Re: [Phpgroupware-developers] address book

[Buchan Milne]

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Brian Johnson wrote:
| Now I'm spouting off a bit on something I don't totally understand
|
| My understanding of the LDAP standard allows users to create
information and
| stick it in with whatever formatting they want - just like any other
| database
|
| I think that there is a standard for contact info in LDAP directories
but it
| still may not suit our purposes.  Does the LDAP standard include the data
| format for contact information including the separation of individuals and
| organizations?
|

Yes, you can set any attributes to an organisation. Any LDAP entry just
needs to have the correct objectclasses. A parent node is just the same.
Plus, LDAP is extensible, you just (:-)) need to write new schemas.

Samba no has the ability to store it's passwords in LDAP also, thus we
are almost Active Directory compatible (just need kerberos working) to
the point where Windows domain members will be able to browse the LDAP tree.

| Also, LDAP installation and use is a PAIN IN THE BUTT!  Only a few Linux
| distros support it as part of their package and even then, it doesn't
| install smoothly.  I found finding complete documentation (as in How-to's)
| to be problematic and there are few user-friendly LDAP clients (for Linux)
|

LDAP installation could be easier. Active Directory and Netware
Directory Services however, both have LDAP interfaces (if they aren't
really LDAP servers, which they might be).

For info on migration from passwd files etc (geared to mandrake) see my
incomplete documentation:

http://ranger.dnsalias.com/mandrake/muo/connect/cldap.html
http://ranger.dnsalias.com/mandrake/muo/connect/cldap2.html

My LDAP server setup is now working well, so well in fact that I can set
the LDAP server during Mandrake 8.x installation on the client, and
never have to worry about accounts on clients again.

| All I wanted to do was switch to LDAP for user authentication so that I
| wouldn't have to make user accounts for the system and separate ones for
| phpgw - it caused problems with rpm of all things - I switched back
after a
| month of struggling
|

I also found problems with rpm. Especially when using :

passwd: ldap files
in nsswitch.conf, I only had one problem with rpm when using:
passwd: files ldap

when an RPM required a non-existent group (essentially packaging error)

| To force phpgw users to use LDAP is NOT _the_ anwser until LDAP
matures into
| a more user friendly system
|
|

No, I wouldn't say force LDAP, but ensure that any work would be
compatible with LDAP. Unfortunately, LDAP being heirarchial, you can't
have many-to-many relationships, maybe not even many-to-one?
|
| -----Original Message-----
| From: address@hidden
| [mailto:address@hidden Behalf Of Buchan Milne
| Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2002 4:44 AM
| To: address@hidden
| Subject: Re: [Phpgroupware-developers] address book
|
|
| Reading this thread, I can't help thinking that you guys are talking
| about LDAP. IMHO, LDAP should be the preferred contacts storage backend,
| simply because:
|
| a)There is a standard
| b)It is supported by almost all software. Outlook, Outlook Express,
| Mozilla, Netscape, Pegasus Mail, Evolution etc all support it to
| different extents.
|
| So, I think that any thoughts on this should include the possibility of
| easily migrating to LDAP (ie importing contacts from Outlook, Outlook
| Express etc into LDAP).
|
| Buchan
|
|
|
| address@hidden wrote:
| | On 16 Apr 2002 at 9:14, Peter Moulding wrote:
| |
| |
| |>I agree with the need to expand the address book. My own preference is
| |>to adopt the parent child system used in some other phpgw tables.
| |>
| |>Let us enter companies as parents and people as children of the company
| |>entries. If a person needs departments, they can add the departments as
| |>the children and people as grandchildren.
| |>
| |>This would allow any structure without additional tables.
| |>
| |>Peter
| |>
| |
| |
| | i have exactly done this separation into organizations and
| individuals. i used the exsting
| | addressbook as basis and normalized the table structure.
| | the next thing i'm working on is a migration tool from the "old"
| addressbook to the new one.
| |
| | the app is already working and it would be great if some of you would
| test it and give me their
| | opinion about it. i only have to fix some major bugs this day and
| could make it available this
| | evening.
| |
| | heiko
| |
| |
| | _______________________________________________
| | Phpgroupware-developers mailing list
| | address@hidden
| | http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/phpgroupware-developers
|
|
|
| --
| |----------------Registered Linux User #182071-----------------|
| Buchan Milne                Mechanical Engineer, Network Manager
| Cellphone * Work            +27 82 472 2231 * +27 21 8828820x202
| Stellenbosch Automotive Engineering         http://www.cae.co.za
| GPG Key                   http://ranger.dnsalias.com/bgmilne.asc


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- --
|----------------Registered Linux User #182071-----------------|
Buchan Milne                Mechanical Engineer, Network Manager
Cellphone * Work            +27 82 472 2231 * +27 21 8828820x202
Stellenbosch Automotive Engineering         http://www.cae.co.za
GPG Key                   http://ranger.dnsalias.com/bgmilne.asc
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