Runbox CalDAV in beta testing

[FredOnline]

https://blog.runbox.com/2016/06/caldav-beta-testing/

[smithmb001]

This part of the beta test is not of much use to me. I am looking forward to the time when the integrated web based beta is availble.

[MailerKnight]

I'm new to all this. Any recommendations for Android apps for calendars, to-dos and contacts? There seem to be so many to choose from and I'd like to get it right first time.

[a414]

Originally Posted by MailerKnight

I'm new to all this. Any recommendations for Android apps for calendars, to-dos and contacts? There seem to be so many to choose from and I'd like to get it right first time.

I use DAVdroid (at.bitfire.davdroid, <https://davdroid.bitfire.at/>) which seems to work pretty well with the SabreDAV server Runbox has set up. It uses native Android databases for both calendars and contacts, so should work with most frontend programs you might want to use. It also supports todo lists (called "tasks"), but apparently only with OpenTasks (org.dmfs.tasks). If you want to use that, you should install first OpenTasks, then DAVdroid, so that the latter can request Android permissions to access the former.

[filbert]

Bear in mind that there are two parts to this. The sync between your device(s) and the server and the app that displays and manages calendar and contact entries. I guess some apps do both but I don't know that for sure.

Personally, I'm using CalDAV-Sync and CardDAV sync (www.dmfs.org) for the sync bit and, for historical reasons, the rather pricey but very flexible Pocket Informant (PI) as a calendar (although the built in Samsung S Planner on my phone works pretty well). This set up works for me.
PI also does contacts but I just use the standard Android contacts app on my phone (I'm not sure if Samsung customise it, though).
In addition, PI does tasks and synchronises with Toodledo if you like the GTD approach. I used to use this a lot when I was working. Now I'm retired, I don't need it as much

I sync a number of devices: Mac laptop (using the built in Calendar app), a Windows PC (Thunderbird & the Lightning addon), an iPod (Pocket Informant) and a couple of Android tablets, so there's plenty of opportunity for things to go wrong and I do occasionally find things go missing. Mostly, I think, due to trying to set exceptions on recurring appointments.

I currently sync calendar and contacts via Memotoo but I'll think about switching once the Runbox service is up and running.

HTH

Rgrds F

[fpinheiro]

Hi all,
I'm trying to setup CalDAV in Lightning and I can successfully create the calendar but I am unable to add any event to it, or even synchronise it.
However, in the Calendar App on my Mac, I’m able to add events and send invites, so everything seems to work correctly (it is also working fine on my iPhone).

Any insight of what I may de doing wrong in Lightning (Thunderbird running on OSX El Capitan)?

Thanks in advance!

[filbert]

Originally Posted by fpinheiro

Hi all,

Any insight of what I may de doing wrong in Lightning (Thunderbird running on OSX El Capitan)?

Thanks in advance!

Make sure it's not set to 'Read Only' in settings?

On my set up, sometimes it reverts to that setting for some reason.

[FredOnline]

Today's Runbox blog:

https://blog.runbox.com/2016/07/laun...endar-service/

Today we officially launch our CalDAV calendar service. With CalDAV you can store your calendars on Runbox’ servers using calendar apps on your computer, smart phone or tablet.

CalDAV lets you store your calendar items online and synchronize them across multiple devices. You can create events, recurring events, alarms and also invite other people to add events to their own calendars. Additionally you can create reminders/to-do lists and use those in your favorite notes app.

[filbert]

That's good news. Will poke it a bit and see how it goes.

Any chance of adding a CalDAV plugin to Roundcube? Then we can access our calendar via a browser.
I don't know how big a job that would be...

[Jacinto]

As luck would have it, yesterday, for the first time, I set up desktop Thunderbird Lightning and Android aCalDAV CalDAV clients for Fastmail's CalDAV offering.

This thread piqued my curiosity and, after reading through it, I set up a Thunderbird Lightning CalDAV Runbox client on my Linux desktop.

It's too early for me to comment on performance, but I have a few thoughts about ease of installation.

Fastmail set-up instructions are concise and easy to follow.

Runbox set-up instructions, on the other hand, are less polished, can be confusing, and are not easy to follow.

Fastmail's CalDAV server is integrated into the user's account web page along with web mail, file storage, simple web pages, etc.

Runbox's CalDAV server is not integrated the way Fastmail's is. Instead, a separate login is required to a freestanding server.

To set-up a FM client, you log-in to your FM account page, open Settings, Calendar, right click the Calendar and copy the URL that pops-up.

To set-up a RB client, you log-in to the RB server, open Calendars, click your account’s UID, and click Home. There is no right click to copy the URL, instead, you highlight and copy the URL on the address bar.

Once you have the account URL for either provider the set-up process is the same for both on Lightning.

Although, once the accounts are set up on Lighting both accounts should be functionally similar, obtaining the account URL is a lot simpler and quicker on Fastmail than it is on Runbox (at least the first time you do it).

One last thing. I couldn't find a way to synchronize the Runbox account with the Fastmail account. Found a workaround, though:

Showed only the FM account, highlighted and copied the list of events. Then, showed only the RB account, pasted the Clipboard in the same place from where I copied FM's events, and it worked.

There has to be an easier way to synchronize between Lightning CalDAV subscriptions, but I have yet to find it.

--
Jacinto

[Geir]

Jacinto,

Thanks for your test comparison.

We looked quite a bit into having Lightning autodiscover the URL, but it turned out to be complicated and unreliable at best.

It's possible we can make it simpler to find the URL, though.

- Geir

[mekitron]

Originally Posted by Geir

Jacinto,

It's possible we can make it simpler to find the URL, though.

What's the progress, Geir?