Using Uniform Server for Mozilla Thunderbird Lightning

[DannyH]

Hi Guys, it’s been a while!!

 

I was just wondering if anyone has been able to do the following on Uniform Server:

(or might be able to help? Sorry for my lack of knowledge on this)

 

I would like to use Mozilla Thunderbird Calendar “Lightning” to share calendars between users but as I understand this is mainly done using Linux Server Platforms

 

This is what Mozilla say about it in the FAQ

 

 

How can I publish my events on a remote server?

 

You can create your calendar on a calendar server that supports CalDAV, or WCAP, or has a calendar data provider add-on.

CalDAV, WCAP, and some add-on protocols permit a calendaring client such as Sunbird or Lightning to tell the server to modify individual events, and the servers prevent or detect overwriting changes by two people or programs. When you subscribe to a calendar using these methods, changes you make are saved back to the server one event or task at a time.

You can also publish events from the calendar as a personal .ics file on an FTP server (Sunbird only) or a webDAV enabled web server. You can use the calendar to subscribe to these events as well. Since this method overwrites the entire file for each change, it is not for calendars modified by more than one person or program, nor for large calendars.

 

How can I serve my shared calendars?

 

One way is to store your calendar on a public calendar service. There are many; check with your email provider, or search the web. Some store only whole ics files modified by a single user, while others provide a service with a more robust calendaring protocol such as CalDAV (or WCAP), to better handle large calendars and changes by multiple users.

To serve shared calendars from your own server machine, the best way is to install a service specifically designed to manage calendars, typically using a protocol such as CalDAV, or WCAP. Both open source and commercially supported calendar service software packages are available.

If only one person or program will modify a small calendar, you can use a webDAV server. If you run your own web server, you can install mod_dav, a free Apache module that will turn your web server into a webDAV server. Instructions on how to set it up are on their website. Once you set up your webDAV server, you can publish your calendar to the site, then subscribe to it from any other Calendar. Automatically updating the calendar will give you a poor man's calendar server.

 

Now I already run Uniform Server in production so if there is a way to active this or any help or assistance I would be greatly appreciated

 

Regards

 

Danny

[Ric]

Hi Danny,

 

Apache's configuration file (UniServer\usr\local\apache2\conf\httpd.conf) contains this section:

# Mod_Dav Module Settings
#<IfModule mod_dav.c>
 #LoadModule dav_fs_module modules/mod_dav_fs.so
 #	DavLockDB C:/Nano_5_3/UniServer/tmp/DavLock
#<Directory "C:/Nano_5_3/UniServer/www/">
#	AuthName "The Uniform Server"
#	AuthUserFile C:/Nano_5_3/UniServer/htpasswd/home/admin/www/.htpasswd
#	AuthType Basic
#	AllowOverride None
#	Dav On
#	Require valid-user
#</Directory>
#</IfModule>
# End Mod_Dav Settings

Enabling this block will give you a full WebDAV server!

This is overkill for your calendar.

You can use a single folder hence the above requires a few modifications.

 

First decide on a folder name to house your calendar for example “calendar”

Create this folder in the web root folder UniServer\www

 

Next create a file containing a user name and password this user is allowed to update your calendar. Uniform Server groups all name/password files in folder “htpasswd”

1] Create a new folder UniServer\htpasswd\www\calendar

2] Copy one of the files .htpasswd to the above folder.

3] Edit this copied file and change the name and password (default is root:root)

 

You need to inform Apache where to find the calendar folder and the password file.

The above will look like this:

# Mod_Dav Module Settings
<IfModule mod_dav.c>
 LoadModule dav_fs_module modules/mod_dav_fs.so
  DavLockDB C:/Nano_5_3/UniServer/tmp/DavLock
<Directory "C:/Nano_5_3/UniServer/www/calendar/">
AuthName "The Uniform Server"
AuthUserFile C:/Nano_5_3/UniServer/htpasswd/www/calendar/.htpasswd
AuthType Basic
AllowOverride None
Dav On

  <LimitExcept OPTIONS>
  Require user username
  </LimitExcept>

</Directory>
</IfModule>
# End Mod_Dav Settings

I have added a “LimitExcept” block, as it stands will prompt for a username/password every time a read or save file is made using WebDAV.

 

You probably do not want that for your users hence change the block as shown below:

   <LimitExcept GET OPTIONS>
  Require user username
  </LimitExcept>

Any user can read the calendar and won’t be asked for a password.

 

Save file and run “Apache Syntax check”

No errors reported, you can restart Apache

 

Testing:

Copy an existing calendar into the calendar folder and check your client can read it.

Use your client to update the calendar.

I have not used these tool hence no details.

 

Hope the above is of some help; at least it will get you started.

 

All the best

Ric

[DannyH]

Ric you’re a star

 

I will give this ago today and let you know how I get on

 

kindest regards

 

Danny

[DannyH]

Hi Ric,

 

Feedback on Mod_Dav

 

First thing first, thanks so much Ric for your help and your really good instructions on how to active this.

 

This is for anyone who may want to use the shared calendar function using Mozzila Thunderbird with the Lightning Plugin

 

Theses Settings follow on from Ric's instructions as above (Setup Uniform Server First)

 

Once you have installed Thunderbird and the Lightning Plugin select calendar from the bottom left and then:

 

1.in the left hand side panel under the default calender right click and select new calendar

2.select On My Computer

3.Type a Name

4.click next

5.now right click the calendar you have just made and select Export Calendar

6.save as type “iCalendar (*.ics)”

7.export the calendar to a location of your choice

8.then place the file in www/calendar

9.delete the calendar from the left hand side panel that you have just setup

 

ok that's the calendar now setup and now we are going to connect to the calendar over the network

 

1.open Thunderbird

2.go to the bottom left and select calender

3.in the left hand pane under the default calendar right click

4.select new calender

5.select on the network “leave as icalendar (ICS)” as default

6.location: http://YOURADDRESS/calendar/danny.ics

7.change display name to want you want and choose color

8.leave the email address as yourself

9.click next to finish

10.it will then ask for a Username & Password that you setup earlier

11.select remember this password

12.you can now right click and delete the default home calendar if you want

13.go to the top tool bar and select tools & options

14.go across to the right hand side and select Lightning

15.change refresh settings to every 1 minute

 

Now all your users are able to connect to the shared calendar across the network and have full access

 

Bugs I have found so far

 

1st

if 2 users input data at exactly the same time and exactly the same appointment date & time it will generate an error. To resolve this you will have to delete one of the calendars that is affected from the left hand side panel and set it up again – no data will be lost

 

2nd bug

if the users are using reminders and they pop up at the same time 5 minutes before the appointment and both users click snooze or remind me in 5 minuets this also can generate the same error

 

these are just a couple of things I have found so far not sure why this is happening but there you go!

 

Be on the safe side and hit reload at the top just before you input any data, and make sure that you have selected refresh setting every 1 minute.

 

I think this will only affect a busy office.

 

Cheers & Thanks Ric

 

Danny

[Ric]

Hi Danny,

Just like to say what an ace post.

It brings the topic to a logical conclusion.

 

All the best

Ric