Hi all:
Sorry if this is the wrong list, but have searched all over with no luck.
We're putting out a Linux-based "cloud computer" as a service intended for users who just want basic functions -- e-mail, Web browsing, etc -- without the expense and hassle of owning a PC. (www.nimbuscc.com for details)
We are aiming for novice users (we call it the mother-in-law computer internally), and asking them to configure an e-mail client is well beyond the scope (they really won't have any idea what a POP3 or IMAP client is).
Anyway, when they sign up for the service they select a User Name -- e.g. 'marysmith', and we automatically create an e-mail account for them: marysmith mail screenpc com
Their Desktop is also setup automatically with Firefox, OpenOffice -- and Evolution as an e-mail client.
The plan is to automatically configure Evolution so that it is ready to go and points at their account on our e-mail server -- the user just selects the icon, they see our welcome e-mail, and they're ready to go.
Is there a robust way to do this? We really would like a command-line interface or library to let us do all the confguration for that user -- we know their name, their User Name, the address of our e-mail server, etc, etc.
So far it looks like all the configuration requires use of the GUI.
We have considered going through the GUI for a dummy user, grabbing all the .gconf/apps/evolution files, copying these to the new user /home directory, and using 'sed' to plug in the necessary changes -- but this whole mechanism would be a kludge at best and far from robust.
Have we missed something? Suggestions?
Thanks,
John Crowley
ScreenPC, Inc.
4 Rockwell Pl
Westport, CT 06880
Office: 203.222.8031
Cell: 203.856.2396
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