Re: [Evolution] evolution-exchange-mapi-provider plugin disables itself

[Pete Biggs <pete biggs org uk>]

> > > I don't really thing anyone cares about connecting to Exchange 2007. At
> > > least, that's the way it appears to me. 
>
> I running 2.12.3 and as long as I execute the exports, the MAPI plugin
> loads and I can set up a MAPI account. When I try to connect, I cannot
> get it to authenticate and I don't know whether the problem is with
> Evolution or with the Exchange 2007 server. I previously posted several
> times the error messages I was receiving but received ABSOLUTELY no
> repsonse from anyone on houw to proceed. I would have thought the
> programmers would have given be some clue as to how to get MAPI working
> but it was the wrong thought.

> From my point of view, as a non-Exchange user, it looks like the bulk of
the work on Evo these days is in getting it to work with Exchange 2007 -
I wish they would do something else :-)

> From the various messages I've seen over the last few months, the
libmapi plugin, which the Exchange 2007 support relies on, is still, in
effect, beta software - the releases for F8, OpenSUSE and so on are
preview releases. Although I have seen it said in places that it works
with Evo 2.12, most info I've seen says that the target release is Evo
2.22.

The older method of accessing Exchange (i.e. using screen scraping and
OWA) will not, and well not ever, work with Exchange 2007.

I think, as well, that it's a bit disingenuous to bleat about the Evo
developers not caring, or not supporting Exchange 2007.  They are, in
effect, working blind with their hands tied behind their backs.
Remember that Exchange and MAPI are closed protocols and subject to the
whims of Microsoft changing things - if Microsoft had published the
protocols, and given the Evo developers pre-release access to it, then
you might have grounds for complaint.  But as it is, much of what has to
happen is (educated) guess work to try and play catchup.

I know that some people think that support for the latest MS offering in
Evo is important, even critical - but what the developers need is help
and support, not whinging and criticism.

P.