Can I run Windows 7 Outlook from Ubuntu ?
 

Hi,

I read the Wine and Ubuntu documentation and searched on the web, but am unable to figure if the following is possible:

* I installed and run Ubuntu 10.04 as a file in Windows 7 (i.e., there no separate Linux partition).
* In Windows 7 I have Microsoft Outlook installed and working.

My question is:
Is it possible to run the Microsoft Outlook that is installed on Windows 7 from Ubuntu using Wine. Namely, can I avoid having to install Microsoft Outlook twice, once in Windows 7 and once in Wine on Ubuntu ?

Thanks,
Ron.

I do not think you can do it that way.

Personally, I would install Linux on it's own partition---it eliminates one possible reason for any subtle problems.

I have MS Office running under CrossOver (commercial version of WINE), but I have not yet tried Outlook.

why would ever want to run MS outlook ( i hated that even on windows)
there is already a mail program installed by default on almost all distros

I'm in a corporate environment and we use Outlook / MS Exchange for calendaring. I'm sure I am not alone in being required to use Outlook. Evolution does work but, unless it has been fixed recently, did not support Exchange 2007 with respect to the calendaring functions.

Practically, no. That is, this might just be theoretically possible, but it is going to be much more work than it is worth. And, if there are difficulties, you will never ever know whether your unusual install procedure caused them, or its just because the program sucked (...or both, don't dismiss both as an option...).

You would have to copy the executable across. No real problem.

You would have to find all of the relevant .dlls and put them in the appropriate places. Some .dlls will have come with outlook and may be relatively easy to find (although there are probably too many of them for it to be convenient) and some would have already existed on the system, and those you might only find by running the program, letting it crash and see what stops the crash.

You would have to make all of the changes to the registry that the install normally makes, but make them by hand. You'll probably make mistakes doing this and those mistakes will be nearly impossible to debug and, if you make enough changes, you may well break other, already working, stuff while you are at it.

And then, there is the other stuff that I don't know about...I don't do windows.

My guess is that you won't get this fully working by the time that the next release of outlook comes along...and then you can start again, if you still have the enthusiasm.

Is it possible to have Ubuntu mail-agents use Outlook pst files directly (i.e., without have to convert nearly 1GB of pst files to a format the Ubuntu mail-agents understand) ?

Yes, probably, see

http://www.dcs-media.com/Archive/out...thunderbird-NE

Have you considered running Oracle's VirtualBox within Ubuntu, then loading Outlook within a Windows session? Outlook was the sole Windows app that I really wanted to be able to use during my Linux migration. I tried WINE and was disappointed, used dual boot and did not want to cancel my Linux session just to access Outlook. Then I remembered hearing about VM's. SUN was offering VirtualBox at the time.( I was running 8.x then ) It is an easy hconfigure. I used it until I lost my taste for Outlook and now am happy using Evolution within Lucid Lynx.

Of course your mileage may vary...good luck with your journey ;-)

Thanks 1red911, I'll have a look at Oracle's VirtualBox.

Yes.
VirtualBox is fast and best method :-)

My solution would be to go the WINE route, and simply saving the .pst file in a directory accessible to both window$ and Linux. It is going to be the most light weight solution anyway. I think windows doesn't like other clients accessing their .pst's so they have most likely changed some specs with the new outlook 2010 to make it more difficult for things like thunderbird.

But don't take my word. I might be clueless about the skillz of WINE, I used it almost 5 years ago, and I am presuming it has improved a lot.

cool!

The issue with WINE, as I understand it, is that I'd need to install MS Office Outlook also from WINE. So, I'd have two Outlook installations: one inside the Windows 7, and one inside the WINE. Am I mistaken ?

Outlook pst files are proprietary to Windaz environment.
You would need to import to Thunderbird or eVolution to make all mail readable.

HTH?

I wouldn't try to point any other mail client at Outlook's PST or any other files as this is likely to just corrupt them -- Outlook does a good enough job of this on its own.
I thought Outlook stored local mail in OST files anyhow?

haha - yes - no need for third party corruption.
OST = Local/live and pst = backup/export AFAIK.

Interestingly Thunderbird can read/update the same mailfile from within nix and windaz environment on the same workstation - it just doesnt have the Outlook/Exchange calendar compatibility they are asking for above in this LQ.