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surferboy · Jul 14, 2008, 08:17 PM

Not sure where to post this: in OSX or in Applications. In any case: if I have both Leopard server with iCal server set up and a personal mobileme account, can I use the two together? Can I create a calendar that my assistant is delegated to manage; allow that calendar push to my iCal client and then have my mobileme on my client machine sync it up to my iPhone?

Thanks in advance.

abbaZaba · Jul 14, 2008, 09:00 PM

you wouldn't need mobileme for this. as long as you have OSX server (which gives you iCal Server) this integrates with the iPhone seamlessly

surferboy · Jul 14, 2008, 10:18 PM

What am I missing here? iCal server will do OTA sync with my iPhone?

besson3c · Jul 14, 2008, 10:52 PM

You don't need OS X Server to run iCal Server, FWIW... However, at this point you will need MobileMe, as iCal/Darwin Calendar Server does not push to the iPhone, unless there has been a newer version released within this last week that does just this... I have no idea whether the iPhone will allow you to pull/subscribe to calendars from your server.

abbaZaba · Jul 15, 2008, 12:55 AM

does the iCal iphone app use the 2.0 software's option for fetch data or push?

if it uses the push data setting then the iCal app on the iphone will do the fetching itself wouldn't it?

besson3c · Jul 15, 2008, 01:40 AM

Originally Posted by abbaZaba

does the iCal iphone app use the 2.0 software's option for fetch data or push?

if it uses the push data setting then the iCal app on the iphone will do the fetching itself wouldn't it?

Huh? I'm confused...

iCal on the iPhone will pull from non MobileMe/push servers, and will accept pushed data from MobileMe. You don't get push with every server in the world just by upgrading to the 2.0 software.

Unless I'm misunderstanding what you meant?

abbaZaba · Jul 15, 2008, 01:45 AM

does iCal server (leopard) support push notification yet?

if it does, then does the iPhone iCal app recognize that this data is coming from a Leopard Server? if it doesn't then I guess Apple isn't on the ball yet.

besson3c · Jul 15, 2008, 01:57 AM

Unless there has been a new release milestone or recent code changes, like I said, iCal/Darwin server doesn't support push or any other kind of special phone support - it is simply a storage/authentication facility for calendar data. If there is a plug or some sort of add-on, I'm not aware of it, and it doesn't seem to be advertised on the project website:

http://trac.calendarserver.org/

Seeing as how Apple is likely using Calendar Server with MobileMe, perhaps they will release their (current proprietary) code at some point, who knows...

surferboy · Jul 15, 2008, 08:16 AM

So is my original question answered: Leopard server with iCal server --> my iCal clients that happen to have mobileme --> my iPhone with mobileme? Manual sync or pull sync? OTA sync?

besson3c · Jul 15, 2008, 12:09 PM

I'm not understanding what has been left unanswered... Like I said, Darwin/iCal Server and the iPhone do not speak to each other.

surferboy · Jul 15, 2008, 12:38 PM

That I understand, but iCal on my local machine talks to MM. So if server synced with my local machine, will my local machine then sync with MM, essentially managing a calendar from my server and MM simultaneously?

kman42 · Jul 15, 2008, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by surferboy

That I understand, but iCal on my local machine talks to MM. So if server synced with my local machine, will my local machine then sync with MM, essentially managing a calendar from my server and MM simultaneously?

I think this is the crux of the question that hasn't been answered. Can Darwin server be sync'd to a local instance of iCal that is sync'd to MobileMe? Once it is on MobileMe, it will push to the iPhone.

besson3c · Jul 16, 2008, 02:59 AM

I think I understand the question now...

I don't know whether MobileMe will pick up iCal CalDAV and/or WebDAV subscriptions, but I would guess that it would not. For starters, Apple generally doesn't get this detailed oriented and advanced with new roll-outs, but also there are problems and challenges with doing this...

For starters, iCal/Darwin Calendar server would either have to signal MobileMe of new content, or else MobileMe/OS X Sync Services would have to query the calendar server at regular intervals. This isn't a problem per say, but is simply a piece of the puzzle which would have to exist.

I think the greater problem though is that WebDAV subscriptions are read only. It would be very confusing to not be able to edit subscribed calendars on your iPhone. This limitation exists in iCal under OS X, so maybe this won't cause much confusion, but in order to write to a CalDAV hosted calendar from your iPhone and write back to the server, this server has to be available anywhere in the world. Will connection difficulties fail gracefully, if they are attempted at all? Without being able to write to your CalDAV hosted calendars from your iPhone, this creates problems and confusion. There may be security and battery life issues here too...

The current iPhone calendar sync outside of MobileMe is brain dead simple, it simply passes the iCal .ics calendar files to and from the phone. However, this only works with local calendars that reside on that user's Mac. I'd be impressed if the iPhone could accommodate CalDAV and WebDAV subscriptions gracefully, but my expectations are that it won't even attempt them.

Sorry for my rambling here....

taldrich · Sep 2, 2008, 01:19 PM

Bottom line: a so-called enterprise ready phone like the iPhone cannot even sync with Mac originated calendars running on its own servers. This is a big, big fault. I only half understand the explanations above, but for me as a user it is absolutely useless not to be able to see my office calendars on the iPhone.

surferboy · Sep 2, 2008, 02:50 PM

Reasonable solution for lack of true shared calendars:

If you want to have a shared calendar that both you and your wife and/or assistant can edit:

(1) Pick a computer and set up two user accounts. One account for you and one for your wife.
(2) Set up mobileme for each respective user on each account.
(3) Use busysync to sync the calendars together, giving both users read/write abilities.
(4) Keep both users logged in at all times, and the calendars will sync with each other and each calendar which is associated with MM will sync with MM and to your iPhone. True shared calendars pushed to your iPhone.
(5) Each user can have their own calendars that they can keep separate from the shared calendar, and just share the ones they want.

Pretty simple and easy.