A Challenge: .mac, iDisk, iSync, iCal and more!

Gentleones,

After messing around with my OSXS box and attempting to make it juggle my current domains and to make it look like a local .mac server (complete with iDisk and all), I have arrived at the conclusion that I have neither the time, patience or understanding to make it all happen. But I do have $1 that I will award in a ceremonial frame to the person who can make it all happen… provided it works and it meets the challenge specs below.

I’ve fallen in love with IMAP. The simplicity with which this protocol works and keeps my three primary (?!) machine synchronized is outstanding. And, from what I’ve seen of .mac, the iDisk has the capability to deliver this simplicity and transparency. But $99 per year? (Or $40 with spymac’s equivalent…) You did notice that the prize is a dollar, didn’t you? I’m not made of money… heck, we use Macs. Old ones.

Now, the rules and assumptions:

1) My domain resides inside a router, so the server’s address is always 192.168.1.2. But my WAN address is dynamic. If necessary, you can include instructions that make use of dyndns.org. Assume that if I can get it to work on the LAN, I’ll make it work from the WAN.

2) The domain in question is mydomain.com and the server is server.mydomain.com. I already have a port 80 webserver, http://www.mydomain.com, and a port 443 webserver, secure.mydomain.com.

3) Assume that I use self-signed certificates already–no replacing them!–for secure.mydomain.com.

4) Your solution must support the iDisk control panel in full–working “gas gage” and all.

5) None of your solution can break Server Admin, and Server Admin must not be able to break your solution. But you can modify things without using Server Admin, of course, such as httpd.conf, as long as you don’t mess with things that the file tells you that you shouldn’t.

6) You may, if necessary, include mods to mod_dav, but if you do, you’re not allowed to say, “Just apply William Carrel’s patch,” because that won’t work. It wont. I’ve tried it. And I think I can provide a working patch file to anyone who asks for it, but I don’t know if it works and I don’t have a way to check. Use it at your own risk.

7) You can’t simply say, “Follow Matt’s instructions because they don’t work with OSXS–because they break Server Admin. (Though his article is a good starting point, in case you’re interested.) And telling us to follow Otto’s instructions ain’t good, either, because of the whole mod_auth_digest thing which appears to be unsupported by OSXS10.3’s installation of Apache 1.whatever it is.

8) Nothing goes in the clear. If .mac does it over SSL, then your solution must, too. Passwords–never in the clear.

9) Bonus $1! If you can make your setup use a proxy server to redirect requests for .mac items which aren’t hosted on the local OSXS box to the real .mac servers, there’s a bonus buck in it! (Woah!)

How’s that for a challenge?! Have I laid it out clearly enough? Yeah, I know I could do it with an OpenFreeBSDux box, but, c’mon, I already shelled out for the best OS on the face of the planet. Are you telling me it can’t do the job?

Didn’t think so.

Now, get thinkin’! First correct post wins!

Many thanks,
Bill