[TriLUG] Accessing Outlook from Linux at work

[Jeremy Portzer]

On Tue, 2003-01-14 at 12:43, Mike Shaw wrote:
> Anyone fought this battle yet and decided on a good
> route?  I just started a new job and have been told if
> I need software I can get it.  So my current battle is
> to decide what is my best option of getting to my
> Outlook mailboxes and interfacing with other Outlook
> users via Linux.
> 
> My current thoughts are:
> 
> 1) Vmware - run a Win2K box inside my Linux box and be
> able to run everything under Win2K
> 
> 2) Crossover - I was worried about the Silver rating
> they gave running M$Outlook
> 
> 3) Evolution - native client
> 

When you say "Accessing Outlook" I assume you mean that you're accessing
an Exchange server?  Outlook is a Windows email / calendaring *client*,
not the server.  

Do you know if the Exchange server is running IMAP or if IMAP is an
option?  If so, then you'd have your choice of clients such as
Evolution, Mozilla, Netscape, pine, etc.  This is the best option for
everyone IMO, but the Exchange sever administrator may not want to
use/allow it.

I've heard good things about the Ximian Connector, which is an add-on to
Evolution that's needed if you must use MAPI -- Microsoft's proprietary
mail protocol.  I haven't used it myself though.

If you need to use the group calendaring features of the
Outlook/Exchange combo, you'll be out of luck with either IMAP or the
Ximian Connector -- look at CrossOver Office or vmware for that. 
Evolution has a nice local/native calendar, but as far as I know the
Ximian Connector doesn't interface with the Exchange calendar at all.

--Jeremy