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Synchronize with Sunbird version 0.3 or later

FinchSync is designed to synchronize with calendar information stored in '*.ics' files according to the iCalendar standard described in RFC2445.

Mozilla calendar plugins and Sunbird V 0.2 use this format.

The Sunbird project changed the file format for storing the calendar information with version 0.3. The '*.ics' files are replaced by an SQLite database file. Since there is no real Java support for this database, FinchSync can not access these files.

Why the developers chose to leave a well introduced standard and started to use some proprietary database stuff is beyond my imagination. (There might be reasons, or maybe not.)

Now we have to trick Sunbird 0.3 into using '*.ics' files again to synchronize information from Sunbird 0.3.

Sunbird supports so-called 'remote calendars', using WEBDAV. Those calendars are stored somewhere on a remote server as '*.ics' files! So Sunbird 0.3 still uses this format with remote calendars.

To create a new calendar file, for example 'c:\mycalendars\private.ics', do this:

• Create a directory on your disk, where you want to save your calendar files. Example: 'c:\mycalendars'
• Start Sunbird and select 'File/New Calendar File' from the main menu.
• Select 'Remote' and press 'Next'.
• Select format 'WebDAV'.
• Enter 'file:///', followed by the complete path to your target file as 'Location'. Use forward slashes '/' as directory separators. The file itself does not exist yet. Example: 'file:///c:/mycalendars/private.ics'
• Press 'Next'.
• Enter a name for your new calendar and select a color.
• Press 'Next'.
• Press 'Finish'.

The file will be created when the first item is added to the new calendar.

NOTE: If you are using more than one calendar, be sure to select the correct calendar when adding new items.

If you have an existing calendar, which you want to export to the new location, do this:

• In the 'Calendars' tab, open the context menu (right mouse click) for the calendar you want to export.
• Select 'Publish entire calendar'.
• Enter the path to the target as 'Publishing URL'. Use the same format that you have used creating the new calendar. Example: 'file:///c:/mycalendars/private.ics'
• Press 'Publish' and 'Close'.

The calendar is written to the specified file. Please remember, that this will overwrite (!) the file, if it already exists and the old calendar will be lost.

Restart Sunbird to update the calendar or choose 'Reload remote Calendars' from the calendars context menu.

You may copy items between calendars using the 'Edit' menu:

• Select items to copy.
• Choose 'Edit/Copy'.
• Select the target calendar in the 'Calendars' tab.
• Choose 'Edit/Paste'.

Now you can add the new Sync Source to the FinchSync server. On the 'New Sync Source' wizard, choose 'Browse' and manually select the newly created '*.ics' file.