Connecting your Org files with Owncloud

TODO Fast and simple

This section is for people in a hurry.

Downloading from Owncloud

Here I will explain how to download the ICS files and translate it into Org file

Downloading

Using WGet or Curl at the following URL:

https://the-server-site.com/owncloud/remote.php/caldav/calendars/USERNAME/CALENDAR-NAME

Take a look at the sync-download script.

Translating ICalendar to Org

Using ics2org AWK script into the directory pointed by the org-directory variable or some other place.

You may need to tune this (for example, max_age= -1; instead the default value).

Take a look at the sync-download script.

There's a modified version that you can use for distinguish between past jobs and futures by translating differents TODO states.

Integrating everything

We must create a simple script for calling the sync-download script with all the required information. This will be necessary for adding into the cron process and updating for every 15 or more minutes.

This script must be edited with your username, password, the location of the sync-download script and the url needed.

You may like to add more actions like moving or copying the file into your own org directory.

You can use the integration script as a model.

Cron

Tell cron to execute the integration bash script every 15 minutes or more:

crontab -e

Add the following line:

*/15 * * * * $HOME/path-to-script/sync-owncloud.sh

Save and check with crontab -l.

Uploading to Owncloud

Basics Concepts

CalDav stores all the ICalendar files into a directory, there you can change and manipulate everything you need.

Usually the URL is https://the-server-site.com/owncloud/remote.php/caldav/calendars/USERNAME/CALENDAR-NAME

Export using the org-export command

Some Variables First

org-icalendars needs some variables sets before starting, and you have to test that the exporting goes well.

This are the variable needed:

org-icalendar-include-todo: You must set this to t if you want the TODOs entries exported.
org-icalendar-store-UID: This is needed for exporting the same VEVENT/VTODO and don't create duplicates entries into the calendars.

You can set this variables using the "file-local variables" feature (use M-x add-file-local-variable or M-x add-file-local-variable-prop-line) or pasting this at the end of your org file

#+BEGIN_SRC: org

#+END_SRC

Exporting

Open your org file and press C-c C-e i for exporting the current file, or use the org-export-icalendar-this-file interactive function.

Importing with Kontact

Kontact, the KDE personal information manager, can import ICS and combine it with the current calendar. If you have configured the program to sync with owncloud, you can use this for manual importing.

From the Terminal

Remember that Emacs can execute elisp scripts for terminal with one of these parameters:

--eval to eval an expresino given by parameter.
--load to load a file.
--script to run a file as an emacs script.

Correcting the ICS file

Owncloud doesn't accept a lot of things:

Owncloud don't know what a VTODO is.
DUE neither, it should be changed into DTEND
DTSTART is exported by org into the actual date and time, it should be changed to the same of the DUE(DTEND) date. It cannot be ignored or deleted.

The correct-ical.awk script can be used for solve all these problems automatically.

Spliting the ICS file

Owncloud only accepts ICS files with only one event inside. The script split-ics.awk can be used for this purpose: it separates each event into a new file.

Renaming ICS files

Each file has to have its own name, and what is a better choice than the UID of each event?

Uploading files

Using cadaver you can upload and download files. You need to upload the ics file into the server by the "PUT" HTTP request.