[kdepim-users] Kontact present and future and sync questions

[Ingo Klöcker]

On Friday 05 March 2010, Robert Hayes wrote:
> Apologies in advance for this lengthy post.
> 
> I'd like to use Kontact. I love the UI! The developers and designers
> have done a terrific job!
> 
> Here's my current situation, followed by numbered questions.
> 
> I'm traveling periodically and have acquired a netbook. I am trying
> to decide on a new contact manager / organizer package.
> 
> I work alone, and I'm the only person who uses both my desktop and
> netbook computers.
> 
> I'd like to be able to have the latest and complete data sets
> available on either computer after synchronization. On the desktop I
> have full time broadband, but when traveling I may be several days
> without internet connectivity. I'd like to be able to schedule
> appointments, respond to cached emails, etc while offline. Then when
> I return home have all the new work synchronized again in full.
> 
> Currently I using Kmail 3.x for email, and egroupware for scheduling
> and some contacts, running on a local apache server on my desktop.
> egroupware has been problematic, the email has never worked for me
> and upgrades have been difficult and usually unsuccessful. This may
> be just as much a result of complications with apt as anything else.
> 
> I use paper printouts when I travel .
> 
> I'm comfortable with mySQL, and have no problem with running a server
> on both the desktop and netbook if that is required to get the best
> out of Kontact. I've programmed database software professionally
> years ago. I've read as much information as I can find on Akonadi
> and its associated layer software, but still don't understand it
> all.
> 
> Questions:
> 
> 1) Will all the apps in Kontact eventually use Akonadi as their data
> repository?

No. Akonadi is no data storage. Akonadi is a layer between data storage 
and the applications.


> 2) Will it be possible in the future to run Kontact apps with
> individual flat- file data sources as in the past?

Yes. Absolutely.


> 3) If everything will be in an Akonadi db in the future will
> synchronization simply mean duplicating the db across machines?

No. The Akonadi db should not be duplicated. It just contains meta data 
to give the applications faster access to the important parts of the 
data. You can probably think of it as a smart cache with a nice API for 
applications to get the data. You will want to duplicate the data 
storage(s) (e.g. the flat calendar or address book files), not the 
cache.


> 4) (This may be the important question) Until Akonadi is implemented
> for all contained apps, how can I sync both machines? Copy the
> /home/user folder and Akonadi db?

No. Just copy the data. Ignore the Akonadi db. (It doesn't harm to also 
copy the Akonadi db, but you must not do this when the db is still 
running because the db might be in an inconsistent state when you copy 
the db files.)


> 5) After Akonadi is fully implemented for all apps how will
> synchronization be handled? Will this process be programmed, or will
> it be necessary to handle it directly through mySQL?

There are some plans for handling synchronization, but for the time 
being you are better off simply synchronizing/copying the data 
storage(s).


Regards,
Ingo
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 198 bytes
Desc: This is a digitally signed message part.
URL: <http://mail.kde.org/pipermail/kdepim-users/attachments/20100305/ecbcbf0e/attachment.sig>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
KDE PIM users mailing list
kdepim-users at kde.org
https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kdepim-users