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How to access SISSA calendars using Thunderbird extended with the 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, change the access rights or delete 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.
"Tools" is in the top toolbar.

b)
In the Add-ons Manager tab, write lightning in the Search field on the right.
Icons near the "Search" field could be different, please ignore them.

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. If the name of the add-on is gray instead of black, probably you have  a NOT supported version of Thunderbird.

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.

This is the last step to activate Lightning-calendar function.


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.
In the example we removed the check from local "Home" calendar check box.
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:

  • 1) in the top toolbar select File,
  • 2) then select New and then 3) Calendar ….

The options "New" and "Calendars" will appear in two different windows.

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.

Do not leave the check in "On My Computer".


  • 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.

Be careful to copy the CalDAV URL link correctly.

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.

Choose/write carefully the calendar property options.

The calendar property options can be modified also after the creation, but NOT the CalDAV URL link and the protocol.


  • 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.

Insert your SISSA username & password.

Confirm clicking on the Finish button.

The subscribing operation is completed.


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.
The "testhe" calendar is selected, so it has a blue background.

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).

Change carefully the options.

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).

ONLY through Sogo web interface (https://calendar.sissa.it/SOGo/) you can really delete your calendars or unsubscribe shared calendars belonging to another user. More information on another page: How to delete a calendar with SOGo web interface.

Using Thunderbird with Lightning plugin, you can only remove calendars from calendar list of your Calendar area.

To unsubscribe/delete a calendar:

  • in your Calendar area, click on the chosen calendar name using the right button of the mouse;
  • a new window will appear, select Delete Calendar;
  • the program will ask you: “Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from calendar ”calendar name“?
  • confirm the operation clicking on the OK button.

PLEASE NOTE in the following example the ”Home“ local calendar is selected. This is the ONLY ONE calendar that you REALLY delete from Thunderbird because it is a local calendar.
Select carefully the calendar name to unsubscribe.

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

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