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dev:sympa_and_instant_messaging [2009/07/28 10:43]
serge.aumont@cru.fr
dev:sympa_and_instant_messaging [2009/07/28 11:31] (current)
etienne.meleard@cru.fr
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-====== Sympa and instant messaging ​======+====== Sympa and instant messaging ​ ======
  
 In order to enhance services provided by Sympa list servers we decided to integrate (more or less) instant messaging within Sympa (as we did for a wiki). In order to enhance services provided by Sympa list servers we decided to integrate (more or less) instant messaging within Sympa (as we did for a wiki).
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 From here we identified two main solutions, html based web chat or a system using a stand alone server. From here we identified two main solutions, html based web chat or a system using a stand alone server.
 +
 +The most interesting one is a stand alone server based on XMPP since this protocol is powerful and provides a real instant messaging service. Moreover it also provides voice/video and file transfer support. The thing we are seeking for is a server that is pluggable enough to allow custom identification and chatroom creation/​config or at least a server with database that could be populated from Sympa.
  
 The problem is about choosing between a powerful solution that would be a service itself, with a connector to Sympa, and a simpler solution but with higher integration potential and a reduced investment. The problem is about choosing between a powerful solution that would be a service itself, with a connector to Sympa, and a simpler solution but with higher integration potential and a reduced investment.
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 ===== Stand alone server ===== ===== Stand alone server =====
  
-We soon took a look at the XMPP protocol and all its server implementations. Noticeable ones are OpenFire (Java), dJabberd (Perl), Jabber2 (C) and eJabber (erlang).+We soon took a look at the XMPP protocol and all its server implementations. Noticeable ones are OpenFire ([[http://​www.igniterealtime.org/​projects/​openfire/​index.jsp]], ​Java), dJabberd ([[http://​www.danga.com/​djabberd]], ​Perl), Jabber2 ([[http://​jabberd2.xiaoka.com]], ​C) and eJabber ([[http://​www.ejabberd.im]], ​erlang).
  
 Advantages : Advantages :
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 Disadvantages : Disadvantages :
   * Many different server implementations:​ its quite difficult to find one with either a standard programming language (no erlang user here ...), extension capabilities,​ good support and with a structure that would allow us to plug it in Sympa easily   * Many different server implementations:​ its quite difficult to find one with either a standard programming language (no erlang user here ...), extension capabilities,​ good support and with a structure that would allow us to plug it in Sympa easily
-  * Users need to install a desktop IM client (pidgin, gtalk, etc) ...+  * Users need to install a desktop IM client (pidgin, gtalk, etc) except if a good flash/java applet client is available ​...
  
-We installed an OpenFire server and got it to work quite easily, but we quickly experienced problems when trying to adapt it to our needs. ​First we had to implement Sympa based authentication but the OpenFire auth class isn't directly pluggable ​and requires ​to write a custom implementation of a basic auth class, that we not able to do (probably due to our limited knowledge in Java). The other thing was to create/​restrict access to chatroom based on list membership, but we were unable to find where (aka in which class) it should be done+We installed an OpenFire server and got it to work quite easily, but we quickly experienced problems when trying to adapt it to our needs. ​This server is complex ​and it takes time to figure out which code to modify ​to achieve things ​we want.
  
-Another idea was to populate the OpenFire database with data extracted from Sympa, but this was a failure again since we don'​t ​know how is the user password ​encrypted and also since we were unable to create ​chatroom ​that way (not to speak about access restriction) ...+Another idea was to populate the OpenFire database with data extracted from Sympa, but this was a failure again since we don'​t ​have a lot of informations about this database (password ​encryption, ​chatroom ​config) ...
  
 ===== Web chat ===== ===== Web chat =====
  • dev/sympa_and_instant_messaging.1248770622.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2009/07/28 10:43
  • by serge.aumont@cru.fr