Linux Replacement for Microsoft Exchange

[Jonathan Hutchins]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Aaron" <aaron at aarons.net>

> I'll look into this.  The key here is that the client can't do anyhting
> different.  They can't know the server has been replaced otherwise people
> start to complain and the powers that be will want to know why we had to
> change.

That's not going to happen.  I think what you're saying is that you want a
server with the same API as Exchange so you can use the Outlook clients in
the same way?  Uh uh.  You'd have to change the Mail to POP or IMAP, you'd
have to do something for Calendar (which I think will only work with
Exchange) and you couldn't have a common address book without a lot of work
converting it to LDAP and configuring the client to use it.  Microsoft is
very careful about it for this very reason, you only get the full features
if you go all Microsoft.

Even Notes, which is about the closest thing to Exchange/Outlook I've seen
so far is significantly different, especially for anybody who's become used
to keystroke shortcuts and functionality.

Ximian's Evolution is very close, especially if you do some extra work on
the server, but it runs on Gnome.  Well, it would run on Gnome if it ran,
which it doesn't quite yet, at least not for me.  (Just installed Mandrake
8.2 though, so there's hope.)

I would suggest that you look at what parts of Exchange you really need, and
propose a new server using the many white papers by people like The Gartner
Group pointing out the severe security hole that is Exchange.