Conference nlfdc::linux-users

    re: .0
    
    I'm in the same boat.
    
    I'd love to find a way to eliminate the need for a Microsoft O/S in the
    Exchange environment.  IMO, Linux is a tremendously useful PC platform
    for performing real work; Windows 95 is very poor by comparison.
    
    I'm not expecting to see anything from Microsoft to help out here.  I
    doubt they will create a client to run on x86 architecture which is
    not on one of their O/S's.  The only source of hope is that some
    enterprising Internet hacker might be able to create a mock Exchange
    client for Linux.  But, I'm not holding my breath.
    
    -- Russ

    I realize it may not be possible in every organization, but could you
    have your mail forwarded to a POP server instead of plopping itself on
    an Exchange server? It could even be forwarded to your own Linux box if
    it's got a fixed address. And if your permanent mail store is
    NFS-mounted or smbfs-mounted from a "big" machine, it'll even get
    backed up for you.
    
    -Tom

    Be aware that the people provide you with Exchange have no intention of
    providing POP servers at this point  If you want a POP server, you 
    either need to create one or find a person who has created one.
    
    There are no plans in the works that I know of to make POP servers a
    standard offering. Probably because the corporation is trying to
    standardize on mail platforms and not expand the menu of choices.
    
    This being said, the planners also believe that EVERYONE has PC running
    some sort of a MS based oparating system. I don't believe anything we
    can do or say will change their viewpoint. I think it would be too
    painful for them to include non-Microsoft solutions in their decision 
    making, so instead, we feel the pain... 
    
    There are a number of alternatives and almost all include mail 
    forwarding from Exchange. We must realize that any solutions we come 
    up with must be self maintainable.
    
    Pete Willard
    CCS Networks 
    NT Program Support/DNS Administrator

My current problem is that my only access from outside an office
is via ACB and this was ok with All-in-1, but not for Exchange.
I'm on the road a lot and usually only a VT terminal is available
in our logisitcs and the like.

No doubt some day the paperwork will get through for some form of
remote access to Exchange.

I thought a moment ago I had an answer with the exchange inbox wizard
forward incoming mail to my linux server, but this appears to only work
on 'non-private' mail.

I read that Exchange 5 supports SMTP - one can hope??!!

regards
martin

    Yes, they do have limited support SMTP. They will send mail you create
    in exchange to an smtp gateway and beyond. They will receieve SMTP mail
    and toss the mail in your exchange account.  
    
    The Microsoft Support staff can offer very little help when the feature
    you want to use doesn't work or isn't available. 
    
    A person here wanted to have exchange handle mail that they 
    created on their linux box since they didn't have an account on the 
    local SMTP UNIX mail hub. Since the person didn't really know what they
    wanted, they asked me to help them talk to Microsoft. Microsoft 
    basically said, talk to your DNS administrator and have him create 
    MX records.
    
    I had to laugh, cuz I am the DNS administrator and the MX records were
    in place and correct. They just said, "Oh, that's all I know about it... 
    maybe they can be tweaked a little." Problem is, MX records are a 
    go/nogo type of thing. Tweaking doesn't apply. 
    
    In the end, it wasn't an MX record problem, but they had no clue how 
    to help. That's probably because its a function not offered by Exchange.
    
    
    

    I have not used MS Exchange to date, but I have been tweaking around
    with Mail systems and text editors for almost 20 years, so perhaps I
    can offer some ideas of things to try to "get around the system".
    
    My first thought, while perhaps not optimal, might be a workaround when
    you are out of the office and on the road.  If your Linux system can
    attach to the network and, in theory, receive mail, then how about
    forwarding your mail from Exchange to Linux?  You could then use any
    number of different mailers (or Emacs or a Web browser) to read your
    mail.
    
    If MS Exchange does not have the capability to autoforward mail to
    another location, then I suggest that we, as a corporation, pound on
    Microsoft until they add this feature.  EVERY, and I mean EVERY, mail
    system that I have ever used, ranging from the ancient, but reliable,
    DECmail system, to VMSmail, to All-In-1 mail, to UNIX 'bin' mail, to
    MH, to exmh... on and on, ALL have supported autoforwarding.
    
    I have to think that Lotus Notes, Exchange's #1 competitor in the Email
    realm has to have this feature, although I am not familiar with Lotus
    products.  As a responsible "partner" with Microsoft, we owe it to them
    to impress upon them, that while our user base generally wants to use
    Exchange, there are certain moments when we need to autoforward to
    systems outside the realm of Exchange.  If they are smart, they will
    recognize this, and help you figure out how to use this capability, or
    if, heaven forbid, it is not available, they need to make it a top
    priority to make autoforwarding capability standard equipment.
    
    Every now and then I see messages from IOSG, where our All-In-1 mail
    developers worked/used to work (Reading, UK).  In all cases, I've seen
    them blasting Exchange.  I don't care to do that, but I would say that
    the lack of such features as this, if in fact true, explain to me why
    these same guys are saying that Lotus Notes is eating OUR lunch in
    Email server sales.
    
    ... all of this is not to attack any product or product group, but IS
    meant to point out a possible workaround to a problem, and to identify
    a potentially serious product deficiency.  Do with this whatever you
    want.  I use UNIX to read all of my mail, so Exchange hasn't affected
    me at all.
    
    Brian    24-FEB-1997 19:34:43

    re: .6
    
    The autoforward option has a serious downfall for those of us working
    from home:  we connect with PPP, and, therefore have no fixed address
    to receive mail.
    
    The only option would be to autoforward to a Unix or OpenVMS system,
    and then download upon dial-in.  It's clunky, at best.
    
    -- Russ

re .last - You're lucky you have PPP. My ACB just allows
for dumb teminals!.

re .last-1 (sorry) MS Exchange does have an 'inbox wizard' that
has forwarding capabilities, but it would seem at first glance
that mail marked as 'private' or higher will not forward.

I was hoping to be able to either forward (preferably copy) to my
linux box in the office to read the mail from home or on the road.

regards
martin

    Besides, the Exchange auto-forwarding does NOT preserve the headers
    i.e. all the forwarded mail goes out with *you* as the sender and the
    subject line prepended with "FW: ".
    
    In theory, one could write a program on Linux to un-do the mail headers
    but so far I have not seen it.
    
    - Vikas

V5 of exchange does support smtp/pop although when this will be 
implemented in DEc is another story