Mail for Exchange (MfE). Blame me here, pls - maemo.org

vitaly_repin | # 1 | 2009-11-26, 05:50 | Report

[Update: This post reflects the status of sales release, not PR1.1 and later. Check MfE Heartbeat and FAQ for the current status of N900 MfE]

Hello to everybody here!

I am one of the (technical, not marketing) Maemo guys who is behind "broken", "buggy", "not working" etc. Maemo MfE implementation :-)

Could you post your feedback (better negative and constructive) to this thread?

At first, Let me put the FAQ.

- It does not work with google!
- Yes. And it should not. The release of the software which you can find in the box you have received was not designed to be compatible with google.

- OK, dude. What your piece of smth. is compatible with?
- MS Exchange server 2007. Period.

- Ohoho! What about Exchange 2003?
- Wait for sw. update.

- Ohoho! But what is the problem with google? I really want to have it!
- Google implementation of ActiveSync protocol and MS implementation of ActiveSync are different implementations of the protocol. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/p...statement.mspx

- Can community do something to get the google support on board?
- Yes. Influence Google (to be compatible with N900) and Nokia (to be compatible with google).

- Does it support several accounts of type ActiveSync
- No.

- Importing self-signed certificate does not work for me! I see my certificate in maemo certification manager but MfE fails to sync.
- Yep. There is a bug in MfE. Workaround.

So, guys, I am waiting for your feedback. What are the worst problems you experience with MfE solution for Maemo?

Update. Maemo 5 MfE features wish list online poll is closed

Update2. Mail For Exchange (MfE) Heartbeat and FAQ

Last edited by vitaly_repin; 2010-01-16 at 13:47. Reason: Added a link to Maemo 5 MfE FAQ wiki

The Following 111 Users Say Thank You to vitaly_repin For This Useful Post:
406NotAcceptable, Alan_Peery, AlMehdi, Andre Klapper, archebyte, ArnimS, azad1top, b-man, bemymonkey, Caprio, cazzajay, chritto, codeMonkey, ColonelKilkenny, danielwilms, dart45, davedickson, dba, dneary, drangina, drm, dvergin, egrims, EIPI, epage, evil_m0nkey, extremia, fatalsaint, flux41, fms, frals, Gadgety, goemb, haja, iKneaDough, Inacurate, jahaugum, javispedro, jdr93, joelus, johnmccombs, johnnyrockets911, Johnx, JPvdBos, jukey, kamiwey, keesj, Kiberneta, kopte3, lma, louiskkchan, mannakiosk, Mara, mattaustin, Matte, mikec, mrojas, mrsellout, Netweaver, Nikem, noobmonkey, nymajoak, omniscy, ossipena, OVK, parasight, pavlik, pelago, pierro78, qgil, qole, qwerty12, ragnar, range, Rauha, reviver, sachin007, shadowjk, sjgadsby, spanner, spooley, Ssergio, stara, stlpaul, SubCore, surrealize, talpazzo, Texrat, The Winter, thorbo, timoph, timt1961, tissot, travla, twaelti, VDVsx, verhagke, vielfrass, vkv.raju, vode, WilliePre, wimmme, xabaras, yerga, zail, zerojay, Zuhälter

ewan | # 2 | 2009-11-26, 05:59 | Report

How exactly did you not think to test it with Exchange 2003?

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to ewan For This Useful Post:
bemymonkey, christexaport, MontyBravo

ARJWright | # 3 | 2009-11-26, 06:15 | Report

I hope this thread stays well-focused. My questions (not an N900 owner, at this time):

- why isn't the M4E functionality built-into the Email application
- global address book and inbox/sub-folder search isn't there; is that coming, if not, what are the limitations on this feature (could it be a secondary application such as what Symbian devices had at one point)?
- +1 on the testing with Exchange 2003 (though that might really be something way out of your hands, I deal with similar day to day)?
- does M4E also pull the status of the user from the AS domains and make this information available from the contact screen?

I personally need to get my hands on a device to ask some more questions, but I'm sure a few folks with it are coming and will ask those.

Thanks for stepping into the forum to address this.

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to ARJWright For This Useful Post:
christexaport, YoDude

kyle | # 4 | 2009-11-26, 06:16 | Report

I really appreciate that you're here on the forums! I've had to deal with this sort of thing before, where there is supposedly a definite protocol but different vendors implement things very differently. So I can understand where you're coming from.

I'm wondering, what is it about the Google implementation that causes issues?

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to kyle For This Useful Post:
Andre Klapper, nymajoak

vitaly_repin | # 5 | 2009-11-26, 07:05 | Report

Originally Posted by ARJWright View Post

- why isn't the M4E functionality built-into the Email application

Could you clarify a bit more here? mfe is about mail, calendar and contacts. mfe is integrated into the platform fully - it uses maemo mail client for mail handling, maemo calendar for calendar sync and maemo address book for contacts sync. I was always sure that this the best way to go - utilize platform components rather than invent our owm wheel.

mfe is visible as mail account inside maemo mail client. And it looks in the ui like a native part of the mail client.

Originally Posted by

what are the limitations on this feature (could it be a secondary application such as what Symbian devices had at one point)?

We always prefer to integrate the mfe into the system rather than go with separate applications.

Originally Posted by

- +1 on the testing with Exchange 2003 (though that might really be something way out of your hands, I deal with similar day to day)?

We knew that it is incompatible with 2003, it is not about "forgetting to test". Obviously, the communication to the users was not done in the best way and a lot of people were disappointed as they expected maemo mfe to work with 2003 from the very beginning (sales package).

Originally Posted by

- does M4E also pull the status of the user from the AS domains and make this information available from the contact screen?

No.

Originally Posted by

Thanks for stepping into the forum to address this.

Thank you for your interest!

The Following 16 Users Say Thank You to vitaly_repin For This Useful Post:
ARJWright, drm, EIPI, frals, hypnotik, jdr93, jsa, noobmonkey, olighak, qgil, Sopwith, Texrat, tissot, w00t, yerga

elBasto | # 6 | 2009-11-26, 07:19 | Report

Originally Posted by vitaly_repin View Post

- It does not work with google!
- Yes. And it should not. The release of the software which you can find in the box you have received was not designed to be compatible with google.

I am a little confused at the moment. Some people who got their N900 already, are posting that they successfully synched Google Mail, Contacts and Calender. But it is said here that Google sync is not possible? How can that be?
Thanks in advance for clarification.

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to elBasto For This Useful Post:
Dirty Harry, jdr93, Nitchers

johnnyrockets911 | # 7 | 2009-11-26, 07:25 | Report

Possible to add mail searching?

Also, unlimited email storage capacity? (Not just 1 month)

And unrelated, but are there going to be a lot of Maemo Project developers who post here?

Last edited by johnnyrockets911; 2009-11-26 at 07:31.

Nitchers | # 8 | 2009-11-26, 07:32 | Report

Originally Posted by elbasto View Post

i am a little confused at the moment. Some people who got their n900 already, are posting that they successfully synched google mail, contacts and calender. But it is said here that google sync is not possible? How can that be?
Thanks in advance for clarification.

+ 1 .

The Following User Says Thank You to Nitchers For This Useful Post:
ezcola

twaelti | # 9 | 2009-11-26, 07:37 | Report

MfE used to work on my N900 with Google. In fact, I unpacked it in Amsterdam, setup WiFi and MFE settings, and had all my contacts and calendar on my device a few moments later. It was a fantastic experience, really the way it should work.

Unfortunately, a few weeks later, MfE stopped to work on my N900 :-(
This really is a showstopper for me - but I guess for MANY people out there, too.
I mean - it was working, then someone changed something - now it's broken? Please be flexible and make it work with Google again, it's a killer feature!
(bold phrases directed at N900 product management to immediately order this feature to be implemented by the technical guys and have high priority so we can get it in the christmas update :-)

Last edited by twaelti; 2009-11-26 at 07:41.

The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to twaelti For This Useful Post:
Andre Klapper, christexaport, Dirty Harry, EIPI, jsuggs, jukey, nymajoak, sgbirch, Texrat

vitaly_repin | # 10 | 2009-11-26, 07:47 | Report

Originally Posted by johnnyrockets911 View Post

Possible to add mail searching?

As not being marketing guy, can not communicate the plans for the features, sorry. However, I can promise that I will deliver all the feedback about missed features in mfe and related components (mail client in this case) to the guys who make the decisions on investing into new features' implementation.

Originally Posted by

Also, unlimited email storage capacity? (Not just 1 month)

You can sync "everything". This setting is already in. Is it what you wish?

Originally Posted by

And unrelated, but are there going to be a lot of Maemo Project developers who post here?

Can not speak for others. I will be here if my managers would not prohibit this activity. But i don't think that it is possible as everybody in maemo seems to understand that the only way to deliver quality is to communicate with the real users and collect their feedback.

The Following 21 Users Say Thank You to vitaly_repin For This Useful Post:
Andre Klapper, ARJWright, Corwin, drm, ezcola, frals, iKneaDough, jdr93, johnnyrockets911, kopte3, ldrn, lma, maluka, noobmonkey, nymajoak, shadowjk, SubCore, thecursedfly, travla, twaelti