The Trouble In Calendars

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21

Hello Everyone.

My research is almost complete.

So far the only trouble i have is with webtop.
@webtop_team i need support and assistance on this matter.
I have not been able so far, to figure out a way to synchronize webtop calendar with anything else.

  1. Not able to synchronize with nextcloud.
  2. Not able to synchronize with google calendar
  3. Not Able to synchronize with windows calendar
  4. Not able to synchronize with outlook calendar.

Does anyone here know how i can achieve any of these options.

I came accross this nice tool https://caldavsynchronizer.org/
on the options i do not see webtop listed, though sogo and nextcloud are listed, among with other calendars.

Could @webtop_team reach out to them and have a conversation so that webtop is also included. A huge number of all other major mail systems are listed.

I will later on write a detailed instruction and tutorial on my finding, after which i will invite all other members towards the development of an open source project to solve this calendar problem. Based on my findings.

22

If it’s a calDAV server you’ve chance to synchronize it in read-only mode

Yes, in read-only mode

You can use that plugin by configuring webtop as a generic server.

Keep in mind that the management of CalDAV/CardDAV on Outlook is practically unusable, with all the good will of the programmers of that plugin.

23

I am confused with this statement.

Generally speaking. I have been doing two way sync so far with nextcloud and outlook with the said plugin.

what do you mean by practically unusable

24

if it works for you, good.
In my tests I found outlook blocks, synchronization errors, biblical times to finish synchronizations.

25

just to raise this topic up and also brainstorm on the same issues, i know alot has changed since the pandemic and there are very many options to actually get things done, here is a nice calendar booking tool i came across.

it is an open source solution that offers a calendly alternative but self hosted. maybe we can also adopt it for install in NENthserver.

26

@oneitonitram

Hi

There are already three working calendar solutions on NethServer (Nextcloud, WebTop, SoGo).
Why would anyone want another calendar?

And this one isn’t a real calendar, it’s ONLY an appointment booking app


However, if you have use for something like this, try installing it and see if you can get it working.
The next step would be to write a how-to


My 2 cents
Andy

27

What I’d like is a “calendar server” that WebTop, Nextcloud, SoGo, Thunderbird, etc. could all connect to–something that would work like IMAP, but for the calendar. I don’t think there’s any such thing at this point, though.

3 Likes
28

@danb35

I quite agree, a centralized “calendar” service would be nice. The “protocoll” would - most likely - be CalDAV, which works for all three products on NethServer and numerous, independent clients like Thunderbird.

Actually, all three products in Neth can cover the Server side of things, only are somewhat limited (or VERY limited) when acting as client
 Nextcloud has an independent Mail client, why not adapt the (quite usable) Web GUI as independant CalDAV client?

My 2 cents
Andy

2 Likes
29

I haven’t looked into it much but i did come across bedework

30

that seems interesting, question is does it play well working.with other calendear server, like nextcloud. would it work well with say, webtop, and others. maybe we can try to isntall it on nethserver and test. if it wont break thing, since am scared of java


31

@oneitonitram

Hi Martin

NO calendar Server will play well with another Calendar Server - both provide the same service.
Additionally, both are servers. They’re NOT “clients”, although Nextcloud includes a Web client for their server.

They’re NOT intended to sync eg with Google Android Calendar or any other. A Calendar Server provides a service any cpable client can connect to.

What’s wrong simply using Nextcloud? It works, any client can connect and sync


I’ve decided a few years ago to use Nextcloud for Calendaring and Adressbooks, for me and my clients - and have not had reason to regret this


Why reinvent the wheel


My 2 cents
Andy

32

that works, and yes, Nextcloud works very well as a complete calendar tool.
unfortunately, most systems dont play well with caldav. and alo, when meeting links and multiple other things are sent, they create a calenda event meant for either google calenda or for outlook.

Most calenda booking engines, like calendly dont really suppport caldav. unless they began.

there was a time i came accross calendly alternative that charges fixed rice, and supported caldav, i forgot the name ad been trying to find it back, i had share with you the same.

but overall, if you use calenda booking apps, good luck integrating with nextcloud, for most.

Nowadays we make use of myriads of software and tools which have some form of calenda or another, the headache is making sure all these tools, somehow are aggregated into a single calenda dashboard. inclusing ERP, CRM systems, calenda booking systems, even softwares like jitsi and zoom.

The mail app inside nextcloud is not full featured enough for a number of situations, so one may be forced to use another interface, like webtop or sogo. but when this happens, calendar events there ar enot synced to nextcloud, unless there is aothermedium of getting this done.

So, yeah, calendar can be a pain and headache. i did manage to link nextcloud to windows, and have two way sync. which meant even google events were added to windows calenda and its cool, but for those, if you go to nextcloud, nada

33

Hi

Neither I nor my clients have any need for unknown third party making entries to a calendar.
For what?

We are human beings, not an institution like a hotel, restaurant or doctor, where you need an appointing / reservation system


My 2 cents
Andy

34

yeah, in your case, thats fine.

But look at it form a business man, who has to manage events, as well as clients meeting appointments, on top of that schedules for client work and delivery schedules etc. googluck trying to get all those done manually.

35

I agree that mail in Nextcloud is NOT usable, I use Roundcube for Webmail, also for my clients


But again ALL my clients, and their employees all use a desktop / notebook / smartphone which can handle that. Webmail / Nextcloud WebCalendar is ONLY a stopgap, if someone lost their phone or are without devices visiting


I do not want EVERY Interface handling synching and all options


All my clients are SME businesses, all use calendar. Some use Outlook, some use Mac with the built in Calendar. Some use Thunderbird, some Linux / BSD. All work without issues with Nextcloud, Google Calendar and others.

And business processes on a personal calendar? That’s professional?
That should be on the companies sheduling system, whatever is in use. That can be displayed in /on one’s personal device, but that’s another issue.
For such “business” processes, I often use a shared calendar on Nextcloud, if the company does not have such software - or prefers not to use their “business” software for that (Incapable Calendar eg in doctors software).These business calendars run under a special user, not as admin!

36

I book a flight, they send me a .ics file to note it (date, time, flight number, confirmation number, etc.) on my calendar. Hotel? Tickets for a show? Same thing. I don’t want them automatically updating my calendar (nor do they), but a file that will put all the relevant information on my calendar is pretty useful.

With that said, though, I haven’t had a problem using the Nextcloud calendar for such things. Nor have I had any trouble syncing its calendar with iPhone, Android, the macOS calendar, or Thunderbird’s calendar.

1 Like
37

@danb35

I feel exactly the same about this. An .ics file works almost for everyone

More is not needed.

I also have about 30 clients using Nexcloud for Calendaring, that’s about 200 people using this Nextcloud system, with ALL sorts of clients
 Tablets, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux

No issues


My 2 cents
Andy

38

yes, and Nextcloud works perfectly, as a glue to all these other windows, as i had mentioned earlier. and with these more new updates being rolled out, Nextcloud really becomes a fantastic glue.

39

Calendso now has full support for CalDav https://github.com/calendso/calendso/discussions/457

as indicated on the roadmap.

40

@oneitonitram

Hi

I thought you wanted to write a How-To for calendso two Months ago?
Still can’t find any link to some sort of how-to


No one else seems wanting an unknown person writing to their calendars, me included


My 2 cents
Andy