idiots who begged and screamed and bitched and moaned for those features, don't even USE them.

$50,000 for a giant spinning, whirring space heater for my datacenter... Joy!

Re:Open Source is something more

[leonbrooks]

Management couldn't give a monkeys about the license. They just want to know that when they click Send & Receive, it will indeed Send & Receive. Every time.

Well, at least that eliminates Outlook.

Use Emacs

[Billly Gates]

As an operating system it supports everything.