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Accessing MS Outlook and Access Database in Linux Mandrake

Our company is desperate to change to a Linux OS rather than windows and have just installed Linux Mandrake 9.1.  We need to use our existing Access client database in Linux and have had limited success with Office CrossOver software.  It enables us to access the Database but has various "glitches" with things like fil search and mail merge.    We are also looking to access our Outlook mail (with no success), is their a way to do this.  (We will eventually look at converting fully to Linux replacements, but as a company need to bridge this transition).
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Gns

Apart from CrossOver Office (and perhaps the alternative to keep a "server" in windoze and do something interesting with UnixODBC)... I think you are looking at converting your access dbs to something different. Free alternatives like MySql and Postgresql with some scruipting for the frontend could perhaps replace it/them? If you do it like a web app... your current brew of windoze clients would benefit from it too.

Evolution should be able to talk "seminative" with M-Sexchange. For locally stored Outlook stores... Things are a bit more bleak. If you do have an exchange server, enabling IMAP in it will make any linux emailclient app work for you.

-- Glenn
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What would the "interesting" thing be to do with UnixODBC? We are willing to convert the access database, but are looking for a "transfer" type program to take across all fields and associations.  Our company is insurance so information is too sensitive, we feel, to have it as open as a local web app.  

We have investigated IMAP, but are confused as to the setup and how our email share would be configured!  (Remember you are dealing with people who have been running Outlook and have shared emails via Questers Outlook Folders for the past year. http://www.outlookfolders.biz/Lang/English/OLWorkgroupFolders/olw1.htm 
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Thank you Glenn - Its done the job we wanted (which is closing the door on some timewaster issues and opening the door on those that have a bit of mileage!).
Not a miracle solution to our problem (one always wishes for) but information in a clear and diverse manner (might be of interest to say that we now have another system trying out SUSE 9.0 Pro!) Lets see what that offers!
Good Luck!
Hopefully you'll find the experience rewarding.

One last bit about mail... As you have it now, I suspect that your ISP actually host the mail accounts for incoming and outgoing mails. In your new setup you needn't change this if you don't want to. One can use the fetchmail program to "plunder" the mailboxes via a variety of protocols (POP, IMAP etc), and then "remail them" to the local server. In effect doing exactly what your Quester setup does today... The upside on this is that you need not bother with network issues (like DNS MX records etc) on the internet, while the downside is that you need interract with your ISP when you want to add an email address.
Or I might have missunderstood your setup completely;-).

Anyway, in some ways I truly envy you the fun work ahead!

-- Glenn