Evolution is the official personal information manager and workgroup information management tool for GNOME. It combines e-mail, calendar, address book, and task list management functions. Evolution user interface and functionality are similar to Microsoft Outlook.

There are numerous types of servers from which Evolution can fetch your mail. The following is a list of server types that are available:

Evolution can be connected to a Microsoft Exchange Server 2000/2003 using its web interface and an evolution add-on formerly called Ximian Connector. Using gnome-pilot, it may be synchronized with Palm Pilot devices, and OpenSync enables it to be synchronized with mobile phones and other PDAs.

Evolution contacts is a tool used to organize information about the individuals you have chosen to add to your address book so you can keep track of information about them and send e-mail to them. Evolution can share contact information over a network by sharing access to a common LDAP address book. Evolution calendar allows users in disparate collaboration servers to share meeting information, publish this information and subscribe to calendars published on the Web (webcal).

Evolution user guide available @ http://library.gnome.org/users/evolution/stable/index.html.en

Download Evolution @ http://projects.gnome.org/evolution/download.shtml

Many Linux distributions now include a version of evolution in their own native package manager format (.rpm, .deb, etc.)

 

Using Yum to install evolution

start a terminal and type the following at the shell prompt:

# yum install evolution evolution-connector

 

Using Apt to install evolution

start a terminal and type the following at the shell prompt:

# apt-get install evolution evolution-exchange
or 
# sudo apt-get install evolution evolution-exchange

Using Urpmi to install evolution

start a terminal and type the following at the shell prompt:

# urpmi evolution evolution-exchange

Other Open Source E-Mail clients

• KMail
• Thunderbird