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KDE 4 is a great desktop environment but unfortunately it is still lacking a decent and working synchronization framework. With conduit-project there is a great project underway for GNOME. Therefor I would like to suggest something like a conduit implementation for KDE.

Have a look at:
http://www.conduit-project.org/
http://lifehacker.com/398775/sync-and-b ... -for-linux
http://www.opensync.org/
http://www.kontact.org/kitchensync/index.php
http://cvs.codeyard.net/kpilot/

I'm personally most interested in synchronization with mobile phones and also backup functionality (folder -> Network) preferably using rsync.

You can also place a bid on cofundos.org for this project and help to make it reality faster.

This already exists in the form of Kitchensync, which due to the upstream project ( Opensync ) supplying only an unstable API is was removed from the KDE 4.2 release.

I have read about opensync. The status seems somewhat unclear. I kind of have the impression that they are lacking some momentum to really reach a solution anytime soon. But hey, this is my non-developer view of things...
I still believe that it would make a lot of sense to join efforts with the GNOME guys and go for a KDE conduit implementation. A fully integrated synchronization tool that Just Works (tm) would be a great selling proposition for the Linux Desktop. If you have ever experienced the Windows way (one app per device thing), you know what I mean.

Agreed, this is definitely a must-have feature for the days to come. Sharing effort with the GNOME guys seems like the way to go for maintenance intensive undertakings like this.

I'm glad to see that the Synchronization Framework got quite a few votes so far. Thanks to all voters!

So far no one has commented on the cofundos funding proposition. I would be interested in two things (sorry it's kind of off topic but still important I think):

1. Could you imagine help with funding? (through cofundos or any other way)
2. Do you like the idea of cofundos or is there anything better?

See also this post.

Sorry FreeMinded, but I think promoting Cofundos is completely offtopic. This brainstorm is about synchronizing things in KDE and not about funding projects.

Kitchensync used to be good to use, but with the changing opensync api it's useless now. I really need a sync tool for my phone, so this has a +1 for me.

What i like most about Unix is that everything is mainly a text file. If i want to synch my address book across several computers, i have many (though some quite weird) applications i could use, like unison, svn etc ...

In general everything is very easy to understand, there is no weird registry or database servers that have to be started and stopped to do such tasks ... usually!

When thinking about synch, i strongly recommend to keep this technical simplicity in mind. I can drag my home dir from one computer to another and will have the same setup. Do not try to make everything so easy that it becomes unusable

It would be great if there would be a tested and KDE-recommended way of doing such things. And i wonder in what direction Akonadi will go.

Hi mithras

Sorry FreeMinded, but I think promoting Cofundos is completely offtopic.

I totally agree with you, my text in the brackets already "apologized" for that ahead.

But the question remains, as you say:

I really need a sync tool for my phone, so this has a +1 for me.

Would you be willing to express your " I really need..." in a monetary way? Cofundos.org just happens to be the only way I know for "decentralized" Open Source financing.
Imagine: If each of the 34 voters for this Idea would help with 100 Euro, we could almost pay a developer to work fulltime on this project for one month. And of course I would hope that many more would join. Each of them stepping in with the amount s/he thinks the application is worth for him.
I believe that if we want to see further and faster improvement of FOSS, we need to find ways to finance the armada of FOSS developers somehow.

Well, I promise I shut up now. Let the voting be with us!

isn't it possible to use conduit with a qt4-gui?

I'm not sure, but I think most phones have support for syncing over the Internet these days. My nokia 5800 does so symbian s60 5th edition does anyway.

I think it uses SyncML for this and isn't that what openSync implements? It would be nice to be able to just enter you're settings in you're phone any were any time and sync. Of course standard cable sync would have to be first priority, not all phones have wifi and mobile broadband support (well, not everybody have a fear price on mobile broadband). But the ability to set up a server in KitchenSync (with support for both LAN and WAN) that syncs you're phone would be nice.

I am looking for a way to sync all phones in the house (as well as back them up) and as far as I can tell, this is the only real option... So I am hoping it will really come alive soon.

Added my vote.

This is clearly an important feature to bring to KDE. I have myself had immense problems connecting my SE K770i to my computer via bluetooth. KitchenSync via opensync was unable to connect, but luckily I had more sucess with Wammu (http://wammu.eu/) - which easily and painlessly connected my computer with my phone. Holding Wammu back, however is its rather unpolished UI and confusing menus, something I believe the maintainer is aware of and willing to work on.

Of course I have voted this sugestion up.

Do you think it's a very essential feature?

The User wrote:Do you think it's a very essential feature?

Yes in someways.

The User wrote:Do you think it's a very essential feature?

I really think this is an important feature. Connecting any kind of portable devices to your computer becomes more and more essential. And with the growing capacity of these devices, they can hold massive amounts of addresses and calendar information. Syncing this to your computer is a way of backing it up in case you loose this portable device or if it crashes. Of course, there are also other types of data that needs to be synced and backed up - pictures, videorecordings and music to mention a few.

Sync by cable (USB) should be the first priority, bluetooth next and then other wireless options.

This is one of the main stream features that non-technical users need to just work out of the box. It is as important as connecting a computer to the internet!