2.3. Manual Configuration
We will now go through the case where we choose the Disable groupware functions option when starting groupware configuration wizard.
This case is also interesting for the user who already have KMail without groupware functionality running on hers station, as nearly all configuration will be done from the KMail main menu by running Settings->KMail Configuration.
Let us suppose that we choose to disable groupware functionality in the wizard configuration dialog.
The dialog we will come to, at this stage after pushing the Next button, is prompting us to register our identity as described in our Default Configuration chapter above.
We will then have the possibility to register a Sending and a Receiving account. Do so, if you wish. We have described this procedure in the Advanced configuration part of this manual. Note that you could if you want register for example your usual KMail account here (SMTP/POP3). This will not impel us to register our kolab client/server account later.
We next have to confirm our setting by pushing the Finish button. The wizard inform us that The groupware functionality has been disabled.
KMail at start:.
Having KMail displayed on the screen, we can now reach the configuration for groupware via the Settings->Configure KMail menu, and need to access it in order to Enable groupware functionality.
The Configure-KMail dialog should pops up as displayed below:
Notice the Groupware folder at the left bottom of the dialog.
Our identity is already set up as we configured it while running the wizard. If you did not configure your identity yet or eventually if you want to add one, just click on the New... button to set it up as explain above.
Let us have a look at the procedure to set up our groupware functionality. The process to register the Sending (SMTP) and the Receiving (Disconnected IMAP) account is identical to the procedure we went through in the Advanced configuration section of this manual.
Don't forget to select the Server supports Sieve option of the Filtering page in the Receiving part of the Add account dialog, in order to be able to use the Out of Office Reply feature of Kolab (KMail in groupware mode).
Important: Before you activate the Groupware mode, you have to click on the Apply button in the Setup for Sending and Receiving Messages page of the dialog.The system will recognize that you have setup a Cached IMAP account and create its folders.You should get a new folder tree as shown below:
We will now activate Groupware mode. To do so, click on the Groupware folder icon at the bottom left of the dialog. The Configure Groupware page is displayed:
We will now have a closer look at this dialog and explain the options available:
Enable groupware functionality: Select this option to activate Groupware mode.
Language for groupware folders: Choose the language most appropriate for groupware to be able to communicate with other applications.
Groupware folders are sub-folders of: Choose the INBOX folder of your Cached IMAP account.
Legacy mode: Mangle From/To: headers in replies to invitations: This option is an Outlook work around and allows your KMail in Kolab mode invitation to be understand by a Outlook user. If you need to send an invitation to a Outlook user, select it.
Legacy mode: Strip alarms from invitation mails: This is also an Outlook workaround, Outlook does not understand the standard vCal format for alarms, so if you send an invitation with an alarm to an Outlook user, it is not seen as an invitation. This strips off all alarm settings from the invitations you send out. If you plan to send some invitation to an Outlook user, select this option.
Automatically accept resource requests: Let us use an example to understand this function better: You want to use a company car.The secretary have made a car account on the kolab server. She also have an account in her kmail that connects to that car account. She has set that to automatically sync every five minutes. Since you want to use the car, you make an invitation mentioning the time you want to book it in and invite the car. When the secretary syncs the account, KMail in Kolab mode sees the invitation and since this is an automatic resource account, automatically sends a reply - accept if the car is free, decline if the car is not free. You then get the answer and see if you can use the car .
Automatically decline conflicting requests:This option complete the one described above in case, the secretary want to see the eventual time-slots conflicts and want to handle them by hand.
The default configuration should look as displayed in the view above, when done click on the OK button to close the dialog, validate your choices and activate groupware.
The cached imap sub-folder should be transformed to icons, click on the Calendar icon, you KMail in groupware mode should be display as shown below:
Groupware mode has now been activated, but we are not entirely done yet. We have to make sure that the enhanced KOrganizer part of KMail in groupware mode is correctly configured (especially the Time Zone). You will notice that some new menu entries has been created in different parts of the main menu.
Point to Settings->Configure KOrganizer (Main menu), to open the Preferences dialog:
The Personal page display our groupware setup by default, several options are proposed:
Send copy to owner when mailing events: If selected, you will get a copy of all e-mail messages that KOrganizer sends to the event attendees.
Enable automatic saving of calendar: The calendar is saved periodically at the interval given.
Confirm deletes: If checked you will be prompted to confirm each time an event is deleted from your calendar.
Mail Client: KMail by default, no need to change that.
Click on the Time & Date icon, to access its configuration page:
Most important is to make sure the Timezone option is correctly setup, to the area where you operate.
Timezone:Specifies your time zone in hours offset from UTC (GMT).KOrganizer will automatically adjust for daylight savings.
Default appointment time: When you create an event from the Action Menu or the Menu Bar, KOrganizer will register this hour as the default start value.
Default duration time of a new appointment: When you create an event from the Action menu or the menu bar, KOrganizer will use this duration as the default value.
Default alarm time: When you create an event with alarm (Reminder), KOrganizer will register the value given as the default value for the Reminder.
Working Hours: KOrganizer displays a contrasted color in the Calendar view between the Working Hours and the rest of the day. Excluding holidays or Saturdays means that the hours of those days will be displayed with the same color some the Non Working Hours.
Show seconds on Marcus Brains line: When observing your Calendar view you will notice a time indicator line which display the actual time of the day. If you want this indicator to display seconds select this option.
The Fonts, Colors and Views pages of the Preferences dialog does not contain any specific Groupware features. To know more about its setup, consult the KOrganizer Handbook pointing at Help->KOrganizer Handbook from the Main Menu.
Another important setup related to the groupware functionality can be accessed by clicking on the Group Automation icon of the Preferences dialog:
The default configuration as presented in the view above as been set automatically by groupware. If you want to use the Publish/Retrieve Free Busy Information feature of KMail in groupware mode you will have to make sure your setup is correct.
Publish your free/busy information:When selected it allows others to take your calendar into account when inviting you. You can setup the number of Calendar days to be published.
Server information: Choose the server where you want your free/busy information to be published.
User name and Password Set here the Login and Password related to the server where your free/busy information will be published. By selecting the Remember password option you avoid to be prompted each time the the client connects to the server to publish your free/busy information.
Let us have a look at the Retrieve part of the Group Automation page:
As you can see, it looks pretty like the Publish part of this configuration dialog and has to be setup the same way as described above.