[Kolab-devel] Kolab administrative web interface: why not using horde?

[Fabio Pietrosanti]

Hi all,

i have to say that kolab administrative interface is quite uggly even if 
it have the basic functionality (groups management could be a great 
addition!).

Horde is the webgui of kolab and the dev effort for the "web" component 
will be done on horde.

Horde already have an administration framework for users and also for 
groups(which is not already implemented in kolab).

Kolab web administration if i understand correctly do two basic stuff:
- read and write ldap directory
- create mailbox, create shared folder, set permission on cyrus server.


Horde right now work well for ldap administration and theorically could 
already add users to kolab server.
I mean that if "right now" i use cyrus server with "autocreateinbox / 
autocreatesieve"  patch using the switch "createonlogon" Horde with the 
ldap driver could already do basic administrative stuff of Kolab server.


Horde support the cyrus administration within the "composite" driver.

Composite driver allow the use of more than one driver togheter, for 
example right now it's supported the Cyrus/Mysql composite driver which 
allow to administrate account on a mysql server creating mailboxes 
automatically on cyrus.

A composite driver Cyrus/Ldap could be very easy to be written and could 
do all kolab user administrative functionality.

Horde will have within months completed the ldap datatree (my company 
will sponsor it) so it will work completelly without the need of a SQL 
backend.


Horde in future will probably become part of the kolab distribution, 
packaged along with cyrus, postfix, openldap, apache, etc, etc.


My question/proposal is:

Why the need to rediscover the hot water when someone already did it and 
we could just need to put the "lemon" to have lemonade (Kolab server + 
Horde Web Administration)?

I'm sure that there are a lot of good motivation to use an indipendent 
web administration interfaces but i think that horde administration 
could be easily extended to do all "user" administration stuff of Kolab.



We could also think to keep the kolab administration interface for all 
the "infrastructure" settings, leaving on horde all other "user 
administration" stuff like "add users, add group, add alias, add 
addressbook, add administrator, set permission", etc, etc


What's the Kolab and Horde developers opinion on this subject?

Regards,

Fabio Pietrosanti