Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.

Global Open Versity

Systems Integration Hands-on Labs Training Manual

Step-by-Step Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on

Linux
Kefa Rabah
Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada
krabah@globalopenversity.org
www.globalopenversity.org

Table of Contents Page No.

Step-by-Step Install Guide for Evolution E-mail Client using LDAP on Linux 2
Introduction 2
Step 2: Install OpenLDAP 8
Step 3: Using Evolution 2.12.3 and LDAP 9
1. Configuring Evolution 2.10.2 to Use LDAP 9
2. Searching with LDAP 11
Step 4: Using Addressbook to Auto-complete our To: when composing a new e-mail. 13

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© April 2007, Kefa Rabah, Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada

www.globalopenversity.org A GOV Open Knowledge Access Technical Publication

Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.2

Global Open Versity

Systems Integration Hands-on Labs Training Manual

Step-by-Step Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux

By Kefa Rabah, krabah@globalopenversity.org October 28, 2009 SerengetSys Labs

Introduction
Once you have installed and configured Zimbra messaging server or Sendmail integrated with Dovecot
(IMPA/POP3) server or any other messaging server of your choice, and all is working good, then you
need to choice a good email client solution like Evolution email client to communicate with messaging
systems on your network. You have options of many email clients to choose from e.g., Thunderbird,
SquirrelMail etc. however, Evolution mail which comes pre-packaged with most Linux distros comes
handy for powering your e-mail communication on your PC, laptop etc. for your network users.

Evolution or Novell Evolution (formerly Ximian Evolution, prior to Novell's 2003 acquisition of Ximian)
is the official personal information manager and workgroup information management tool for GNOME. It
combines e-mail, calendar, address book, and task list management functions. It has been an official part
of GNOME since version 2.8 in September 2004. Evolution development is sponsored primarily by Novell

Evolution 2.22 was released on 2008-03-11, together with GNOME 2.22 (March 2008). GNOME is the
default desktop environment for several Linux distributions, most notably Debian, Fedora, CentOS, and
Ubuntu. Foresight Linux showcases the latest releases of GNOME. Novell distributes Evolution with
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 and the openSUSE community project. In this HowTo we’ll show the
necessary steps to install and configure Evolution mail on CentOS5 running Sendmail and Dovecot

Evolution is Free software under the GNU General Public License. Its user interface and
functionality are similar to Microsoft Outlook. Features include iCalendar support, full-text
indexing of all incoming mail, powerful email filters writable in Scheme and a "Search
Folders" feature (i.e., saved searches that look like normal mail folders).

Evolution can be connected to all versions of Microsoft Exchange Server except Exchange 2007 using
their web interfaces and an Evolution add-on formerly called Ximian Connector. Using gnome-pilot,
it may be synchronized with Palm Pilot devices, and OpenSync enables it to be synchronized with
mobile phones and other PDAs. It’s also easy to integrate with LDAP to access your address book.

Adding LDAP server to your network allows you to have a fully functional suite of open source-driven
services available to your enterprise that gives, if not the full functionality of something like Exchange, but
gives enough so that the users can interact and exchange information cleanly, without having to jump
through hoops or pay for it.

The idea of a centralized general information repository that could be used for authentication, contacts,
and general configuration details is very appealing – if you have cool dollars to spend then head straight
for Windows Active Directory integrated with Exchanger server plus Outlook to power your messaging
systems. Alternatively, take a quick turn-around and head to the Open Source world – the world of
freshness and pure freedom. While power your systems with a fully functional integrated Sendmail and
Dovecot messaging server with Mozilla Thunderbird mail client and OpenLDAP powered LDAP server.
For a start, however, be warned, setting up an open source powered LDAP server is not for the weak of
heart! And of course, don’t forget to install that cool DNS server powered by Bind9.

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Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.2

Step 1: Setup & Configure Evolution Email Client on CentOS5

To setup Evolution mail client, click Application > Internet, and then select Email to start Evolution email
setup. On the Welcome screen dialog box, click the Forward button, see Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

1. From Identity dialog box, complete as shown in Fig. 2 (replace with your own username), click the
Forward button. Messaging serve: server04.beemtech.edu, email address:
ldapuser@beemtech.edu.

Fig. 2

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Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.2

2. From the Receiving Email dialog box, the desired Server Type, enter the Server, Username,
Security option, and Authentication Type as desired; and then click Forward, see Fig. 3.

Fig. 3
3. From the Receiving Options dialog box, select the desired option(s) to suit and then click
Forward, see Fig. 4.

Fig. 4

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Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.2

4. From the Sending Email dialog box, select & enter the desired information to suit and then click
Forward, see Fig. 5. Click Check for Supported Types button to test your configuration.

Fig. 5
5. From the Sending Email dialog box, select & enter the desired information to suit and then click
Forward, see Fig. 5. Click Check for Supported Types button to test your configuration.

Fig. 6

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Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.2

6. From the Timezone dialog box, select the desired timezone to suit then click Forward, see Fig. 6.

Fig. 6
7. From the Done dialog box, click Apply to complete the instillation, see Fig. 7.

Fig. 7

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Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.2

8. Figure 8 shows your Evolution client ready for use. Click the New toolbar to create a new email.

Fig. 8

9. Creating a new email message with Evolution, see Fig. 9. Click Send icon when done.

Fig. 9

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Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.2

10. From Fig. 8, click the Send/Receive icon to check or send email.

• If you have a new email stored in the server, you will receive a new email alert shown in Fig. 10,

Fig. 10

11. To view or read your new email click the new email link, see Fig. 11.

Fig. 11

12. You’re done with installing and configuring Evolution email client.

Step 2: Install OpenLDAP

It’s assumed that you have already installed OpenLDAP or know how to install OpenLDAP on Linux. If not
the head Scribd.com and check out an excellent article by the same author entitled "Design & Deploy
Secure OpenLDAP Infrastructure for Enterprise SSO", to get you started.

Our OpenLDAP configuration is as follows:

• LDAP Server: server04.beemtech.edu

IP Address: 192.168.83.12
• Bases DN: dc=beemtech,dc=edu

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Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.2

Figure 12 shows the OpenLDAP infrastructure obtained with JXplorer LDAP browser.

Fig. 12: shows the OpenLDAP infrastructure obtained with JXplorer LDAP browser

Step 3: Integrating Evolution 2.12.3 with LDAP

1. Configuring Evolution 2.10.2 to Use LDAP

1. Choose File | New | Address Book, see Fig. 13

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Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.2

Fig. 13

2. From Fig. 14, select Type: On LDAP

Servers. From General tab, complete
the filed as shown:

Name: Beemtech LDAP (for this

example)
Server: 192.168.83.12
Port: 389
Use secure connection: No encryption
Login method: Anonymously

Note: It’s important to replace the server

name with the server IP address otherwise
the Evolution Addressbook will not work with
OpenLDAP.

Fig. 14: New Address Book dialog box.

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Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.2

3. Next, select the Details tab, see Fig. 15.

Click on the "Find Possible Search

Bases" button which results in multiple
choices, the 4th being
"dc=beemtech,dc=edu", and select it,
or manually add the search base:
"dc=beemtech,dc=edu" if that isn't one
of the choices.

Search Filter should be left blank. Note:

this may causes a warning "Bad
search filter" when you use it, but
it still returns search results.

4. Click the OK button.

Fig. 15: New Address Book Properties dialog box.

2. Searching with LDAP

1. Next, click View > Window, and then select "Contacts", see Fig. 16.

Fig. 16

2. From Fig. 17, choose "On LDAP Servers" and then select Beemtech LDAP (for this example)..

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www.globalopenversity.org A GOV Open Knowledge Access Technical Publication

Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.2

Fig. 17

3. Next from the Show drop-down window select the search category, in our case “Any Category”
4. Next click on the magnifying glass icon in the Search box and select the appropriate criteria, in this
case “Name begins with”, see Fig. 18

Fig. 18: Selecting the LDAP search category

5. Now enter your Search Criteria and press Enter or click the icon, in this case we want search for
LDAP user “wgreg”.

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Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.2

Fig. 18: Result for searching LDAP user “wgreg” from the addressbook.

6. If you want to copy any entry to your local address book, right click on it and choose Copy to
Address Book...
7. Select the address book you want ("On This Computer > Personal") and click the OK button.

Step 4: Using Addressbook to Auto-complete our To: when composing a new e-mail.
1. Click Edit menu and select Preferences to access Evolution Preferences dialog box, as shown in
Fig. 19

Fig. 19

2. Click “Autocompletion” button and from the right-pane check mark as indicated in Fig. 19. click the
Close button when done to exit.
3. Now View men > Window and select Mail to go back to main page.
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Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada Install Guide for Evolution Mail Client using LDAP on Linux v1.2

4. Click New icon to compose a new email. This time we want to send an email to “scraig” (Sarah
Craig)
5. Next place your curser in the To: section and it should auto-complete the email address for you as
soon as you start typing “scr” as shown in Fig. 20.

Fig. 20: The joy of “Autocompletion.”

6. Now you have complete centralized identity management made possible with OpenLDAP directory
service when integrated with Evolution Addressbook.
7. Go ahead and enjoy emailing with Evolution + OpenLDAP!

Stay tuned as I will continue to update this document from time to time to bring it up-to-date to make it
easy for all users to implement.

Good Luck – and Enjoy.

-----------------------
Kefa Rabah is the Founder and CIO, of Serengeti Systems Group Inc. Kefa is knowledgeable in
several fields of Science & Technology, IT Security Compliance and Project Management, and
Renewable Energy Systems. He is also the founder of Global Open Versity, a Center of Excellence
in online eLearning.

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© April 2007, Kefa Rabah, Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada

www.globalopenversity.org A GOV Open Knowledge Access Technical Publication