I have an ownCloud installation on my server for several reasons:
- ownCloud has desktop client applications that sync files automatically onto the server and back between multiple clients (like dropbox).
- It provides a caldav server for calendar sharing.
- You may share files with single or groups of people.
- Web gallery for uploaded image files.
External user authentication
The ownCloud apps repository contains user_external which allows one to authenticate against a FTP, IMAP or SMB server. Since I run my own mail server, authentication against IMAP is my preferred choice to keep my passwords list short.
Unfortunately, users authenticated via IMAP could not login with the desktop client, and could also not get files shared - issues #301 and #302.
A patch
Since this was an unbearable situation, I wrote a patch that creates the users in the database during login. I got an immediate rejection
Determined to solve the problem once for all, I followed the hints and rewrote a large part of the external authentication plugin.
While Thomas Müller, one of the main developers, tested my patch he stumbled across another issue: A blank page without any error notice. Another patch was needed.
One and a half months later, both patches got merged in git master. With ownCloud 7 you'll be able to enjoy them, too.