Colin Charles Agenda

Zimbra is truly the answer to the open source mail+calendering+contact management application. I have been playing around, and more recently using in production, the Zimbra Collaboration Suite, and all I can say is that it’s darn impressive.

While evaluating, I was always worried about the upgrade process – it seemed like pain for some software you run out of an ./install.sh script, that has its own versions of a web server, LDAP, database, and so on. In fact, reading the Single Server installation guide states:

Important. You cannot have any other web server, database, LDAP, or MTA server running, when you install the Zimbra software. If you have installed any of the applications, before you install Zimbra software, disable these applications.

However, this is fully configurable during the setup process – run it at another port besides port 80, and you’ve got the usage of Apache again. This might I add, even works for upgrades – it saves the configuration rather sensibly. It doesn’t recognize CentOS officially, and that might be something they should fix in the Community edition. A Zimbra appliance (on Ubuntu Server?) might be really cool – think about the possibilities of collaboration in a box.

As with anything, there are complaints. No live backup, unless you buy the Network edition? Though the promising thread means that people are interested in prodding this further (I know, I am). Backups are horrendous – stop the server, copy /opt/zimbra, then restart. /opt/zimbra is large. mailx seems to not be so sensible in working, any longer, which means logwatch doesn’t get emails out to the root user.

Today, I also decided to give Zimbra Desktop a twirl. They have installers for Windows, OS X and Linux. It installed fine on Fedora Core 6 (i.e. for its java requirements, gcj must’ve sufficed. UPDATE: They have their own, shipped, JRE.). At version 0.36, upon asking it to start, it does ask for the location of my web browser, which seems a little daft. When I send it to the path that Firefox has, it automatically shuts the installer down, making me think it might have crashed (actually, moving to the workspace with Firefox installed, shows that the desktop account manager configuration has started!). Lo and behold, at localhost:7633, Zimbra starts syncing everything and I’ve got my mail locally! I don’t need to use Thunderbird for mail, or Evolution for calendering – the Zimbra Desktop just brings it all right to me, in my browser, even when I’m offline.

The Zimbra Desktop is your exact Zimbra online experience, delivered to you offline. It performs a sync at 60 seconds by default, and you get the full experience of the client, in your web browser. Cross browser, cross platform, similarity. They mention they’ve not got a price yet for this, but if I were them, I’d not charge for it – the client, really, needs to be free for mass adoption (and of course work with the Community and Network Editions). Of course, the differentiation can come from things like attachment searches/HTML rendering, rebranding, support, and so forth. But email in your web browser that syncs with the online server, that in itself should be free – no crippling necessary.

Technorati Tags: zimbra, zimbra desktop, zimbra collaboration suite, zcs, backup

Here comes a combined rant, from the random tabs opened in Firefox, about Malaysia.

Bloggers and the law
A Barisan National representative has mentioned that the same laws apply to those of newspapers and journals, even in the cyber world. I do agree that slander and libel should be avoided on the Internet, and getting sued for that, is probably sensible. However, censorship like in printed media, should be avoided (and as far as I remember, the MSC promise was that there will be no censorship of the Internet). I’ve been silent about the Jeff Ooi/Rocky case, because plagiarism is not something that is easily proven. Did Jeff and Rocky incorrectly slander Brendan?

The New Economic Policy
I don’t consider the NEP new, because its been around for over thirty years. Malaysia is probably the only nation that helps the majority, to become incompetent. Yes, maybe that is a strong word, but there’s no real other description for it – housing discounts, education preference, job discrimination, sleeping partners, gains without merit and the list goes on. However, there are calls within UMNO to get rid of the NEP, which is excellent. Tun Musa Hitam states that “there was a need to have a change in mindset to draw investors to the country.” No interests in cronyism, nepotism, the NEP. Yes! I quote the article, again:

In the last few decades of the NEP, the country used to have an Ali Baba way of doing business where Ali would give his name and Baba would do all the work.  

“As time went on, Ali and Baba became equal and Ali was able to deliver as much as Baba. Now, there are even Alis who are using the Babas not as sleeping partners but as equals,” he quipped.

Will we see change soon? Will people in Malaysia be recognized on merit? Not by their race, the strings that they can pull, and so forth? One can only hope, or succumb to the brain drain that is already happening.

Copycats
What is with Malaysia? A long time ago, there was a Friendster spin-off, called Kawanster. Now, there’s a Digg clone? Aizat has a pretty good analysis of this. He asks if this is the best Malaysia can do – copying, or apeing other products? I’m beginning to wonder, myself.

WiMax
Malaysia should have rocking Internet access soon, I do hope. No more tied down to Streamyx, but WiMax access for everyone. The Star reports:

The four winners are REDTone-CNX Broadband Sdn Bhd,
Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd (formerly known as MIB Comm Sdn Bhd),
Asiaspace Dotcom Sdn Bhd and Bizsurf (M) Sdn Bhd (a unit of YTL-e
Solutions Bhd).

Those are the companies to be watching, when it comes to improving broadband in Malaysia.

Chevna
The Linux distribution du jour, for Malaysians? (yes, bandwidth limit exceeded now). These were the TrianceOS folk, now selling Ubuntu for between RM39.95-49.95. From what I gather, they use Ubuntu mainstream repositories, add to sources.list a few more repositories (like mediaubuntu, beryl, wine, etc.), and they also have a Chevna repository at http://www.chevna.com/chevna. Is this an act we should support? I mean, Ubuntu + a sources.list that’s sexy, isn’t something that I think is worth much. But lifetime e-support? For RM50? I believe they’re going to encounter problems – even basing it off an LTS release, it probably doesn’t make sense to support something for life. And what about hardware issues?

It remains to be seen what they gather over just selling support for Ubuntu per se (I’d say, RM50/year, for Ubuntu support might make sense). And the next LTS release from Ubuntu, will send out free media. If anyone has tried Chevna yet, please do post your comments – I’m interested in giving it a twirl, the moment they fix their bandwidth issues.

Technorati Tags: malaysia, bloggers, law, new economic policy, nep, copycats, digg, wimax, chevna, ubuntu, linux, distribution, politics

We had about a 70% increase in applications for the Google Summer of Code, in the last 24-hours. This prompted me to post to the summer-discuss list, pimping some new projects. We’re rocking in getting external mentors, for projects that will benefit the community:

• I already pimped Sheeri a few days ago, and she’s got the MySQL Auditing Software up her sleeve
• We’ve also got Paul McCullagh (of PBXT storage engine fame), wanting The “anti-profiler” – a performance analysis tool for database engines

Now comes the interesting task of separating the wheat from the chaff. We prefer applications that are specific (don’t send an application saying you’ll work on anything – thats not a strong application, at all). Check your feedback. We can’t be emailing all of you individually and tying that in with the Google web-app, as well.

In case anyone’s wondering why the Friday->Saturday has given us a 70% increase in applications, I’m pretty certain its the idea behind college kids liking to procrastinate and leaving things to the last minute. Guess this is going to make my weekend, interesting.

Technorati Tags: google summer of code, gsoc, summer of code, learn, code, mysql, auditing, profiling, performance analysis, performance

It is. Look what gems I found today:

• Ubuntu Feisty will have a cool command-not-found package. It will tell you where to find said application, and how to install it. Look at the examples in Alan Pope’s blog entry. (apparently, this is in Edgy)
• Fluendo has got some amazing codecs, and its worth supporting them by buying it. Fedora 7, instead of complaining of a missing codec everytime you try to play something, will have a codec buddy, according to Chris Blizzard.

All this means great things for Linux users. And new Linux users. Think about how easy all this will be, for the average home user? They follow something online, they hit up the command line, and they get helped. Even better if they don’t have to hit up the command line, just pop the DVD in, Totem sees it, it doesn’t have the correct codec, and voila, codec buddy helps you go to the Fluendo store, selecting exactly what you need. Have credit card handy, and you’re ready to watch your content.

Keeping in mind, that your mother will not want to know the difference between Windows Media or MPEG2. She’ll just want it to work! (In fact, after being spoiled by OS X for over 1.5 years, I too just want things to work.) Of course now, I do hope that both the Linux community distribution behemoths share these cool features (or should I say, adapt from each other).

Technorati Tags: end user, linux, friendly, command-not-found, codec buddy, fluendo, codecs, usability

Well, that’s right. Student applications close this Saturday, the 24th, so I’d be right in saying its mid-week, so get your applications coming in for the Google Summer of Code.

To be a bit of a tease, MySQL has actually upped the amount of projects that we think students can accomplish, by adding a brand new section on Replication and Backup Development. Everyone talks about backing up, and this is an excellent way for a student to get inspired by doing something seriously important!

Sheeri Kritzer, long time MySQL DBA and prolific Planet MySQL author, has also decided that she’s going to mentor MySQL Auditing Software. While this is not something that will make the main tree (i.e. its not part of the server), it is excellent to be another project all by itself. More supporting MySQL-based software, is a good thing. And it truly shows that MySQL is working alongside the community!

Well, thats all. I’ll go back to fielding your questions and stuff. Its amazing to note that being a project administrator isn’t exactly the easiest task. When Google tell you, you’ll be needing a lot of time, they’re right.

Technorati Tags: google summer of code, gsoc, summer of code, learn, code, mysql, replication, backup, auditing

I bit the bullet, and picked up a Hyundai Getz today. Its the 5-door hatchback, that I’ve been mulling over for a few days. Maiden voyage from Nunawading to Doncaster, to Nunawading, then to Clayton, which was pretty good. I obviously have to watch the speedometer a lot closer, as the numerous speed cameras are probably going to cause me grief.

Of the useful things to note, is that you are advised to buy insurance, before you actually own the car. Then you get a cover note, which is valid for 2 weeks, and it means your car is insured and ready to go. Because I’m under-25, and male, insurance tends to cost a lot of money – I’ve found that AAMI seem to offer just about the cheapest rates, in comparison to Commonwealth Bank or RACV. Roadside assistance is probably important, and that isn’t covered by insurance (duh!), so a RACV memebership seems to be something that’s required.

Maps just don’t give me the confidence to get to a location, so I’m looking for a cheap, yet reliable GPS unit, with mapping support (i.e. my handheld Garmin eTrex is kind of useless). If anyone has any idea what’s sensible, in terms of GPS units, I’d be willing to hear suggestions. Is TomTom or Garmin better? Or are the HP PDA’s any good (with the TomTom software)? What are sync options for Linux users?

Okay, I think its time to pore over the material in the manual, and burn a CD with MP3 music (I bet there are no car audio systems that play OGG).