Re: [Evolution] wish-list (MS-Exchange support != MAPI support)

[Michael Wood <wood kingsley co za>]

Hi

On Mon, May 22, 2000 at 08:49:54PM +0200, Dylan van Iersel wrote:
> I totally agree. I wasn't trying to criticise the
> evolution-team. Hell, I think they are doing a great job, and

indeed :)

> I've been waiting for this for some time now.
>
> I am willing to develop the Exchange-interface myself, but I
> heard it is very dificult because of M$ proprietary shit.
> Anyway, in 2 or 3 months I (finally) finish my education and I
> can't wait to get my hands dirty. :)
>
> Any hints, help, advice and tips on the matter is already and
> certainly noted. So let's hear it!

Well, I think someone mentioned on this list the other day that
the HP mail server (OpenMail?  Or whatever it's called.) has
replacement DLLs that Outlook users can install on their system
instead of the normal MAPI DLLs, so Outlook makes whatever
normal MAPI calls to the DLLs, but is actually talking to the HP
mail server thing.  Maybe this could be done for Outlook clients
accessing the Evolution server?  I have no idea how much work
this would involve, but I understand the MAPI API is documented,
whereas the wire protocol that the normal MAPI DLLs use to talk
to an Exchange server is not.

This does not help with Evolution clients talking to an Exchange
server, though, of course.

Then again, maybe someone could get Wine to run the normal MAPI
DLLs from a Windows box and somehow access them from the
Evolution client?  I think someone's got WinPrinters working
like this before.  Obviously this would not be ideal, but it
might be acceptible as a means of moving users to Evolution
slowly and later replacing the Exchange server.

-- 
Michael Wood        | Tel: +27 21 762 0276 | http://www.kingsley.co.za/
wood kingsley co za | Fax: +27 21 761 9930 | Kingsley Technologies