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Novell To Release Ximian Connector Under GPL
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."
Another reason for not switching - the need to access an Exchange server - bites the dust.
~~~~~ BigLig2? You mean there's another one of me?
in letting my boss let me use Linux at work.
Compatibility with Exchange is wonderful, seriously.
The promise of exchange - integrated email & calendaring, locks a lot of companies in to MS software.
Say what you will, the ability for a clueless end-user to click "accept" on an email and automatically schedule themselves for a meeting is a Big Deal(tm).
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...
Is there anyone working on this?
-Steve
Okay, you have your connector for MS Exchange right there in the main app now. NOW what's stopping you from seriously considering OSS as a possibility? And, I'm not talking about the 1.2% of the population that needs some bizarre, esoteric feature in Outlook or Word or whatever that 98.8% of the rest of the population didn't even know exists.
Seriously, folks. Linux ain't ready for the home desktop market, but it's high time more people start considering its viability for the desktop in the workplace, especially as lightweight replacements for Wintops that don't do all that much more than word processing and scheduling.
Take most of that money you've been blowing on MCSEs and A/V software, and pay a few competent *nix admins to come in and properly set up the systems, and you just may well alleviate some, or most, of that downtime. How much TCO did YOUR company have to add to Windows from Sasser, anyway?
Alito: A vote for Alito is a punch in the eye to put that bitch back in her place!
I'm a full-time desktop Linux user, and not just for coding, but for every aspect of business, so all this stuff matters to me. This week is going to be a great week in Desktop Linux: Suse 9.1 and Crossover 3 are both coming out at about the same time, and both are huge improvements over what came before.
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WAP news
Novell has in public beta a GroupWise client for Linux and Mac OS X...and then they give away a connector to make a free client talk to the enemy's mail/calendaring system?
Makes me glad I don't have Novell stock. GroupWise earns them money. This does what?
When Evolution 2.0 is released, it will have native support to connect to Novell GroupWise servers. Most likely, Novell plans to use Evolution as a vehicle for corporate adoption of GroupWise. Furthermore, since Connector is now free, corporations who currently run Outlook have an easy migration path to GroupWise because they can now install both servers, and access them freely with the same client. Once the bugs are worked out, they can discard Outlook and stick with GroupWise.
Novell is trying to set itself up to be the premire Linux distributer. The $60 dollars may mean something to Ximian, but it's peanuts to Novell compared to how much money they stand to make if Linux really starts taking off. Novell's thinking seems to be "What's good for Linux is good for Novell", hence the GPL'ing of YaST and Ximian-Connector.
Really great news ! I decided to migrate to SUSE 9.1 and was very close as regards bying the Connector. Now I will wait till Novel will relese their desktop. THis is really a huge step towards interoperability in large corporations where people use MS server applications.
MySQL Error 1040: Can't return sig, Too many connections!
Now, they only need to release a Windows port of Evolution and even more people will be able to enjoy this awesome program.
I don't consider myself clueless and it's a Big Deal(tm) for me.
I don't get paid for managing my calendar and I don't want to waste my time managing my calendar. If someone or something will do it for me or make my life easier, then all the better.
Avantslash - View Slashdot cleanly on your mobile phone.
I have a feeling that a lot of the companies that have been kicked around by Microsoft in the past are using open-source as a tool just to piss off Microsoft. Witness Sun and Novell.
Engineering and the Ultimate
So, if you really want to support Novell becuase of its very positive actions of late, here's the way:
BUY something from SuSE, Ximian or Novell!
Well, since I was just postulating they might have a little more stress about it, you can relax now and realize nobody thinks that MS's world is going to end if an OSS Exchange Server clone were created.
However, Office is, from what I understand, MS's biggest source of revenue, so threatening that in any way likely isn't taken lightly or ignored in Redmond.
However, my personal bet is that they'll just quietly (at first) either:
1 - Prepare to pull some patent crud and hinder Connector and its derivatives (kmail, anyone?) as much as possible when the timing is right
2 - Change protocols a bit and periodically in an attempt to keep the OSS community behind just enough to hinder them and keep MS on top
There might be other things they'd try, but I sincerely hope that they aren't able to touch Connector or any groups working on OSS Exchange-compatible servers.
Is Novell turning out to be a good open source neighbor, or what? I think there is finally a large commercial corporation that "gets it!"
About time.
How long till they open source NetWare and eDirectory?
In reply for a comment after his latest interview, de Icaza said that the people commited to free software are in the business of changing the world.
And then Ximian goes on and consistently proves that!
I know there are strategic decisions, but that doesn't mean they are not doing any good. It's quite the opposite!
With all of my best wishes to those guys.
Rafael
I see quite a few comments about "Now I am going to switch to Linux" or "I have been waiting for this for so long" and I got to thinking. What stopped you from using prior to this? It was available for download for ~30 dollars. I purchased it not only for its functionality but to support a Linux company.
I think you have missed some things. RedHat did not abandon the desktop, nor did they resign their mindshare. Their mindshare was reassigned to Fedora, and most of it stayed there. Fedora == RedHat. Yes, there's some differences, but Fedora is still what the old plain vanilla RedHat Linux was. The only difference is average joe user can no longer buy a support contract for it, which is no difference, because average joe user bought his RedHat CDs from LinuxCentral instead, without a support contract. (I know, because I did.)
So, RedHat didn't abandon the desktop. Meanwhile the RedHat Enterprise Linux product continues as before, and RedHat announces the new Desktop product for corporate users. Meanwhile Fedora continues to occupy the same niche as the old RedHat Linux.
I keep seeing these misconceptions repeated, so, one more time, everyone, all together: "Fedora == RedHat Linux."
Secession is the right of all sentient beings.
This is THE single big reason to NOT switch away from Windows in Office Automation. THE. Wow.
I cannot believe, there are not 10.000 alarm bells ringing in redmond right now.
Notice the tarball already avail in source?
Notice how SOON it will be officially? This looks like a planned hit and run to me.
You of course realize that this connector has been available for pay for awhile now? I believe it ran at $20-$30. Why would open sourcing something that has existed for awhile result in any new MS threats? Insightful my ass...
What grounds would MS have to threaten them? In this country, you still can't threaten someone simply for competing with your business, even if you're a monopoly. I don't read anywhere where they need MS's approval to keep this source available.
Secession is the right of all sentient beings.
If you work for a company that would actually spend money on it, DO IT! We should financially support F/OSS companies when we are able to.
Also, remember you'll likely be buying some support which is cheaper than going it alone.
Specifically, Connector only works if Outlook Web Access is enabled on Exchange. There are a few problems with this approach in the real world.
First, OWA isn't enabled by default in Exchange. That is because, secondly, OWA costs extra for each user. Third, as a result, all places I've worked that used Exchange either disallowed using OWA at all or severly limited its use.
For instance, at my current company, OWA is enabled but only has a few client licenses and is therefore blocked from all internal IPs. It's intended use is for people that are traveling that want to access their email via a web browser.
So, yeah, Connector is very slick and very useful... just not as slick and as useful as the euphoric posts here seem to indicate!
I'd disagree with your definition of mindshare. RedHat abandoned the high visibility boxed set market. The lack of a widely available and more importantly highly visible end-user boxed set puts RedHat in the company of other boxless distros such as Gentoo and Debian. In North America this leaves SuSE and Mandrake as the two high visibility end-user distros. This makes a difference when binary only end-user apps do come to Linux since it makes it far more unlikely they'll offer support for Fedora. Mind you, RedHat could easily do an about-face and put out an end-user boxed distro tomorrow, so it's not an "all is lost" type of situation.
So a Linux user needs to send Microsoft $199 for a seat of Windows (CAL) plus whatever an additional seat for Exchange costs in order to use this free Outlook Web Access backdoor hack to enable their Ximian email client to get data from their corporate Exchange server?
Like that's going to happen. Not.
Glonoinha the MebiByte Slayer
You need a server CAL for EVERY desktop that connects to your server, no matter who it is. You need an Exchange CAL specifically for Exchange clients, IMAP/POP3 included, AFAIK.
You just don't have to pay the outlook tax, or the windows desktop tax.
I have to wonder what Novell's long term strategy is here. This is either A, a clever grab for better karma, or B, a move to provide a gradual upgrade path from Windows/Office/Exchange to Suse/Evolution/Groupwise.
I actually don't expect Microsoft to get too bitchy about this. It seems to me like they're putting their money on virtual office integration. While Novell has a product in this space too, Microsoft's product will probably end up being more polished, easier for the average end-user to use, less secure, but effectively less expensive for clients with enterprise license agreements.
Yes, my only tool is a hammer. And you're starting to look like a nail.
"unless there is a specific Windows-only app that is needed."
Well there you go. OpenOffice still can't import all MS Office doc and xls files 100% perfectly and Adobe, Intuit, and Macromedia along with a million other Desktop ISV's don't do linux. You see its not the dual booting/mostly doesn't even use Linux as a desktop Slashdot crowd you need to convince, its the real world. For new startups you absolutely have a fighting chance IF they can make do with OSS apps and/or are willing to code what they need from scratch. For the average 25 user office running Win2000 and a mix of Win2k/XP clients with MS Office switching to Linux just doesn't make much sense. They have already paid for the software and it works. If they had an even somewhat decent admin setup their systems they autoupdate and the network is reasonably secure.
Again your TCO arguement really only makes sense from the ground up. Switching over to OSS on the Desktop takes a lot of time and money that you don't regain overnight. I know this because its what I do. I admin for the Small business market and have setup networks for hundreds of companies. I also when possible switch to OSS where applicable. It is still very rare to find 100% OSS businesses. It is even rarer for me to convert them over lock stock and barrell to OSS. For a situation like I mentioned above ie 2k server, exchange, 2k/XP clients running Office, OSS just isn't the easiest sell. You do have situations where you'll find an office running MS Office 95 and some other simple apps and then you have a decent shot at switching them. But the bottom line is many offices still run apps that simply don't do OSS and don't have exact replacements in the OSS world.
When it comes to FOSS groupware they are all lacking in some way or another and certainly lack in the UI and documention departments. I expect that will change but we are still not at the point where I am willing to bet my life on the severs reliability like I can with other OSS server software. Regarding the Linux desktop the problems are well known. Sorry but FOSS just isn't a 100% dropin yet for most companies.
You don't need to sell me on Linux as a server. I've setup a ton of them and they "just work". But when it comes to the desktop, Linux still has a ways to go. For some situations its an easy fit. But for most situations its not. Someday the Top desktop software vendors will start supporting Linux and then you'll start seeing the Linux desktop market reach above 2-3% but until then there are excuses not to run Linux on the desktop.
Not necessarily true. You might need a client access license but you don't need to purchase a copy of Windows. Additionally, depending on how you have your server configured, multiple people can share a CAL, just not at the same time (per server vice per seat licensing.) MS is still getting a slice of the pie, but their slice is a whole lot smaller.
The biggest thing that MS won't like about this, however, isn't the loss of a few seat licenses but that it opens up an avenue for migrating to Linux. You can convert piecemeal rather than having to switch everything at once.
"The legitimate powers of government extend only to such acts as are injurious to others." Thomas Jefferson.
Well, they would have to hurry up with the integration of Evolution before MicroSoft releases Entourage 2004 that will probably integrate better with Exchange.
I looked it up, $31.32 for Server 2000 CAL (bought as part of a 5 pack for $156.60 at Provantage) and $75.34 for an Exchange CAL (once again, bought in a group of 5 for $376.72 at Provantage) Net cost : $106.66 per seat.
... that's the rule.' Not.
I stand by my original statement - I have a real hard time believing that the Linux crew is going line up to fill out Purchase Orders to send Microsoft a hundred bucks a seat for each of the Linux installs they have across organization running Ximian email clients. Good luck convincing me otherwise. For the record, I really like Microsoft - this isn't about what I like / dislike, it is totally about envisioning the Linux users (the kind of Linux users that would be eager early adopters of this Exchange adapter) getting this to work and remembering 'oh yea, maybe I need to send MS a nice Benjamin Franklin plus change because
Glonoinha the MebiByte Slayer