# Microsoft Exchange - Like Replacement

## nuance9

Does anyone have any suggestions for an open source exchange like replacement.  It should have the centralized calendaring, e-mail, etc.

I have tried searching the forums here, and have not come up with much.

I would like to set this up as a demo on some old machines at work - as I am trying to show the management the possibilities.  Plus it would be nice to have a demo to show clients.

Interaction with outlook is not necessary as the client boxes that will be accessing the server will also be *nix - probably using Evolution.

Thanks!

Justin

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## jthj

I don't know of anything out right now.  However a few months back I read about the german government contracting a software developer to create an exchange like server and build a mail client based on Kmail to have similar featuers to outlook.  They are going to make it open source when it's done.  Hope that helps  :Smile: 

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## pjp

Exchange Server

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## digitalnick

from my understanding you woudl have to setup something like ldap to get calandering features ect ...

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## nuance9

Did anyone see the article in Linux Journal referenced in the post by Kanuslupus?  I don't subscribe (yet), and that mag isn't carried out here in the little town I live in.

- Justin

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## pjp

The resources listed at the end of the article are:InsightServer

Project Cyrus

The Exchange Server Replacement HOWTO

Exim

OpenLDAPHope that helps some.

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## green sun

 *nuance9 wrote:*   

> Did anyone see the article in Linux Journal referenced in the post by Kanuslupus?  I don't subscribe (yet), and that mag isn't carried out here in the little town I live in.
> 
> - Justin

 

Yes, and I didn't find a very convincing case for the replacement of Exchange. IMHO, Exchange is still a killer server app for groupware, etc. Remember, Exchange was written by a completely different group in MS than the OS (and for anyone who has admin'ed Exchange, it shows). I don't like the direction taken in Exchange2K, as Im not a big fan of the Active Directory integration that is being pushed by MS.

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## ito

Take a look at this .. 

This works great .. 

http://www.billworkgroup.org

someone should write an ebuild. for this. 

downside is that you have to use python 1.5

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## green sun

 *ito wrote:*   

> Take a look at this .. 
> 
> This works great .. 
> 
> http://www.billworkgroup.org
> ...

 

Ok, this *looks* interesting, but has anyone actually tried it? I see a few issues:

1. Exchange is fairly robust & stable (compared to other M$ products). Any replacement must replicate that stability

2. You are replacing a CORE business service. This is not like swapping out a file server. You must have your sh*t together, because people can live with a file/logon sever being down for an hour, but try taking away peoples mail for an hour. You will be looking for a new job...

Lest anyone get me wrong, I would love to replace exchange. As Ive said before, I really dislike the direction it is moving in with Win2K AD integration, but the down side is that the integration makes it 100x harder to replace... 

Just my $.02

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## jclarke

It's not freeware, but Domino <http://www.lotus.com/products/r5web.nsf/webhome/nr5serverhp-new> is available for Linux--there is a trial version available for download--I don't know what the limitations are.

Or you could run Exchange and use an Exchange client on the Linux boxen.

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## steveb

 *jclarke wrote:*   

> It's not freeware, but Domino <http://www.lotus.com/products/r5web.nsf/webhome/nr5serverhp-new> is available for Linux--there is a trial version available for download--I don't know what the limitations are.
> 
> Or you could run Exchange and use an Exchange client on the Linux boxen.

 

i want to join this statement. IBM DOMINO is GREAT!

echange looks like a baby compared to domino.

--> IBM Lotus Domino... and you will never Exchange....  :Smile: 

cheers

SteveB

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## wdconinc

Hi all,

 *jthj wrote:*   

> However a few months back I read about the german government contracting a software developer to create an exchange like server and build a mail client based on Kmail to have similar featuers to outlook.  They are going to make it open source when it's done.

 

Small demonstration has already been given on Fosdem by david faure of KDE (free open source dev meeting, www.fosdem.org).  It looks good.  It will be a project in the KDE team.  Should be an integration of Kmail, Korganizer and some other common K-apps.  Together with a central server.

I am certainly looking forward for it (they already had a name for it, but I don't remember that).

greets

wouter

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## steveb

 *wdconinc wrote:*   

> Hi all,
> 
>  *jthj wrote:*   However a few months back I read about the german government contracting a software developer to create an exchange like server and build a mail client based on Kmail to have similar featuers to outlook.  They are going to make it open source when it's done. 
> 
> Small demonstration has already been given on Fosdem by david faure of KDE (free open source dev meeting, www.fosdem.org).  It looks good.  It will be a project in the KDE team.  Should be an integration of Kmail, Korganizer and some other common K-apps.  Together with a central server.
> ...

 

i think it is called  

Kroupware Project

cheers

SteveB

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