Lotus Offers a Peek Into Linux plans 76
Sm@rt Resseler has published an article about what Lotus
will port to Linux in the near future. Among their products are Domino 5.0.3 with connectivity to Oracle 8.0x and IBM's DB2, Sametime 2.0 (Realtime collaboration software), and Quick Place 2.0 Collaborative Program (scheduled for the first
half of 2000). Unfortunately, Lotus is not planning to port either their Notes client or SmartSuite Millenium edition to Linux, which is a sad thing. (/me thinks that a petition could help us to get those client ports.)
We don't need a client (Score:1)
Re:Not total bunk... (Score:1)
From this statement alone I know that you're not talking about the Notes Client. They may have written a very nice email client, but that is not anywhere near a full Notes Client.
The original poster said that Lotus had a java implementation of the Notes Client. This is total bunk. Domino developers can achieve many of the same effects in a web page by using the built-in Java classes for Domino. This helps applications that were written for the Notes Client to be more useful to web-only users, but it is not the same as a Notes Client.
It may be better than having a bloated Notes Client, it may be worse, but there is no "magic bullet" Java implementation of the Notes Client which can run on all Unixes.
It's not that simple (Score:1)
Anyways yeah building a superior groupware collaboration system from the ground up would be nice but CIOs and others don't see it that way. It would cost their companies alot of money in terms of platform migration, maintainence, training, and any downtime that results from this move. Plus now all their obsolete systems would simply be a waste of money rather than productive investments.
Uh oh it must be those MIS classes getting to me...
I hate bloatware as much as the next person but people must wake up to reality!
Today's English Lesson: Oxymorons
Linux Notes Client? (Score:1)
Server Only... A very good reason (Score:1)
That is because the Clients are still unstable on platforms Iris are familiar with. (An understatement if I have ever heard one)
As someone who has evaluated Domino R5 from the test builds (Well before the betas came out) I can honestly say the clients have all been very dodgy.
The server however has had a LOT of time dedicated to it to ensure it is reliable. As the server is supposed to be virtually an ISP in a box it can be run in organisations without end users ever seeing a Notes Client.
I am sure that as the R5 client matures Lotus will supply it for Linux. Add to that the fact that IBM will supply Netfinity servers with Linux installed and are fully supporting the Linux/Open source initiative. Lotus will have no option but to follow suit.
say "Yes, Pleeease!" (Score:1)
I love linux and I would love to use it as a desktop, but until i can use my corporate mandated groupware package (notes) i will not do the switch.
maybe you can take this as an example of why it would be desirable for the the linux community to have a port of Lotus Notes.
Re:Maybe they will port the designer??? (Score:1)
The reason I say this is that, in the Administrator, when you register users, you CANNOT use the Designer or Notes client. The three are integrally linked, and if one is busy, they all are.
Re:In time... (Score:1)
Re:In time... (Score:1)
Anyway, what's missing? network cloud is one, but what else? If you can explain what you need or draw it, it's a fairly simple matter to implement new objects in Dia. I created a whole class of Sybase objects for the diagrams I have to do at work, it was fairly simple.
So anyway, write 'em up send them to me and I will make them for you.
Re:Isn't lotus a part of IBM? (Score:1)
A Little Explanation (Score:1)
Re:Isn't lotus a part of IBM? (Score:1)
Has anyone *used* SmartSuite? (Score:1)
I was excited when it came on my new laptop, because I would get the opportunity to try a Windows word processor other than Word.
What a surprise. WordPro was the worst experience with a word processor I've had in a long time. Even getting the darned thing to select only the text I wanted was a chore. I was so disgusted after composing a nine page article that I uninstalled the whole thing.
Don't look for Lotus to bring good apps to Linux. For commercial efforts, stick with WordPerfect. For open source, KOffice [kde.org] looks very promising.
Motivation? (Score:1)
peak? (Score:1)
Lotus Client for Linux (Score:1)
But I will say this: the AIX version was fairly bletcherous.
Re:peak? (Score:1)
Client Ports... (Score:2)
Or even from their business partners, like the one I work for; Lotus has a partner forum, which is available to Lotus Certified Business Partner companies. Various requests have been made at times for improvements in certain Notes features (like printing, or report generation); many of the these request meet very little response or support from Lotus.
As far as the server Linux port goes, and speaking from several years of familiarity with Notes/Domino, I'm not really that interested. Lotus' track record for Unix versions hasn't been great; the AIX and Solaris version have been buggy, slow, or they require a _very_ specific set of OS patches/configuration to run efficiently... By analogy, that would mean that the Linux version may run on the 2.2.7 kernel (for example), but not, say, 2.2.9 . (And don't dare try putting it on a development kernal)
Re:Client Ports... (Score:1)
Lotus Notes (under Windows) is one of the less user and newbie user friendly programs I've ever seen.
It is depressing to use.
I wish it would vanish into the bitbucket.
But yet I have to use it every day.
*sigh*
If they fixed their user interface, I'm certain the product would have some merit, but as it is now; no way. What I think is scary, is that this is supposedly the best product of its kind...
Re:Client Ports... (Score:1)
really that interested. Lotus' track record for Unix versions hasn't been great; the AIX and Solaris version have
been buggy, slow, or they require a _very_ specific set of OS patches/configuration to run efficiently... By analogy,
that would mean that the Linux version may run on the 2.2.7 kernel (for example), but not, say, 2.2.9 . (And don't
dare try putting it on a development kernal)
Well if that's the case they shouldn't even waste their time with a server port...
I think I know why (Score:1)
It probably doesn't make any business sense for them to sell a Linux version. As far as I know, there's a Java version of Notes client which will handle any version of Linux/Unix/etc., anyway.
Doing a special version of Notes for each would be unlikely to ever be profitable (there would be a GNU equivalent within a month, anyway). You would have to sell a whole lot of copies to justify a special version, which won't ever happen with any of these specialty OS's. The Windows-tweaked version is probably more for psychological reasons than practical reasons; nobody gets excited about a Java version, but a Windows-specific version is easy to justify to management. Who knows... the Java version might be nearly as good as a Linux version, anyway. It's just a matter of a decent Java runtime engine. I've used Java code before that was literally _faster_ than the previous C(++) version once it was run through a proper compiler.
Lotus Notes and SmartSuite Just Say NO (Score:1)
Brainpower should win out over bloatpower. Lotus office products are by and far the dog doodoo on the bottom of the office apps shoes. Notes is the Mekong Delta (VietName era) of groupware.
Rather we should petition GOOD CODE BUILDERS to make office apps that are more in working with a good OS, not settle for the same old some old
(I can say this with some sure mindedness because I use thee products on a dialy basis, as well as other "office apps". It would be sad to see *nix simply port this stuff over like lap dogs in a commercial sense)
Then what will you use to develop Notes apps? (Score:1)
Personally, I wish they'd port the client too, so I could get rid of my Windows partition.
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Re:I think I know why (Score:1)
For all the clueless Notes-bashers (Score:1)
www.notesdesign.com [notesdesign.com]
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Re:peak? (Score:1)
"peek n : throw a glance at; take a brief look"
how is this wrong?
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No Smartsuite? What about the workstation?? (Score:1)
It is strange that they will not be making the Smartsuite for Linux.
Perhaps if we all ask nicely they might reconsider this stance.
lets be fair (Score:1)
WordPro (Score:1)
In contrast is Microsof~1 Word where one have to go through many menu/dialog levels just to reach simple things.
Re:I think I know why (Score:1)
Ugh, the very thought of porting Notes to Java sent chills down my back
Re:I believe it's "peek", not "peak" (Score:1)
So, does Micros~1 contact you for their 'online documentation' efforts *ahem* in their newer softwares?
Re:Lotus Notes and SmartSuite Just Say NO (Score:1)
Would Notes be a good thing if it was written right? Only maybe, IMHO. What does it really do that email, news and an address book can't? Hey! Don't we have all those already?
Re:Lotus Client for Linux (Score:1)
I think a petition for a Linux port of the Notes client would fall on deaf ears...
...but it wouldn't hurt to try.
Re:I think I know why (Score:1)
This is total bunk. There has never been a Java version the Notes client, and I have never heard any plans for one either. Personally, I don't think Java could effectively handle bloatware like the Notes client.
Notes / Domino R5 does have Java classes which supplement the Notes formula language and LotusScript, but the only way for a Unix machine to interract with a Domino application is through a web interface.
Re:I think I know why (Score:2)
Not total bunk, just mostly bunk. R5 has built-in support for java applets that have the functionality of Notes views or folders. There's also a java rich text editor. (Almost all of the other features can translate pretty much into HTML and JavaScript.)
They've also beefed up the Java-based Administrator program so that you can do more admining from a web browser.
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SmartSuite for Linux (Score:1)
LotusNotes client on Linux (Score:1)
We use Notes for our internal e-mail, static information database and incidents database.
"Em".
Re:Lotus Notes and SmartSuite Just Say NO (Score:1)
You'll see a lot of this nonsense anytime Notes or Domino is mentioned. If you don't understand something, don't comment.
What does Linux do that NT can't? Don't we have filesharing, remote acccess, email and web serving from our pals at Microsoft?
Notes / Domino is groupware. There's no groupware available for Linux. Let's make sure we send a clear message to Lotus that we don't want their product. Linux is better with more gaps in software. The fewer companies that port to this platform, the purer the OS will be, and the purer we will be.
POE EOP OPE
BTW, never let them have your essence.
Re:Lotus Notes and SmartSuite Just Say NO (Score:2)
Maybe they will port the designer??? (Score:1)
I dont know if this is feasible, as the Notes client might be needed to view one's designs. But since the Linux community is a bunch of coders, I think you might appeal to IBM this way.
The Designer is *supposedly* separated from the Notes Client in R5 (I say supposedly because they may share alot of code, I just dont know).
Re:Client Ports... (Score:2)
Not that this is really an excuse, but back in the dark ages, the Notes GUI first shipped on OS/2 1.x, so many of it's interface conventions are non-standard because they pre-date virtually every standard (an example is that right double-click = close window). Furthermore, many Notes applications just have uglyness designed in. Notes developers (including Lotus) tend to do things like put Purple text on a yellow background and use the least readable font they can find. But, I guess if they had any design sense, they'd be doing web stuff.
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Hey - this can only be good! (Score:1)
As far as client support goes... you can access most things thru a web browser, or mail via IMAP, SMTP and LDAP...
I'm sure as soon as GNU/Linux becomes the dominant desktop OS, there will be ports a plenty!
Notes and Wine (Score:1)
In time... (Score:1)
Linux isn't really ready to be deployed onto the desktop of a major corporation.
In time workstations sporting Linux will become suitable alternatives...
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