2 Apps Left for full Win to Lin conversion

[skamania24]

I've been wanting to make a full conversion from Windows to Linux for quite some time (originally using Mandrake...Now using FreeBSD). Anyways, there are only 2 apps left that I need to either get working or find an alternative to them:

Outlook (calendar, notepad, etc needed)
pcAnywhere

Unfortunately, my office hasn't upgraded exchange to 2000 yet, so the Ximian plugin for evolution won't work. I've heard tales through other threads in this forum that pcAnywhere has worked under wine (once).

I would use VMWare, but a) it doesn't support FreeBSD Host, and b) I would still be running a windows OS, and taking a huge hit on pc performance doing it.

Any ideas out there? Thanks.Email Me (cvandyke@elynx.com)

[DerekKraan]

Since X is a network protocol, you don't need PC Anywhere. You just have to run an X Session over the net(which would be very slow, but still doable)

I'm not sure what Outlook does besides email, but you could try Evolution. As for a corporate desktop, you could try ximian(ximian.org).

FreeBSD isn't linux...it's BSD. The only big difference is the kernel though.

[SuperNu]

You could always use VNC under Linux and Windows to be a good substitute for PC Anywhere. I have seen a howto on how to use VNC under Windows, but I don't remember where I have seen it. There is an article in the library on using VNC with Linux (http://www.justlinux.com/nhf/Networks/Using_VNC_with_Linux.html). As for Outlook, I would suggest Evolution as a replacement for Outlook. If you don't use Outlook for its more advanced features, you could also use Mozilla Mail, Mozilla Thunderbird or one of the many other email client available (http://freshmeat.net/search/?q=email+client&section=projects&x=0&y=0).

--SN

[swiftnet]

If you must connect to an exchange 5.5 server, you'll need outlook. Ex5.5 web access is poor, but if that is good enough for your needs, it'll work. Crossover Office will run outlook, you'll just need to make sure to add the exchange server to your hosts file.

http://www.codeweavers.com/site/products/cxoffice/


I prefer win4lin to run Windows apps for my clients as it is very stable and fast. Win4Lin does require a '98 license, but it is so very compatible with almost all (no 3D games) Windows apps.

http://www.netraverse.com

I tried for the past year to get Ex5.5 to talk to anything but outlook - no go (for me at least).

Before your company moves to echange 2K - show 'em SuSE OpenExchange 4.x - costs less, is based on standards, more stability, much less virus friendly, allows different email clients to connect, has an awesome web interface.

[swiftnet]

PC Anywhere is not necessary, as stated earlier, VNC will work very well for you. Tightvnc is fast and is easy to get and best of all - is cross platform.

http://www.tightvnc.com

[Icarus]

I've gotten Evolution working with Exchange, without the plugin. The plugin gives full sharing use of the Calander and a few other minor treats. The majority works just fine.

I had PCAnywhere version 8 working with wine...once, not to mention it was completely unstable. I gave up on it and installed RealVNC on the Windows systems and that way they were accessable no matter what OS I was running. PCAnywhere is not worth it to get working. PCA is a 16+ meg install and VNC is about 600k...what in the world do we need 15+meg for a remote for???

If you can't get VNC on any of the remotes, you might have to start playing political games if it's at work...a year later I'm still in that struggle...:(
Nothing but MS lovers at work, yet they worship the HP-UX server I manage and I must use MS for all the other crap I get sucked into...:mad:

[swiftnet]

You were able to use a shared address book connecting Evolution to an Exchange 5.x server?
How?

TIA

[skamania24]

Mahdi,
I believe you were the originator of the message where I saw the screenshot of pcAnywhere working (once). I guess I just figured that if it worked once, it could work again. I've pretty much given up though. Most of our servers run 2k server with terminal services, so I just use rdesktop to connect to all of them. However, a few of them need to have file transfer ability.

That is where pcAnywhere comes in. I've seen a new "Ultr@vnc" which says it supports file transfers, but haven't had the chance to play with it yet. VNC is scary to our world though since my company deals with many financial institutions, including 6 of the top 10 lenders in the nation. Security is a must, and I've always heard that vnc isn't up to par in that aspect.

As far as Outlook is concerned, I'm not majorly disappointed that I can't make it work. Exchange and our Blackberry enterprise server send all my mail to my phone. I can answer tasks and meetings no problem. But attachments are an issue. As stated in a message above "Web Access" sucks for 5.5.

In the end, I don't think the company will change because "I" want to use linux/unix/bsd OS's. I was just hoping to remove the XP partition on my machine and say "Yeah, I did it".

Thanks for the help all.

--chris

[swiftnet]

You could always use vnc via an ssh tunnel - very secure.
Is crossover office out? It will run outlook.

[skamania24]

Not only does crossover office run outlook, it also runs PCAnywhere. I'm set!!!! For anybody out there that has the "Requirement" of running windows apps in the workplace, I suggest crossover office.

Thanks again everyone!!

--chris

[swiftnet]

Now all you need to do is introduce the money guys to SuSE OpenExchange to replace Ex5.5!

[whkoh]

Is pcAnywhere supported in Crossover Office? I can't find it in the list of supported apps: http://www.codeweavers.com/site/products/cxoffice/supported_apps/

[skamania24]

Is pcAnywhere supported.....No.....Does it run.....Kinda......
you can't run a host, only a remote, and you have to be using either 8.0 or 9.2.1 I've found that 105 is harder to make work. There is no support for CryptoAPI built by default into the codeweaver's version of wine.(though I fully intend to make it work :p

One snag I've hit, is that the "Remove Application" portion of Crossover Office doesn't seem to work too well, if the application installed isn't one of the mentioned "Supported Apps". Furthermore, a manual deletion process doesn't work too well cause the regedit32 that they supply is a read only version of the registry. You can't modify anything.

Overall though, I definitely think Crossover is a valuable program for those forced within the M$ confines in the office.

[keyshawn]

dunno if this site can help you but:

try this list - http://linuxshop.ru/linuxbegin/win-lin-soft-en/table.shtml