Forum OpenACS Q&A: Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver

1: Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver

Posted by Vlad Seryakov on 04/05/02 10:20 PM

Hello,

Some time ago i posted about IMAP module for aolserver. Finally i
setup demo which uses this module. It is available at
http://www.openoss.org:8001/.

You have to register first and then in the drop down menu under
Applications there is Mail menu item. Enter the same user name and
password again and you will be connected to UW IMAP server. I extended
imap server to support virtual users via PAM, didn't posted it, but i
am going to submit it to UW IMAP development group.

In short, the whole application is our internal project based on
AolServer. It is designed for our Operations System Support,
includes Order Mgmt, Inventory, NMS, Customer Mgmt and other.

It is running on two aolservers, ports 800 and 8001.
App running on port 8000 is derived from OpenACS(ACS) template engine,
but modified and improved significantly like added new tags, rewritten
template engine, improved DB API. This project falles under GNU
license, so it is possible it will be released as open source.

App running on port 8001 is completely rewritten template engine but
in some way compatible with old(ACS) templating system.It is
propriatery project of our company, it cannot be released right now.

But anyway, thanks to ArsDigita and OpenACS groups for their excellent
products, we learned a lot from you guys.

Thanks

2: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Jon Griffin on 04/05/02 10:29 PM

Not to seem ungrateful, but the acs derived system has to be released as open source. That is the way the GPL works.

I don't want anyone to get in trouble for not releasing something.

3: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Stephen . on 04/05/02 10:36 PM

The source must be released if the binary is released. I don't see the binary. This is Vlad's private, internal project. Any release is a gift. Thanks Vlad!

4: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Vlad Seryakov on 04/05/02 10:36 PM

It is not based on ACS but on templating engine only. We preserved all GNU license notice in the source code, it is just that internal project is not completed and it is not ready to be released yet, we are all busy developing internal things we do not have resources for open source project support. I hope it will change very soon.
Also, as soon as we do not distribute it to anyone and use only internally we do not have to open source it.
Some parts like IMAP module for aolserver and SNMP modules are released as open source project and available to everyone. This is just demo how they can be used.

5: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Talli Somekh on 04/05/02 10:38 PM

How does one access the demo? User name? password?

talli

6: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Todd Gillespie on 04/05/02 10:40 PM

I agree with you in spirit, Jon, but that's not technically correct. The GPL stipulates that Vlad & co must release the source if the distribute their modified version. So long as they keep their changes in-house, there is no legal requirement to release their patches.

That's the GPL as it's written today. I don't know how future versions of the GPL will handle these cases -- is this a loophole, or true to the spirit of the GPL?

7: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Talli Somekh on 04/05/02 10:40 PM

OK, i found the register tag, but it can't be reached in Mozilla. the CSS/DHTML is broken in Mozilla.

Will try with IE.

talli

8: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Ben Adida on 04/05/02 10:44 PM

It's not a loophole. It's a basic freedom of software development
under the GPL: the right to privacy. You have the right to make
private enhancements without being forced to distribute. No one
would ever take the risk of enhancing OpenACS if they found
themselves forced to contribute *all* future enhancements to the
public.

If you do distribute, however, then you must respect the rights of
the original developers and release your enhancements in the
same way the original developers provided you with the original
code.

9: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Mat Kovach on 04/05/02 10:45 PM

Was ACS TCL something other than GPL?

You don't have to make you modification available until you distribute the work. If I remember correctly theKompany found this out and used it. Those modification only need to be made available to those people with the modified copy. Internally they are free and clear.

I don't see a distirbution here. Just a demo :)

10: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Vlad Seryakov on 04/05/02 10:54 PM

Under General menu there is Register menu item.
Just create any test user and then login into Mail app.
It doesn't support mail delivery, in order to see message in mail folder you can create folder, in preferrences assign this folder as Sent folder and then send email somewhere. Copy of the message will be saved in Sent folder.
Sorry if it is too much trouble make it work, but as i understood there were some concernes hot ns_mail IMAP modules may be used in AOLserver.

11: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Jon Griffin on 04/05/02 11:32 PM

My mistake, excuse me as I just had surgery on Monday and the percosets don't help my mental state. I thought I read that it was going to be released and on rereading it I see he says it may be released.

I also want to thank Vlad for the work and hope it does get released.

Again, sorry.

12: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Vlad Seryakov on 04/05/02 11:44 PM

No problems, actually before posting i had some concerns about all this GNU stuff, do i do the right thing or it is too soon.
Once we decide to use this system somewhere else except internally it will be released as open source automatically.
It is just i use nsmail module for some time here and it seems to be stable and fast and IMAP Web mail under aolserver is much faster than the same PHP/Perl based imap Web mailer because ns_mail do not re-open IMAP connection every time, it keeps it in the memory(thanks multi-threading).

13: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Talli Somekh on 04/07/02 08:04 AM

Vlad,

That's some really rad work you guys have done. IMAP in AOLserver surely sounds like a rockin' piece of application software.

I really look forward to seeing it released! Thanks alot!

talli

14: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Vlad Seryakov on 04/07/02 06:53 PM

I am thinking about porting our Web mail into OpenACS using IMAP module.
Shouldn't be too hard especcially that web mail doesn't use database, only for address book.

15: Response to Live demo of IMAP module for aolserver (response to 1)

Posted by Brian Fenton on 04/09/02 10:47 AM

Very impressed. Well done, Vlad!