How do I setup CalDav and CardDav servers on my Mac to enable local 'cloud' syncing in Mavericks

Question

How do I setup CalDav and CardDav servers on my Mac to enable local 'cloud' syncing in Mavericks

I've decided to start off a new thread having initially posted on How to locally sync an iPhone with OS X Mavericks? iCloud is NOT an option.

It is clear to me that it is possible to establish syncing locally without going outside one's own home, and without internet access. I am bugged by the fact that the previous service has gone without any user focussed warning, but I am keen to find a way of solving the problem. If you are just frustrated, I'd be grateful if you can keep your annoyance off this thread.

My guess is that a CalDav and CardDav server hosted on my own Mac can be set upt to sync with my iPhone (3GS) either on a Computer-to-Computer (ad hoc) network or via my own home LAN. The trouble is I am not network/Apache savvy enough to use it.

I am reluctant to fork out an additional amount for the Mavericks server as I don't have any other foreseeable need for it, but Mavericks comes with Apache pre-loaded and there is a very light, simple and free open source CalDav and CardDav server in Baïkal. The trouble is I am not apache/network savvy enough to make use of it, and basically I am stumbling along in the near dark with terminal.

There are some good resources for setting up Apache and for setting up Virtual Hosts which would host my personal 'cloud', and Baïkal also comes with setup guides as well. The trouble is, I don't quite have enough knowledge to marry the two together. Is there anyone contributing to or watching this thread who has the know-how to do a proper step by step guide for running Baïkal on Apache as installed in the Mavericks OS, and setting up a local 'cloud'.

AFAICT the problem with the resources I have found is that the Apache stuff I've found doesn't particularly focus on running Baïkal, and the Baïkal documentation is not specific to Apache on Mavericks. Is there anyone out there who can give me some help with this?

Can anyone help - please? 😐

OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Nov 11, 2013 12:46 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 11, 2013 1:47 PM in response to James Richards

The first of the few pieces of info I've posted in the other discussion ...

Let's start with the OSX Server, big footprint and not free but potentially the most reliable and straightforward solution for setting own CalDav and CardDav server:

MacWorld instructions … http://www.macworld.com/article/2061183/itunes-ios-syncing-gone-solve-it-with-se rver-.html

A more complete set … http://securityspread.com/2013/10/27/setting-sync-server/

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Answer 2

Nov 11, 2013 2:08 PM in response to James Richards

Another option discussed is a lighter option. Some technicals skills are required.

This would involve using own web server on a networked computer, or on a personal computer, and installing ownCloud (mentioned before) to synchronize contacts/calendars and more. The footprint and overhead is much smaller than using OSX Server.

The requirements are as follows:

1. You need to have your local WLAN, or access to one to synchronize your idvices with your Mac. It can be your home network, some public network (security?), or your personal hotspot like MiFi (no cell/data connection required). You do not need Internet connection to sync, just the means to interconnect your Mac/server and your idevices.

2. Install MAMP on your networked or personal computer: http://www.mamp.info/en/mamp/index.html

MAMP installs a local server environment in a matter of seconds on your Mac OS X computer, be it MacBook or iMac … Furthermore, if MAMP is no longer needed, it is sufficient to delete the MAMP folder and everything returns to its original status (i.e. MAMP does not modify any of the "normal" OS X).

3. Install ownCloud Server 5 on the same computer, and clients on Mac(s) and idvices: http://owncloud.org/install/

More info about calendar/contacts sync under ownCloud: http://doc.owncloud.org/server/5.0/user_manual/pim/index.html

From what I read, you can use server based Calendar and Contacts using ownCloud client apps, or synchronize between your Mac and idvices apps. The latter is the goal of this exercise. Your master calendar/contacts data will reside in your own cloud on your own computer.

…

I will try this when I get back home in two weeks. Meantime any comments, especially those based on the first hand experience would be appreciated.

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Answer 3

Nov 11, 2013 2:16 PM in response to James Richards

Now getting back to the specifics in the OP post ... another option for setting own CalDav and CardDav server (not a dedicated server) ...

If instead of ownCloud, one would go with Baikal ( http://baikal-server.com/ ) which seems to have even smaller footprint than ownCloud, will MAMP mentioned above provide all web server services including PHP and SQL required by Baikal?

To put it in simple terms … will MAMP and Baikal combination work together on a personal Mac running OSX 10.9 (not server)?

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Answer 4

Nov 11, 2013 3:36 PM in response to James Richards

Sorry for my GooglEnglish!
To me this (already mentioned in the "old" tread) would seem a lightweight and free:

http://trac.calendarserver.org/wiki/QuickStart

http://trac.calendarserver.org/

http://www.ronregev.com/misc/pim_server_tutorial/

I tried but without success:
... ...
... ...

checking for C compiler default output file name...

configure: error: in `/Users/NAME/calendar/postgresql-9.1.2':

configure: error: C compiler cannot create executables

See `config.log' for more details.

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Answer 5

ViShVa

Level 2

282 points

Nov 11, 2013 3:45 PM in response to iTonimerlot

Let's try to not make this thread the monster that the other one is please. No point referring to posts there as it is full of vitriol and users like me would just like a workable solution.

@ handsOFFmydata

thanks so much for your links and I will be studying them carefully. I have a Blackberry 9780 and loved my Address Book and iCal sync with my BB mobile. That is gone, forever; so either I set up a Snow Leopard partition to continue syncing, or I move on to an iOS phone, or I study your solutions and move on. Thank you.

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Answer 6

Nov 11, 2013 8:24 PM in response to ViShVa

A little diversion for a good cause … and perhaps a bit of good news.

Re: How to locally sync an iPhone with OS X Mavericks? iCloud is NOT an option.

created by hax0r in OS X Mavericks - View the full discussion

I came upon this thread after encountering a sync bug in 10.8.5. It's not the first time I've had issues with the SyncServices framework in 10.8.x. In previous releases it worked very well. I have filed a bug but I'm not holding out hope that Apple will fix it any time soon, considering their removal of SyncServices in 10.9. I, too, would prefer not to have to use a "cloud" service to sync between my computer and phone. Instead, I am investigating the possibility of writing my own software to do the sync between calendars on the iOS device and on the computer. I'm not looking to rewrite SyncServices. What I'm thinking of writing would only sync between the Apple Calendar and Contacts, and iOS. Anyone interested in buying such an application? Just trying to gauge interest before I spend a bunch of time on it.

Check this post regarding development of local sync app and reply there if interested:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5460803?answerId=23753801022#23753801022&ac_cid=tw123456#23753801

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Answer 7

ViShVa

Level 2

282 points

Nov 11, 2013 8:53 PM in response to handsOFFmydata

Good man that Hax0r 🙂 - would not help me much as he is only writing it to support iOS devices, which I do not have. My best bet would be to apportion a part of my drive for an OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) installation and use that to sync my Blackberry and Address Book & iCal (now called Contacts & Calendar). Every time I sync, I will have to export and import into Contacts and Calendar!

But when I grow up and buy an iOS device I would definitely subscribe to his software 🙂

Thanks again for the heads up!

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Answer 8

Nov 12, 2013 6:22 AM in response to handsOFFmydata

OK I've previously installed MAMP. It was easy to do. In MAMP's Preferences I have set Start/Stop to start servers when starting MAMP, and in the Apache tab I have set my Document Root to be /Users/[myusername]/Sites. In System Preferences>>Users & Groups>>[myusername]>>Login Items I have set MAMP to be launched at login.

MAMP 2.2 comes with the following installed programs;

Apache 2.2.25
MySQL 5.5.33
PHP 5.2.17 & 5.3.27 & 5.4.19 & 5.5.3
APC 3.1.13
eAccelerator 0.9.6.1
XCache 1.2.2 & 1.3.2
phpMyAdmin 4.0.5
SQLiteManager 1.2.4
Freetype 2.4.10
t1lib 5.1.2
curl 7.28.1
jpeg 8d
libpng-1.6.2
gd 2.0.34
libxml2 2.8.0
libxslt 1.1.28
gettext 0.18.1.1
libidn 1.17
iconv 1.14
mcrypt 2.5.8
YAZ 4.0.1 & PHP/YAZ 1.1.5

I downloaded ownCloud 5.0.13, but after not getting a successful install I found this in the manual: "Due to an issue with Mac OS Unicode support, installing ownCloud Server 5.0 on Mac OS is currently not supported."

I am looking at an earlier version of ownCloud.

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Answer 9

Nov 12, 2013 7:32 AM in response to James Richards

I've now downloaded ownCloud 4.5.13 and followed the installation instructions in the Administrators Manual. I am slightly concerned to read under MacOS: "This section of the manual needs to be revised."

However, I have followed the instructions there, and step 5 has taken me to the web setup page where I have created an account with user name and password.

Then I went to Calendar, and from the Calendar menu chose Add Account… In the dialog that followed I chose Add CalDAV Account. I chose Account Type Manual and put in the username and password I used when setting up the ownCloud account. For the URL I followed the manual and put: http://ADDRESS/remote.php/caldav/principals/username/ substituing 'localhost:8888/ownCloud' for the address, and my ownCloud username for the username. (If I just used 'localhost:8888' for the address it produced the message: "The URL http://localhost:8888/remote.php/caldav/principals/[myusername]/ encountered HTTP error 404. Make sure the URL is correct.".)

So far I am semi-sucessful. It has created a Http://Localhost:8888/Owncloud account on Calendar in which I have been able to creat a test calendar and an event. I have also deleted the event, but Calendar will not let me delete the calendar. Once I inserted a second calendar the Delete command became available, but failed with this notice: "http://localhost:8888/ownCloud/remote.php/caldav/principals/[myusername]/ is not a location that supports this request." A retry deleted the name of the calendar, but left it otherwise intact. The account now has a grey triangle next to it which when clicked produces the following: "The request (CalDAVCalendarSplitDualTypeCalendarQueueableOperation) for account “Http://Localhost:8888/Owncloud/Remote” failed."

I think this may be resolved by an ownCloud setting. I will see if I can track this down. Has anyone here got any thoughts?

[I'm sorry I seem to be unable to prevent the editor from creating clickable links from the URLs I am posting]

Message was edited by: James Richards

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Answer 10

Nov 12, 2013 7:43 AM in response to James Richards

Others have encountered this issue of being unable to delete calendars. I'm not sure that ownCloud is ready yet for this purpose. I'm wondering about trying Baïkal.

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Answer 11

Nov 12, 2013 10:57 AM in response to James Richards

James, thank you for posting your experience and findings. I am reading and learning, and thinking ... I am glad he discovered this first. Sounds like ownCloud is no go under Mac OSX.

Truly appreciated … 🙂

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Answer 12

Nov 12, 2013 3:02 PM in response to handsOFFmydata

OwnCloud isn't ready at the moment, unless someone knows how to tweak the settings to make it work. The problem has been recognised by the developer community, so it may be solved in time, but it's not ready yet.

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Answer 13

Nov 14, 2013 3:53 AM in response to James Richards

I am now moving on to looking at Baïkal. Does anyone know if it matters whether I use the Flat Package or the Regular Package to download on to my Mac? Does it make any difference to what is eventually installed. Later on I know I will hit questions with the detailed adjustments I need to make, and matching them to the specific nature the Apache installation on Mavericks. If anyone here knows the answer to my first question, I'd be grateful for the answer, and even more grateful if anyone else has manged to set this up and can help me with step by step instructions.

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Answer 14

Nov 14, 2013 4:09 AM in response to iTonimerlot

iTonimerlot, I swa this too and thought it had potential. Unfortunately the instructions on the calendarserver.org website seem to be aimed at developers, or at least those who know quite a lot about working in Terminal, and Ron's tutorial is based on and old version of calendar server (2.3 - it is now up to version 5.0) and the Snow Leopard OS, and I am not enough of a techie to know how to adjust for the differences. Is anyone else up for this?

James

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Answer 15

Nov 14, 2013 5:41 AM in response to James Richards

A very helpful reply about Baïkal from Barney-15E on the other thread and some further questions from me.

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