using outlook under wine

[jedthehumanoid]

OK, now I know this is going to be viewed as very unlinux like but I've gotten in the habit of using outlook under wine. I have to use windows at work and so when I'm at home it seems natural to use outlook. Now here's what I'm wodering.

We all know to some extent being Linux advocates that Outlook and Outlook Express are notorious for being insecure. So is it insecure in Linux? I mean the visruses are not going to effect on my box. Can they mess up the Wine configuration? What's the worst that can happen?:confused:

[bwkaz]

The worst that could happen is that you could open an HTML email with an ActiveX control that targets Outlook's (EXTREMELY insecure) object model, and sends spam to thousands of people without you knowing it. Alternately, it could hose your entire fake-Windows directory (or your real one if you set up Wine like that) through IE's myriad insecurities (exploited, again, through an ActiveX control in an HTML email).

Even when you're running Linux. (As long as COM works in Wine, which it mostly does IIRC.)

What's the problem with just using a decent MUA at home? For example, one that was not built to allow other programs to use it to send email without the user knowing?

I am forced to use Outlook at work too (it's an Exchange server, and I haven't found anything open source that works with Exchange, though I haven't looked too terribly hard), and still use Thunderbird or mutt at home. Thunderbird on my main machine, and mutt on my server (since it doesn't have X installed except for the client libs).

[jedthehumanoid]

Well the problem is more laziness than anything. I use Outlook for pretty much all the features while at work. You know, the calender, the notes, the contacts directory, etc. The only thing I got going for me is that I use IMAP so I can see all the actuall e-mail anywhere since it's left on the server. I just haven't seen a Linux app that really compares to outlook. There are a million programs that equal outlook express but not outlook. (Mind you of course I'm not talking about security when I say nothing compares to Outlook. umm, well maybe I am in a sarcastic way but. :D )

It's just nice to be able to copy the *.pst file from work and have all that saved data at home for eazy access. So I guess I've brought the conversation back to the same trite topic. Microstoft's file formats. Openoffice (as well as some other linux apps) have done a pretty good job of making the other office file formats usable in linux. Why is it that the one program that seems most notorious for being insecure is not?

_I guess I just like being difficult because I also use Firfox religiously at work!_

[mrBen]

Originally posted by bwkaz

I am forced to use Outlook at work too (it's an Exchange server, and I haven't found anything open source that works with Exchange, though I haven't looked too terribly hard),

Ximian Open Sourced their Connector tool, which allows you to connect the Evolution client to an Exchange server.

See http://www.novell.com/products/connector/ for more details.

HTH

[Dark Ninja]

I second Evolution. Looks and works exactly like Office 2002. And, little did I know, you can connect to Exchange with it (thanks mrBen!)

http://www.novell.com/products/evolution/

Screenshots/Download Evolution/etc. :) I've been happy with it!

[jedthehumanoid]

You know I had tried evolution a while back and found that it was flakey as hell. Granted when I say a while I mean about a year or so. Things change fast in the open source world it seems. I may have to try it again.

[Dark Ninja]

I would definitely recommend it. I tried it a little over a year ago as well -- and I didn't stick with it long. (In fact, I didn't stick with Linux all that long.)

But, I will definitely stand behind Evoluton now. :) It's a very well done program. Can't wait for the next release. (I'm hoping they arrange the layout to be similar to Outlook 2003. For all the dumb things Microsoft has done, this is one of their better ideas -- and it's such a simple thing too!)