How to enable two-way synchronization of Google Calendar with Thunderbird and Lightning

On 30/6/2007, In Google, Mozilla, Open Source, Productivity, Thunderbird, Tutorials, By Yash
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Google Calendar synced with Thunderbird and LightningWith the release of the latest version of the open-source calendaring application Sunbird, Mozilla has also released the Thunderbird extension Lightning.

Until now it wasn’t really possible to have two-way synchronization of your local Lightning calendar with Google Calendar. In this post, I show you how to do this so that an event added or edited in Google Calendar will appear in Lightning, and vice versa automatically. For Windows XP you should apply the XP timezone patch, but for all other Operating Systems, like Mac OS and Linux, the steps should work the same.

Requirements:

1. If you have Windows XP: XP timezone patch

2. Google Calendar

3. Mozilla Thunderbird – The best open-source email program.

4. Provider for Google Calendar add-on

5. Lightning – Thunderbird calendar add-on

Install the timezone patch if necessary. If you already have Thunderbird and a Google Calendar account, then:

1. Download and install the Provider for Google Calendar add-on for Thunderbird

2. Download and install the latest Lightning add-on for Thunderbird

To do these two steps above, you must:

a. Right-click and save the extension in a local folder

b. In Thunderbird, go to Tools->add-ons

c. Click on the lower left “Install…” button and then find the two add-on files you saved (with the .xpi extension)

Once the extensions are installed, check whether Lightning has correctly determined your timezone, and if not, set it manually in Thunderbird:

Tools->options->Lightning->Timezone tab

  • Now, log into your Google Calendar and choose the calendar (if you have more than one) you want to sync with. Add some new test events if you wish.
  • On the lower left pane next to your calendar, click the blue down arrow, and select Calendar Settings.
  • On the settings page, go down to your Private address and click the orange XML button.
  • Right-click on the address shown in the new window and Copy Link Location.
  • In Thunderbird’s lower left pane, click on the Calendars tab, and then click on the New… button.
  • Select “On the Network” in the new window which appears. Click Next…
  • Select “Google Calendar”, and then paste the private address you copied into the Location entry. Click Next.
  • Give a name to your Calendar and choose a color. Click Finish.
  • Enter your password for your Google Calendar account and check the box so that Password Manager remembers it.

    • You should find your events appear magically in Thunderbird.

    Now try adding a new event in Thunderbird and Reload the Google Calendar page in your browser. Then, try editing an entry in Thunderbird and Reload the page in Google Calendar.

    There you go, two-way sync between Thunderbird and Lightning and Google Calendar!

    Now, when you see an interesting event on Upcoming or any other site which uses microformats, you can easily add that event to your Google Calendar with a single click, thanks to Firefox and the Operator add-on. If not, read my previous post on Enhancing calendar scheduling with Microformats.

    Once you’ve done that, your event is both in Google Calendar (so that you can check your calendar from any online computer) and in Thunderbird (so that you can check your calendar even when offline).

    The world just got a whole lot better.

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    Congratulations Ubuntu community!

    On 19/4/2007, In Firefox, Linux, Mozilla, Open Source, Technology, Thunderbird, Ubuntu, By Yash
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    Ubuntu logoI was at the launch of the latest version of Ubuntu Linux, v 7.04, at the St-Sulpice on St-Denis. Ubuntu Linux is an open-source and free operating system, a GNU/Linux distribution.

    Fabiàn Rodriguez from Canonical provided us with DVDs and CDs of Ubuntu Linux 7.04. Etienne was another colleague from Canonical I met and talked to. I asked him about the opportunities of working for Canonical.

    Ubuntu Linux 64-bit DVDI first tried a 32-bit version Live CD on my laptop and it worked first time. A Live CD does not need installation so you can give the OS a try before installing it. I have used Kubuntu before and I like KDE so I was expecting to be disappointed with the default Gnome desktop, but was I surprised. Gnome has really come a long way. It felt good. Fabiàn said that on install I could still try Kubuntu – it’s all on the DVD. He also gave me a 64-bit version of Ubuntu and I’ve tried it and it’s really blazing fast on my AMD Turion 64 x2. There was no glitch whatsoever.

    My favorite browser, Firefox is already available by default. OpenOffice 2.2 is there too. As for email, the default is Evolution Mail whereas I use Mozilla’s fantastically stable Thunderbird (try the latest one, it’s faster).

    It was great to see Luis again whom I had met before at the MLUG, and we talked quite a lot about open source software like tinyERP and Ubuntu. Luis knows his way around Linux. He showed me the ruggedest laptop ever – isn’t it, Luis?

    We had free wi-fi from the excellent île-sans-fil project. It worked really well. Luis’s connection seemed stronger. He explained that there was some kind on antenna on the side of his screen, which made me think of hacking my wireless card with some wire extension and do the same. We laughed a lot about how solid his laptop was – it’s like concrete – it’s got a metal screen shield, some super screen antenna, polymer gels for protecting the HDD from shocks and vibrations and probably some kind of nuclear power.

    I couldn’t try the Desktop effects because I needed special drivers for my ATI video chipset, but Luis’s nuclear bunker of a laptop worked straight away. He was taunting me with it.

    I probably told Luis “I’m so happy this works” about a thousand times because that’s how I felt seeing the Live CD Ubuntu Linux on my laptop. Last time I tried I think I had a badly burnt DVD image so I was stuck at the boot screen. This time…perfection.

    Luis and FabiànSo I’d like to extend my thanks to:

    Fabiàn Rodriguez – thanks a million Fabiàn – you’re great. Etienne and other Canonical employees present today. FACiL and the Quebec Ubuntu Local Community team.

    Michael Lenczner and all the île-sans-fil team and volunteers who are working hard and doing a tremendous job at bringing free high-quality wi-fi hotspots throughout Montreal.

    All the other people present and who took some time to chat, Cyril, Franco, Hans, the three Vincents, etc…

    Linus Torvalds, Eric Stallman, Eric Raymond, Bruce Perens, the Debian people and all other volunteers and contributors.

    The whole of the Ubuntu community, as well as Canonical.

    And last but not least:

    A huge thank you to you, Mr. Mark Shuttleworth. You are a true genius and benefactor to ship Ubuntu freely around the world and give free support in the spirit of the African Ubuntu ideology.

    Fantasties – Dankie!

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