GCALDaemon deb-package for Ubuntu/Kubuntu
Contents
GCALDaemon (project doesn’t exist anymore, was at http://gcaldaemon.sourceforge.net/) is a great tool to synchronize many of Google’s services such as Google Calendar and Contacts with your local PC. Unfortunately, the installation on Ubuntu/Kubuntu and any other Linux distribution is still not the most comfortable. For this reason, I sat down some hours and packed the tool into a deb-package and additionally added a nice command line tool to simplify some of the basics.
Updates
There have been a couple of updates over the years. Here’s a summary:
- Update Nov ‘08: Ubuntu Intrepid: I just re-installed my Ubuntu and successfully tested the provided version for the new system. Works like a charm for Hardy and for Intrepid. About 150 downloads so far, no complains/malfunctions!
- Update Feb ‘09: Launchpad: I just uploaded the code that creates the deb-package on Launchpad. Maybe somebody of the Ubuntu team will pick it up and integrate it into the distribution. There is also a bug report for this issue, - feel free to contribute.
- Update Apr ‘09: Ubuntu 9.04, Jaunty Jackalope: As Jens just wrote in the comments-section, the deb-package seems to work for Jaunty as well without complications. Yeyy!
- Update Jan ‘11: Ubuntu 10.04 & 10.10: According to my tests, the package still works perfectly with both Lucid Lynx and Maverick Meerkat.
1. Get the package
1.1. Create your own deb package
For those who can’t wait, here’s the package: gcaldaemon_1.0beta16~ubuntu0_all.deb
For all of you interested how to create your own package from my sources, follow these steps:
bzr branch lp:~binwiederhier/+junk/gcaldaemon
cd gcaldaemon
wget http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gcaldaemon/gcaldaemon-linux-1.0-beta16.zip
sudo ./create-package.sh gcaldaemon-linux-1.0-beta16.zip 'gcaldaemon_1.0beta16~ubuntu0_all.deb'
sudo dpkg -i gcaldaemon_1.0beta16~ubuntu0_all.deb
1.2. Download and install
Alternatively to creating the package from my source, you can just download and install it from my deb-file:
wget https://heckel.io/uploads/2008/09/gcaldaemon_1.0beta16~ubuntu0_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i gcaldaemon_1.0beta16~ubuntu0_all.deb
2. Usage & Configuration
The following tools will be available:
- gcaldaemon Start/stop/restart the daemon.
- gcaldaemon-sync-now For immediate synchronization.
- gcaldaemon-config Open the graphical config editor. Also available via the menu „Utilities -> Configure GCALDaemon”.
- gcaldaemon-password-encoder Encode passwords for the config file.
Each user of the system can have his or her own instance of the daemon running. The config file is located at ~/.gcaldaemon/conf/gcal-daemon.cfg.
To edit the config file, you can either use your favorite editor, e.g. vi or use the GCALDaemon config editor GUI:
gcaldaemon-config
You can also open the config editor via the menu: „Utilities -> Configure GCALDaemon”.
To create passwords for the config file use the gcaldaemon-password-encoder -script. For details about the config options, please read the GCALDaemon documentation (site defunct, July 2019).
3. Running GCALDaemon
I have simplified the way how to start/stop the daemon with a small script. Simply type “gcaldaemon” to see what it can do.
To start, restart, stop and check the status (just like in an init-script), type:
gcaldaemon start
Starting GCALDaemon ... ok
gcaldaemon status
GCALDaemon is running as PID 30543.
gcaldaemon restart
Stopping GCALDaemon ... ok
Starting GCALDaemon ... ok
gcaldaemon stop
Stopping GCALDaemon ... ok
4. Enable autostart for GCALDaemon
To enable the autostart-option for GNOME or KDE, type:
gcaldaemon enable kde
gcaldaemon enable kde4
gcaldaemon enable gnome
As a GNOME user, it’s also possible to enable/disable the daemon autostart via the menu „System -> Settings -> Sessions”
5. Finally …
I know that the package is far from perfect, but it’s a lot easier to install/configure than the original package. Feedback is always welcome.