Kolab
Encyclopedia
Kolab is an open source
groupware suite. It consists of the Kolab server
and a wide variety of Kolab clients
, including KDE
PIM
-Suite Kontact
, Horde
Webfrontend, Mozilla Thunderbird
and Mozilla Lightning with SyncKolab extension and Microsoft Outlook with proprietary Kolab-Connector PlugIns.
as an underlying protocol not only for email, but also for contact and calendar entries. These entries are simply saved in special IMAP-folders utilising the Kolab XML-format and the IMAP-server takes care of the storage and access rights. The configuration and maintenance of Kolab is controlled by the extensive use of LDAP.
Kolab Clients and the Kolab server use well established protocols and formats
for their work (i.e. IMAP as already mentioned, vCard
, iCal
, XML
and LDAP
). This allows the Kolab Format specification framework, or even portions of it, to be utilized as an open set of specifications for groupware clients and servers to communicate with each other. Third party implementations began almost immediately; for example, the Citadel
groupware server began supporting version 1 of the Kolab Format specification in March 2004 http://kolab.org/pipermail/kolab-devel/2004-March/001005.html.
The concepts on which Kolab relies are fixated in the Kolab Format Specification and Architecture Paper http://kolab.org/documentation.html#developers for Kolab 2, and for Kolab 1 in the Kroupware Contract, Architecture Paper and Technical Description http://kroupware.kolab.org/documentation.html.
2003:
2004:
2005:
2006:
2007:
2008:
2009:
2010:
2011:
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
groupware suite. It consists of the Kolab server
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
and a wide variety of Kolab clients
Client (computing)
A client is an application or system that accesses a service made available by a server. The server is often on another computer system, in which case the client accesses the service by way of a network....
, including KDE
KDE
KDE is an international free software community producing an integrated set of cross-platform applications designed to run on Linux, FreeBSD, Microsoft Windows, Solaris and Mac OS X systems...
PIM
Personal information manager
A personal information manager is a type of application software that functions as a personal organizer. The acronym PIM is now, more commonly, used in reference to Personal information management as a field of study...
-Suite Kontact
Kontact
KMail supports folders, filtering, viewing HTML mail, and international character sets. It can handle IMAP, IMAP IDLE, dIMAP, POP3, and local mailboxes for incoming mail. It can send mail via SMTP or sendmail...
, Horde
Horde (software)
Horde is a PHP-based Web application framework.It offers applications such as the Horde IMP email client, a groupware package , a wiki and a time and task tracking software.-Horde Email Platform:...
Webfrontend, Mozilla Thunderbird
Mozilla Thunderbird
Mozilla Thunderbird is a free, open source, cross-platform e-mail and news client developed by the Mozilla Foundation. The project strategy is modeled after Mozilla Firefox, a project aimed at creating a web browser...
and Mozilla Lightning with SyncKolab extension and Microsoft Outlook with proprietary Kolab-Connector PlugIns.
Basic Concepts
The special idea behind Kolab is the usage of IMAPInternet Message Access Protocol
Internet message access protocol is one of the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval, the other being the Post Office Protocol...
as an underlying protocol not only for email, but also for contact and calendar entries. These entries are simply saved in special IMAP-folders utilising the Kolab XML-format and the IMAP-server takes care of the storage and access rights. The configuration and maintenance of Kolab is controlled by the extensive use of LDAP.
Kolab Clients and the Kolab server use well established protocols and formats
File format
A file format is a particular way that information is encoded for storage in a computer file.Since a disk drive, or indeed any computer storage, can store only bits, the computer must have some way of converting information to 0s and 1s and vice-versa. There are different kinds of formats for...
for their work (i.e. IMAP as already mentioned, vCard
VCard
vCard is a file format standard for electronic business cards. vCards are often attached to e-mail messages, but can be exchanged in other ways, such as on the World Wide Web or Instant Messaging...
, iCal
ICalendar
iCalendar is a computer file format which allows Internet users to send meeting requests and tasks to other Internet users, via email, or sharing files with an extension of .ics...
, XML
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
and LDAP
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol is an application protocol for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over an Internet Protocol network...
). This allows the Kolab Format specification framework, or even portions of it, to be utilized as an open set of specifications for groupware clients and servers to communicate with each other. Third party implementations began almost immediately; for example, the Citadel
Citadel/UX
Citadel/UX is a collaboration suite that is descended from the Citadel family of programs which became popular in the 1980s and 1990s as a bulletin board system platform. It is designed to run on open source operating systems such as Linux or BSD...
groupware server began supporting version 1 of the Kolab Format specification in March 2004 http://kolab.org/pipermail/kolab-devel/2004-March/001005.html.
The concepts on which Kolab relies are fixated in the Kolab Format Specification and Architecture Paper http://kolab.org/documentation.html#developers for Kolab 2, and for Kolab 1 in the Kroupware Contract, Architecture Paper and Technical Description http://kroupware.kolab.org/documentation.html.
Main features
- Full seamless support of mixed clients environments (Outlook, KDE, Web etc.)
- Support for the K Desktop Environment with Kontact
- Support for Microsoft Outlook with proprietary connector PlugIns
- A web administration interface
- Configuration data is kept in a LDAPLightweight Directory Access ProtocolThe Lightweight Directory Access Protocol is an application protocol for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over an Internet Protocol network...
directory - A global LDAP addressbook for contacts
- IMAP4rev1Internet Message Access ProtocolInternet message access protocol is one of the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval, the other being the Post Office Protocol...
as well as POP3 access to mail - Full support for client-side PGP and S/MIME email encryption (officially Sphinx-interoperable)
- Full support for shared calendars with IMAP ACLsAccess control listAn access control list , with respect to a computer file system, is a list of permissions attached to an object. An ACL specifies which users or system processes are granted access to objects, as well as what operations are allowed on given objects. Each entry in a typical ACL specifies a subject...
- Full support for shared contacts with IMAP ACLsAccess control listAn access control list , with respect to a computer file system, is a list of permissions attached to an object. An ACL specifies which users or system processes are granted access to objects, as well as what operations are allowed on given objects. Each entry in a typical ACL specifies a subject...
- Fully offline capable using KDE Kontact or Microsoft Outlook
- Support for server side resource management (e.g. rooms, cars)
- Full support for freebusy handling
Kolab clients
- KDE KontactKontactKMail supports folders, filtering, viewing HTML mail, and international character sets. It can handle IMAP, IMAP IDLE, dIMAP, POP3, and local mailboxes for incoming mail. It can send mail via SMTP or sendmail...
http://kdepim.kde.org/ and Kontact-Touch (K Desktop EnvironmentKDEKDE is an international free software community producing an integrated set of cross-platform applications designed to run on Linux, FreeBSD, Microsoft Windows, Solaris and Mac OS X systems...
, Free SoftwareFree softwareFree software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
) - HordeHorde (software)Horde is a PHP-based Web application framework.It offers applications such as the Horde IMP email client, a groupware package , a wiki and a time and task tracking software.-Horde Email Platform:...
http://www.horde.org/ (integrated in Kolab since v2.2.1), a web-frontend for utilising web-browsersWeb browserA web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
as Kolab-clients (Free SoftwareFree softwareFree software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
) - SyncKolab http://synckolab.mozdev.org/ http://www.gargan.org/en/Mozilla_Extensions/SyncKolab, a Mozilla ThunderbirdMozilla ThunderbirdMozilla Thunderbird is a free, open source, cross-platform e-mail and news client developed by the Mozilla Foundation. The project strategy is modeled after Mozilla Firefox, a project aimed at creating a web browser...
/ SeaMonkeySeaMonkeySeaMonkey is a free and open source cross-platform Internet suite. It is the continuation of the former Mozilla Application Suite, based on the same source code...
and LightningLightning (software)The Lightning project, announced on December 22, 2004, and in development by the Mozilla Foundation, produces an extension that adds calendar and scheduling functionality to the Mozilla Thunderbird mail and newsgroup client and SeaMonkey internet suite...
extension (Free SoftwareFree softwareFree software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
) - evolution-kolab extends GNOME's Evolution and EDS (Evolution-Data-Server) to become a full-featured Kolab-client (Free SoftwareFree softwareFree software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
) - Kolab's integrated HordeHorde (software)Horde is a PHP-based Web application framework.It offers applications such as the Horde IMP email client, a groupware package , a wiki and a time and task tracking software.-Horde Email Platform:...
also provides a SyncMLSyncMLSyncML is the former name for a platform-independent information synchronization standard. The project is currently referred to as Open Mobile Alliance Data Synchronization and Device Management...
interface, over which SyncML-capable mobile phones can synchronise PIM-data on a Kolab-server (Free SoftwareFree softwareFree software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
) - Z-PushZ-pushZ-Push is an open source implementation of the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync protocol which is used to synchronize email, personal contacts and other items between a central server and a mobile device...
(integrated in Kolab since v2.3.0) enables ActiveSyncActiveSyncActiveSync is a mobile data synchronization technology and protocol developed by Microsoft, originally released in 1996. There are two implementations of the technology: one which synchronizes data and information with handheld devices with a specific desktop computer , and another technology,...
-capable clients to access their server mailboxes and to use Kolab-provided PIM-functionality (Free SoftwareFree softwareFree software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
) - Syncphony enables many hundred models of mobile phones to synchronise their PIM-data with Kolab by the help of the multitude of Funambol'sFunambolFunambol is an American corporation that earns revenue from its dual-licensing business model that includes commercial software and free open source mobile data synchronization software based on the Funambol core project.-Funambol-based companies:...
sync-profiles (Free SoftwareFree softwareFree software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
) - Kolab WS extends Kolab to offer Kolab-functionality as a web-serviceWeb serviceA Web service is a method of communication between two electronic devices over the web.The W3C defines a "Web service" as "a software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network". It has an interface described in a machine-processable format...
- kolab-android synchronises Android's addressbook and calendar to IMAP-folders in the Kolab2 format (Free SoftwareFree softwareFree software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
) - Toltec Connector http://www.toltec.co.za/connector.html (Microsoft Outlook Connector, Proprietary SoftwareProprietary softwareProprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary...
) - KONSEC Konnektor http://www.konsec.com/en/products/konnektor.html (Microsoft Outlook MAPI Storage Provider, Proprietary SoftwareProprietary softwareProprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary...
) - Bynari Insight Connector http://www.bynari.net/products/insight_connector/insight_connector_for_kolab_groupware.html (Microsoft Outlook MAPI Provider, Proprietary SoftwareProprietary softwareProprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary...
) - Aethera http://sourceforge.net/projects/aethera/, a client solely for the Kolab 1 format, available for Windows, GNU/Linux and MacOSX http://sourceforge.net/projects/aethera/files/Aethera/1.2.1/ (Free SoftwareFree softwareFree software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
)
History
2002:- Kolab 1 / Kroupware was designed http://kroupware.kolab.org/documentation.html utilising iCalICalendariCalendar is a computer file format which allows Internet users to send meeting requests and tasks to other Internet users, via email, or sharing files with an extension of .ics...
and vCardVCardvCard is a file format standard for electronic business cards. vCards are often attached to e-mail messages, but can be exchanged in other ways, such as on the World Wide Web or Instant Messaging...
formats to store calendar entries, contacts, notes, tasks etc. in Kolab's IMAP directoriesInternet Message Access ProtocolInternet message access protocol is one of the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval, the other being the Post Office Protocol...
.
2003:
- KMail and the KDE-PIM software were enhanced, creating the Kroupware-Client http://kroupware.kolab.org/howto-kolab-kde-client.html.
- Kolab 1.0 was released http://kroupware.kolab.org/.
- The first Outlook connector was developed.
2004:
- Aethera became a Kolab 1 groupware client.
- Citadel/UXCitadel/UXCitadel/UX is a collaboration suite that is descended from the Citadel family of programs which became popular in the 1980s and 1990s as a bulletin board system platform. It is designed to run on open source operating systems such as Linux or BSD...
learned how to mimic a Kolab 1 groupware server http://www.citadel.org/doku.php/weblog:ignatiustfoobar:2005-03-12_the_way_forward?s=kolab. - Kolab 2 was designed as a general overhaul and implemented utilising the versatile and extensible Kolab Open Format http://www.kolab.org/documentation.html#developers to store groupware data.
- The Kroupware-Client matured to KDE KontactKontactKMail supports folders, filtering, viewing HTML mail, and international character sets. It can handle IMAP, IMAP IDLE, dIMAP, POP3, and local mailboxes for incoming mail. It can send mail via SMTP or sendmail...
.
2005:
- The "KolabSyncML" (http://sourceforge.net/projects/kolabsyncml/: "Sync4j Kolab Connector / SyncSource"), a Kolab Java interface and Funambol connector http://www.forge.funambol.org/participate/projects.html, had its first alpha release.
- Kolab 2.0 was released.
- A second Outlook connector appeared on the market.
- The SyncKolab project started developing a Mozilla ThunderbirdMozilla ThunderbirdMozilla Thunderbird is a free, open source, cross-platform e-mail and news client developed by the Mozilla Foundation. The project strategy is modeled after Mozilla Firefox, a project aimed at creating a web browser...
/ SeaMonkeySeaMonkeySeaMonkey is a free and open source cross-platform Internet suite. It is the continuation of the former Mozilla Application Suite, based on the same source code...
and Lightning connector.
2006:
- Kolab 2.1 was designed with many significant enhancements over 2.0.
2007:
- Kolab 2.1 was released.
- A third Outlook connector was released.
2008:
- SyncKolab 1.0 was released.
- Kolab 2.2 was released, with full support of multiple mail domains, integrated HordeHorde (software)Horde is a PHP-based Web application framework.It offers applications such as the Horde IMP email client, a groupware package , a wiki and a time and task tracking software.-Horde Email Platform:...
webfrontend, updated base packages (OpenPKGOpenPKGOpenPKG is a open source package management system for Unix. It is based on the well known RPM-system and allows easy and unified installation of packages onto common Unix-platforms ....
, OpenLDAPOpenLDAPOpenLDAP Software is a free, open source implementation of the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol developed by the OpenLDAP Project. It is released under its own BSD-style license called the OpenLDAP Public License. LDAP is a platform-independent protocol. Several common Linux distributions...
, Cyrus IMAPCyrus IMAP serverThe Cyrus IMAP server differs from other IMAP server implementations in that it is generally intended to be run on sealed servers, where normal users cannot log in. The mail spool uses a filesystem layout and format similar to the Maildir format used by other popular email servers such as qmail,...
, PostfixPostfix (software)In computing, Postfix is a free and open-source mail transfer agent that routes and delivers electronic mail. It is intended as a fast, easier-to-administer, and secure alternative to the widely-used Sendmail MTA....
, PerlPerlPerl is a high-level, general-purpose, interpreted, dynamic programming language. Perl was originally developed by Larry Wall in 1987 as a general-purpose Unix scripting language to make report processing easier. Since then, it has undergone many changes and revisions and become widely popular...
, ApacheApache HTTP ServerThe Apache HTTP Server, commonly referred to as Apache , is web server software notable for playing a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web. In 2009 it became the first web server software to surpass the 100 million website milestone...
, PHPPHPPHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
, etc.), easier integration in operating systemOperating systemAn operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
distributions, and many other new features.
2009:
- Kolab 2.2.1 was released, as an enhancement and maintenance release, integrating an updated web-client (HordeHorde (software)Horde is a PHP-based Web application framework.It offers applications such as the Horde IMP email client, a groupware package , a wiki and a time and task tracking software.-Horde Email Platform:...
) and preliminary SyncMLSyncMLSyncML is the former name for a platform-independent information synchronization standard. The project is currently referred to as Open Mobile Alliance Data Synchronization and Device Management...
support. - Kolab 2.2.2 was released, as a maintenance release of the Kolab 2.2 branch.
- Kolab 2.2.3 was released, further enhancing functionality, stability and scalability of the Kolab 2.2 branch.
2010:
- KolabiPhone http://sourceforge.net/projects/kolabiphone/, a Kolab sync-connector for the iPhoneIPhoneThe iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, had its first pre-alpha release. - Two new Free SoftwareFree softwareFree software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
Kolab sync-connectors for Android and Outlook were announced http://zboxdev.org/en/blog/2010/02/kolab-sync-android-outlook-developer-preview/ and their first alpha-releases published (http://code.google.com/p/kolab-android/downloads/, http://code.google.com/p/kolab-outlook/downloads/). - Syncphony was released, which extends Kolab with a FunambolFunambolFunambol is an American corporation that earns revenue from its dual-licensing business model that includes commercial software and free open source mobile data synchronization software based on the Funambol core project.-Funambol-based companies:...
connector and offers Kolab-functionality as a web-serviceWeb serviceA Web service is a method of communication between two electronic devices over the web.The W3C defines a "Web service" as "a software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network". It has an interface described in a machine-processable format...
. - SyncKolab 1.5 for Thunderbird 3 / Seamonkey 2 (optionally with Lightning 1.0-beta for calendars) was released.
- Kolab 2.2.4 was released as a maintenance release of the Kolab 2.2 branch.
- Kontact-Touch was released http://dot.kde.org/2010/06/10/kde-pim-goes-mobile, offering full Kolab-functionality on mobile devices, such as Smartphones and Tablets.
2011:
- Kolab 2.3.0 was released, containing many updated core components and other improvements, the new Z-pushZ-pushZ-Push is an open source implementation of the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync protocol which is used to synchronize email, personal contacts and other items between a central server and a mobile device...
synchronization for clients using ActiveSyncActiveSyncActiveSync is a mobile data synchronization technology and protocol developed by Microsoft, originally released in 1996. There are two implementations of the technology: one which synchronizes data and information with handheld devices with a specific desktop computer , and another technology,...
(in addition to the already existing SyncMLSyncMLSyncML is the former name for a platform-independent information synchronization standard. The project is currently referred to as Open Mobile Alliance Data Synchronization and Device Management...
support) and an overhauled web-based administration front-end. - Kolab 2.3.1 was released shortly thereafter, as a bugfix-release.
- Kolab 2.3.2 was released as a regular maintenance release of the Kolab 2.3 branch, with updated PostfixPostfix (software)In computing, Postfix is a free and open-source mail transfer agent that routes and delivers electronic mail. It is intended as a fast, easier-to-administer, and secure alternative to the widely-used Sendmail MTA....
and Z-pushZ-pushZ-Push is an open source implementation of the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync protocol which is used to synchronize email, personal contacts and other items between a central server and a mobile device...
components. - Kontact 2 was released http://kde.org/announcements/announce-4.6.4.php as part of the KDE-SC 4.6.4, with many improvements related to Kolab.
- evolution-kolab was released, which extends GNOME's Evolution and EDS (Evolution-Data-Server) to become a full-featured Kolab-client.
- Kolab 2.3.3 was released, providing a lot of bugfixes for the HordeHorde (software)Horde is a PHP-based Web application framework.It offers applications such as the Horde IMP email client, a groupware package , a wiki and a time and task tracking software.-Horde Email Platform:...
components and many updated base components (ApacheApache HTTP ServerThe Apache HTTP Server, commonly referred to as Apache , is web server software notable for playing a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web. In 2009 it became the first web server software to surpass the 100 million website milestone...
, Cyrus IMAPCyrus IMAP serverThe Cyrus IMAP server differs from other IMAP server implementations in that it is generally intended to be run on sealed servers, where normal users cannot log in. The mail spool uses a filesystem layout and format similar to the Maildir format used by other popular email servers such as qmail,...
, OpenLDAPOpenLDAPOpenLDAP Software is a free, open source implementation of the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol developed by the OpenLDAP Project. It is released under its own BSD-style license called the OpenLDAP Public License. LDAP is a platform-independent protocol. Several common Linux distributions...
, OpenSSLOpenSSLOpenSSL is an open source implementation of the SSL and TLS protocols. The core library implements the basic cryptographic functions and provides various utility functions...
and PHPPHPPHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
). - Kolab 2.3.4 was released as a bugfix release.
External links
- Kolab Project home page
- Kolab Systems AG home page (successor of the Kolab Konsortium)