Mercian Labels-a UK SME Label Printer on Open Source migration

Open Advantage are running a new course on linux administration, and I’ve tried to get a place.  Its really difficult trying to assess the capabilities of Linux when you cannt use the command line well.  I just hope I can get a place so I can talk the same language as Rich as he contonues to install new applications on our new linux server.

We’ve had an interesting couple of weeks in preparing to migrate, not without its problems.

Problems we have faced include the following:

• as outlook 2000 is not supported by Zimbra as a migration path, we have had to setup IMAP to transfer emails from outlook to Zimbra, which works ok
• exporting my calendar from outlook to an ICAL file wasnt easy, and you need this tool to do it. When you have an ICAL file, you can import it using a CURL command
• by default (and I dont know why), all calendar appointments were imported not in UK time, but in USA time, offset by about 7 hours. We had to get Dave at Senokian to fix this . This meant we had to clear the zimbra calendar and start the import again, which worked ok.

tips:

TO CLEAR THE ZIMBRA CALENDAR

to clear the zimbra calendar by hand, this is done using the zmprov command. As the zimbra user, run the command ‘zmprov’. This will take you to one of the admin consoles, with the prompt zmprov>
Enter ’sm MAILBOXNAME@mercianlabels.com’ to select your mailbox. The prompt will change to reflect this.

Run the command ‘emptyFolder /Calendar’. This will do what it says on the tin.
Hit Ctrl-D repeatedly until you’re back at a prompt you recognise.

TO USE CURL TO IMPORT AN ICAL FILE
curl -u adrian –data-binary @/tmp/calendar.ics \
http://localhost/service/home/adrian/calendar?fmt=ics

(You can copy-paste, the \ at the end of the first line indicates to the
shell that there’s a follow-on line.)

This assumes that you’ve put your calendar at /tmp/calendar.ics

So…. I’m almost ready to migrate, having got a solution to import all my email contacts using a CSV import, calendar using ICAL and CURL, email using IMPA, and a substitute task manager using toodledo.

The only thing I dont have yet is a sync proceedure for my mobile phone, which is essential to me.  As my 9500 isnt supported (why Zimbra guys???  can you get a more business orientated phone????) I will have to buy a new E90 when they launch, or use a temporary measure like road sync.

The trouble is, I have a packed diary for the next 2 weeks out of the office, so it will be July before I look at this again seriously.