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Access calendars using Thunderbird with Lightning plugin

After the configuration of your personal and shared calendars with https://calendar.sissa.it/SOGo/ web interface you can also access them using Thunderbird extended with the Ligthning plugin.
You can also access calendars shared with you by other users.

You can manage events accessing to calendars through Thunderbird with Lightning plugin, but ONLY through Sogo web interface (https://calendar.sissa.it/SOGo/) you can create new calendars or change the access rights of your calendars.

If you have not used yet the SOGo web interface visit first the help pages, linked also in the main page of the calendar service.

To install the LIGHTNING add-on option, you must be sure to have a supported version of thunderbird, otherwise it is not possible to continue. To configure and use Thunderbird with the plugin Lightning please refer to the following links.

a)
On thunderbird main window, select 1) Tools then 2) Adds-ons.


b)
In the Add-ons Manager tab, write lightning in the Search field on the right.


c)

  • 1) Search in the window to find Lightning (please note, the correct one have no other words after Lightning). If you do not find it, probably it is not available for your version of thunderbird, so you have to install a supported version.
  • 2) After finding Lightning click on its Install button.
  • When the installation is completed, restart Thunderbird.

After restarting Thunderbird, you will find a new command option on the top menu: Events and Tasks.

d)

To manage calendars, you have to activate Calendar tab.

  • 1) Click on Events and Tasks,
  • 2) then put a check in the Calendar check-box.


After Lightning add-on installation and the Calendar tab activation (previous step d)) you can subscribe calendars (your calendars or shared calendars belonging to other users too) previously created through https://calendar.sissa.it/SOGo/ web interface.

Please see the example:

  • 1) select the Calendar tab,
  • 2) in the Calendars area on the left, by default you can find only a single local (Home) calendar which you can avoid to use. Weaknesses and strengths of Thunderbird_Lightning /Home local calendar:
    • it is not visible using https://calendar.sissa.it/SOGo/ web interface,
    • if you are working on your laptop there is no way to restore its content in case of problems with your hard-disk,
    • you can access on it even when you are disconnected from the network.



Please note: if you need to subscribe more calendars, you have to repeat all these operations for each calendar you wish to insert in your Thunderbird Calendars area.

To subscribe a calendar, please select:

  • 1) from the toolbar menu File,
  • 2) New and then 3) Calendar ….



Then a dialog window is displayed for choosing between local and remote calendars:

  • 1) put a check in the On the Network check box,
  • 2) then click on the Next button.




  • 1) Put a check in the CalDAV check box,
  • 2) copy in the Location field the CalDAV URL of the calendar to subscribe.
  • 3) click on the Next button.


Now you have to setup calendar properties:

  • 1) in the Name field write the calendar name, we KINDLY suggest to use the same which appear in your https://calendar.sissa.it/SOGo/ calendar area (testhe in the example);
  • 2) click once on the Color field and choose a color to distinguish this calendar events from others (pink in the example);
  • 3) if you wish you can put a check in the Show Reminders, PLEASE NOTE: if you are subscribing a shared calendar belonging to another user, display & manage its pop-up window reminder could be a problem;
  • 4) the program insert in the E-mail field your default e-mail address. If you manage more identities, you can choose another one from the drop-down list 4).
  • 5) Confirm clicking on the Next button.



The calendar's properties, but not the URL and the protocol, can be modified also after the creation.


  • The program will ask you to insert your 1) username and 2) password.
    In our example we suppose that you are subscribing a SISSA calendar…
  • 3) If you wish… put a check in the box Use Password Manager to remember this password.
  • 4) Confirm clicking on the OK button.



Confirm clicking on the Finish button.



Please note your the Calendars area. In our example we have removed the check from Home calendar.
The testhe calendar is present now and there is a check in its box.
Now you can manage events in testhe calendar.

Each property option of a calendar you active or change through Thunderbird works only on that Lightning add-on installation.
For example if you change the color of a calendar through Thunderbird, you cannot see this color associated to that calendar through https://calendar.sissa.it/SOGo/ (and vice versa).

To change the properties of a calendar through Thunderbird:

  • in the Calendar area on the left, double click on the calendar name;
  • the property window of the selected calendar will appear.
  • Change carefully any option you need. We suggest to select a Refresh Calendar time (default value Every 30 minutes) choosing a shorter interval time (5 minutes).

If you have not put a check in the box Use Password Manager to remember this password during the subscription of a calendar, at every restart of Thunderbird, you must provide a password to access each network calendar resource:

Password request dialog

When you have many calendars should be better define a unique master password to manage all the sessions (see Protecting stored passwords using a master password).

To delete a calendar right-click on its name on the calendar list box:

You cannot delete a calendar if it is the last one remained.

Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from calendar “altro test”?

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