What's a good email + calendar app for linux that works with exchange activesync?

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#1

I like Thunderbird but it doesn’t work with exchange - only imap/pop. Is there a good email client for linux that can handle that?

#2

addon seems to be available for tbird http://mesquilla.com/2012/01/31/exquilla-microsoft-exchange-server-for-thunderbird-beta-version-released/
also checkout
http://fourforces.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/setup-mozilla-thunderbird-to-work-with-microsoft-exchange-server/
and
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Synchronizing_PDAs_and_phones

#3

M$ is pain in the a$$, and specially in case when the organization like ours running 2003 build with no Imap/POP support. I was looking for the same, till i came across DavMail gateway. Works fine. After successfully configuring it, i wrote a how to for it. Hope it will do the job for you. Calender sync is also explained.

Setting up Microsoft Exchange Server Mailbox with Thunderbird

Good luck

#4

+1. I’m using DavMail + Thunderbird for my work email and calendaring.

#5

I was previously using it but a few problems:

  1. Addresses in Compose Email do not search exhange/ldap

  2. After I changed a lot of settings to get addresses to show up from ldap, there’s still no way to show/choose multiple address of same contact

  3. No way to edit address from within thunderbird

#6

I have Thunderbird configured to use a local address book. Sure, it’s not ideal, but it works adequately for my needs.

#7

That’s the way i do it too. If an email is from a person not listed in my local address book, i just add him/her and job done. Next time composing an email will auto populate it for you.

#8

  1. I think you mean Exchange mail protocol, not “activesync” which is an antiquated mobile device sync technology.

  2. Exchange has supported IMAP and POP since forever but those protocols support only basic mail services, do not support Exchange “collaboration” services like calendaring, journals, etc.

  3. Numerous major mail support the Exchange mail protocol with its 2-way communication and feature extensions but almost always as add-ons. Search for “Linux Exchange replacement” will likely turn up plenty of hits.

  4. The standard cross-platform Exchange mail client is OWA (Outlook Web Access) which will have about 95% of the functionality of the regular Outlook client.

HTH,
TSU

#9

Although I have not used Thunderbird to know for sure whether it’s a fundamental App issue, these directory type IMO problems like these are more likely associated with not logging properly into AD.

Have you added your machine to the AD and are you logged in with an AD User account?

TSU

#10

No, the OP almost certainly means Exchange_ActiveSync

However, using OWA ((Outlook Web App) usually suffices for most.

  1. Exchange has supported IMAP and POP since forever but those protocols support only basic mail services, do not support Exchange “collaboration” services like calendaring, journals, etc.

It needs to be explicitly enabled at the server end, otherwise remote connectivity requires OWA (and therefore DavMail if using Linux).

  1. The standard cross-platform Exchange mail client is OWA (Outlook Web Access) which will have about 95% of the functionality of the regular Outlook client.

Depending on the Exchange Server version, now referred to as Outlook Web App

#11

Yes, I meant Exchange ActiveSync.

While OWA is OK, I prefer having a responsive desktop app that actually alerts me to calendar and email events. The web access doesn’t do that. And the davmail interface doesn’t have the addressbook matched up (I was able to get it to show address with some about:config settings but you could only select the first email address of a person).

#12

Well, I have Thunderbird configured to check the server every 5 minutes, with a notification, so that is good enough for me.

And the davmail interface doesn’t have the addressbook matched up (I was able to get it to show address with some about:config settings but you could only select the first email address of a person).

I’m not familiar with what you’re referring to here. DavMail is just the Exchange gateway. I didn’t think it played a part in addresses etc.

#13

Thunderbird will nicely do that. Calendar events popup + new mail notifications.

#14

You can actually get DavMail to be your LDAP interface as well. I was able to write some LDAP searches and install them in Thunderbird via some about:config keys so when I typed in the addressbar of a compose message, it would search my ldap/exchange server and populate a drop down.

DavMail POP/IMAP/SMTP/Caldav/Carddav/LDAP Exchange Gateway

#15

I’m aware that it has this capability, however with the company server that I connect to I’m not sure is set up properly to share address data.

I was able to write some LDAP searches and install them in Thunderbird via some about:config keys so when I typed in the addressbar of a compose message, it would search my ldap/exchange server and populate a drop down.

Yeah, I don’t have that working, but as I said it’s no big deal to keep your own local address book, and populate it as needed. Thunderbird does this with each email sent.