Version: (using KDE KDE 3.3.0) Installed from: FreeBSD Ports The attributes that a contact in the Kaddressbook may have is different from the attributes that may be saved on a LDAP-Server (as defined in Attributes Configuration). If you create a new kontact for the LDAP resource at least the fields that could not be saved in the LDAP-Server should be hidden/deactivated, because now you may enter information that simply gets lost. It would be better to have a LDAP schema that has all the fields kaddressbook has and that comes with KDE. Furthermore the "attribute configuration" dialog should change the number of fields displayed depending of the selected schema. It should be able to query all available fields from an LDAP resource and let them be mapped individually to all the possible kaddressbook attributes. Also it should be possible to configure a certain maximum of phone numbers, postal addresses and email-addresses. This number should be made mappable (as e.g. email_1, email_2, ...) to the corresponding LDAP attributes in the configuration dialog. kaddressbook should check all kontacts (at the best from all addressbooks, so that you easily could copy a contact from e.g. a local addressbook to a LDAP-addressbook without loosing information) when being edited that this max. limit of entries (i.e. max no. of email-addresses and the like) is not exceeded (=> it should be a "general" setting). Also when saving a contact as LDIF it should be possible to select a schema for the export. The number and mapping of the attributes should depend on that schema and the attribute configuration, so that one can determine if information should be dropped. IMHO the way it is now implemented the LDAP-support is practical unusable for the above mentioned reasons and therefor I don't consider these things as desired features, but as bugs.
Created attachment 8213 [details] Example of export from KAddressbook Hi, I have a really tiny network here at home (just our two computers connected to one server; workstations have Debian/testing and KDE 3.2.3 and server Debian/stable installed). I would love to make central depository of all addresses which we could share. I have installed slapd on the server and I was able to import one record with ldapadd. I am also able to locate this record with ldap://server/?o=family,c=US?? on the workstation KDE. Now I would love to make export of my directory from KAdressbook into LDIF and import it to the LDAP server. However, I cannot make import the attached LDIF file into LDAP server: mitmanek:/home/matej# ldapadd -v -f /tmp/addressbook-example.ldif -x \ -D cn=admin,o=ceplovi,c=US -w messiah ldap_initialize( <DEFAULT> ) add givenname: NOT ASCII (54 bytes) add uid: 0VBSEdSQUm add mail: con_washington@embassy.mzv.cz add modifytimestamp: 20040707T150909Z add objectclass: top person organizationalPerson adding new entry "mail=con_washington@embassy.mzv.cz" ldap_add: No such object ldif_record() = 32 mitmanek:/home/matej# It seems to me that export to LDIF is really poor in KAddressbook. Or am I totally wrong? Matej
*** This bug has been confirmed by popular vote. ***
An alternative approach which would help users who have to work with the provided LDAP schema, might be for kaddressbook fields that do not map to attributes in the LDAP schema saved locally.
All kaddressbook attributes should be shown in the "edit attribute" dialog. If a attribute like "Categories" is not available in the ldap-schema, it should be able to set a default value (like Category => "my Company"), to save this attribute locally or to disable this attribute in kaddressbook.
but it should also be possible to map an attribute of kaddressbook to one of the ldap schema with a different name
I just silently lost all my birthday records after switching to LDAP 'container'. Damn annoying when figured out why.
I'd also change report type to 'bug'.
Is there anything non-programmers can do to assist with this issue? Can't trace any progress for the past 9 months... I also just recently lost lots of information when trying to convert to LDAP for contact storage for the entire family.
Mozilla/Thunderbird has some discussion in their bugtracker regarding the development of a schema suitable for them. I do think KDE should implement the same one if possible: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=116692 http://wiki.mozilla.org/MailNews:LDAP_Address_Books#LDAP_Address_Book_Schema_-_Alpha_Version
After doing some more investigations, I wrote my experiences down: http://cweiske.de/tagebuch/LDAP%20addressbook.htm Please also read the linked text http://www.stanford.edu/~quanah/directory/email/ that lists some negative aspects of today's ldap addressbook implementations. It would be cool if you could define your own ldap <-> adressbook mappings like eudora does it. And support evolutionPerson as mapping template.
The development of the old KAddressBook will be discontinued for KDE 4.4. Since the new application has the same name, but a completly new code base we close all bug reports against the old version and ask the submitters to resend there reports against the new product.