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mpm
Asked: 2012-05-17 23:14:43 +0800 CST

How to integrate Gmail, Google contacts and Google calendar into Unity without Thunderbird or Evolution?

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I want to integrate my Google contacts, calender and Gmail to Unity. And I don´t want to use Thunderbird or even worse Evolution.

Is there a possibility like in GNOME 3.xx? A lightweight contact / calendar / mail app (maybe one app for contact, one for calendar) would be welcome.

Edit: I want to use the calender to sync my appointments with google - e.g. I open my "ubuntu-calender", make a new appointment and it syncs with google calendar. Also return way.

The same with contacts. I want a see and edit all my contacts in an app and have them sync with google.

Gmail: A notifyer would be enough - just one click on the notifyer and it opens googlemail in chrome. Otherwise an lightweigth email client.

Kind regards mpm

unity contacts google-calendar gmail

6 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    You can install Ubuntu’s New Web Apps Feature of Ubuntu 12.04 & 12.10. This will allow you to integrate your Gmail and Google Calender to the desktop, and make them first class citizen on your computer. This will allow for system notification pop-ups, HUD integration, and other Unity features. This is how to install it:

    Open the Terminal and type these commands:

    sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webapps/preview
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install unity-webapps-preview

    Now log out and log back in for the change to take affect. The time next you visit Gmail or Google Calender on Firefox or Chromium, they will ask if you want to integrate with the desktop.

    Here is some more reading on the subject:

    http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/07/ubuntu-unveil-new-web-apps-feature-for-12-10

    http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/07/list-of-that-websites-support-unitys-new-web-apps-feature

    http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/07/how-to-install-ubuntus-new-web-apps-feature

    Hope this helps!

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  2. For calendar try plasma-widget-googlecalendar For gmail you should find only notifiers (gnome-mail, gmail-notify, gnome-mail-notifier, checkgmail, gm-notify, unity-mail, etc..) or mail clients (claws-mail, balsa, postler, and so on). For Contacts, I'm afraid you can find only Unity Lens, as you can read here: http://iloveubuntu.net/unity-contacts-lens-brings-ubuntu-one-and-google-contacts-dash

    Just a couriousity: why not Evolution/Thunderbird?

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  3. Install gnome-gmail then run it and will integrate with the system. Run "System Settings" -- "Details" -- "Default Applications" -- click the drop down for "Mail" and select "Gnome Gmail". Your browser will now open to read email at Gmail. After restarting the system click the Mail indicator and the item that says "Setup mail..." will open your browser with Gmail as the active tab. I don't run any local email packages so I don't really need integration with them for web based Gmail Contacts and Google Calendar. Evolution and Thunderbird have the facility to integrate with Google applications.

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  4. You can sync Gmail with GNOME Mail, Google contacts with GNOME Contacts, Google Calendar with GNOME Calendar Applet Indicator and Google Tasks with the GNOME Tasks Applet Indicator. You can do more research on each of these tasks.

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  5. To get (among other things) pop-up windows for google-calendar reminders, with the option to dismiss or snooze the pop-up, see https://bitbucket.org/edgimar/gcalcli . Here are some quick instructions to run the program / install dependencies:

    sudo apt-get install python-gdata gxmessage mercurial
hg clone https://bitbucket.org/edgimar/gcalcli gcalcli-repo
cp gcalcli-repo/gcalclirc.example ~/.gcalclirc

    Now modify ~/.gcalclirc so it contains data for your preferred way of authenticating to your calendar. Finally, to run the pop-up daemon, type: ./gcalcli-repo/gcalcli remind -- for (several) more command-line options, just type ./gcalcli-repo/gcalcli with no arguments.

    To be able to snooze your pop-ups, replace gxmessage in ~/.gcalclirc with /path/to/gcalcli-repo/extra/reminderpopup .

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  6. To setup Gnome Evolution with Two-Factor-Authorization (2FA) enabled on your account and/or Google for Business, using the IP instead of imap.gmail.com might be necessary if Evolution keeps asking you to login with 2FA.

    Recommended configuration that works with 2FA and Google for Business:

    1. Enable IMAP in your GMail settings

    2. Create a new app password for your Google Account (save this somewhere)

    3. In a terminal, run ping imap.gmail.com and copy the IP address

    4. Create a new Email Account in Evolution (File -> New -> Mail Account)

      Full Name: <your full name>
      Email Address: <your full email address>
      Uncheck Look up mail server details based on the entered e-mail address

      Server Type: IMAP
      Server: <the ip address you got in step 3>
      Port: 993
      Username: <your full email address>
      Encryption method: TLS on dedicated port
      Authentication: Password (!)

      Receiving Options: To your preference

      Sending Email, Server Type: SMTP
      Server: <the ip address you got in step 3>
      Port: 465
      Check Server requires authentication
      Encryption method: TLS on dedicated port
      Authentication Type: PLAIN (!)
      Username: <your full email address>

      When prompted for your password, enter your app password, not your Google password.

    5. Create a new Calendar in Evolution (File -> New -> Calendar)

      URL: https://www.google.com/calendar/dav/<your email address>/events/
      User: Your full google account ([email protected])
      Check Server handles meeting invitations

      Click "OK" and enter your app password, not your Google password.

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