# Looking for Groupware



## bsus (Jul 7, 2011)

Hi,

I am looking for a simple groupware:
- Mail Server
- Calendar
- Contacts
- Access to Evolution, Outlook, iPhone
(- notes)

More features are not required...

So, I have already looked for a while for a groupware under UNIX, but didn't find anything good. either they're free (opensource) or they're proprietary, but I hate half measures. Because I was disappointed about the alternatives I got a testing version of Windows Exchange Server 2010, so I looked for a free PC, installed Windows Server 2008 R2 and installed Exchange but while it does this, I got an "error" because of the missing ADDS, and that's no way, why should I use something like "ADDS" when I am having a good configurable unix network?

So because of this requirement I think Exchange is down under for a while until there doesn't seem to be an alternative groupware.

So I now want to ask what are youre experiences about groupware(s) under UNIX and what would you recommand me to do?

Regards


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## phoenix (Jul 7, 2011)

Searching the forums for "groupware" will reveal a lot of information on this subject.  

As will searching for "zimbra", probably the nicest groupware server around (at least of the ones I've used) whether open-source, free, proprietary, or for-pay.


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## bsus (Jul 7, 2011)

Hmm, Zimbra serves good with most points but not with all...



> Entering Zimbra Mobile settings on your iPhone (or iPad/iTouch) will sync your email, contacts and calendars using your carrier's data plan. Note, in order to use this feature you need to be 1) using a Zimbra PAID NETWORK EDITION ACCOUNT and 2) your administrator must have mobility enabled.


Source

I meant this with "half measures" on the one side an open-source version serving most functions and then one entire function is missing, so you have to pay the "special-edition".... for most it's maybe ok, but either I pay now for the software or I get it fully free. To say: "this is free but for this you have to pay" isn't the right way.


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## phoenix (Jul 7, 2011)

The open-source version of Zimbra is just that: open-source.  It's built using existing open-source software like cyrus-imapd, postfix, mysql, clamav, spamassassin, tomcat, etc.  But, it's all neatly packaged together, configured to work as a single, cohesive whole.

The network edition of Zimbra, though, is not open-source, with the core mailboxd engine that powers it all custom-built by Zimbra in Java.  This core engine enables a lot of extra features that are not possible using the OSS software:  integrated, incremental backups, message archiving, MAPI (Outlook) services, ActiveSync support, Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES/BESx) support, etc.  All these features need hooks deep into the core of the system that aren't (easily) possible using cyrus-imap and postfix.

It's not "half-measures", it's two completely separate products that just happen to share the same web-based management and e-mail interfaces.

Or, are you one of those who complains about there being an MS Windows 7 product completely separate, with separate features, from Windows Server 2008?

And, there's a very active community around the open-source version that "fills in the blanks" for those "missing features".  There are several different backup products available in the forums, as well as 2 separate methods (Funambol, Z-Push) for syncing mobile devices.  These just aren't support by the Zimbra devs or Zimbra support team.

Thus, if you are too cheap to pay for the enterprise edition, you can still use the free edition without sacrificing too much.

Or, would you prefer it if they stopped development of the OSS version, thus forcing everyone to pay for all the features, all the time?


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## bsus (Jul 7, 2011)

Sorry, seems there was a misunderstanding, thought they are both the same, just one with more features. The thing is I got a "free" Exchange license, so I think I would use this. I am still a little unsure about the alternatives especially when paying for them.

Because Exchange requires an "ADDS" I want to ask if it is possible to let this work over a Samba/OpenLDAP Backend?

Regards


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## serverhamster (Dec 23, 2011)

I have the same question. What are FreeBSD administrators using as groupware? No groupware at all? I'm looking for a solution for 50 users and shared contacts. 'Calendaring' (is that even a word) is optional.

I tested Kolab on Linux, but it's hard to install, even harder to upgrade, and documentation is somewhat lacking.


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## amilojko (Jan 2, 2012)

Horde


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