Export Contacts in Lotus Notes 8.5 as vCard 2.1

Notes/Domino 8 Forum

Subject: Export Contacts in Lotus Notes 8.5 as vCard 2.1

Feedback Type: Problem

Product Area: Notes 8 Client

Technical Area: Functionality

Platform: Linux

Release: All

Reproducible: Always

Dear Lotus Notes community,

recently I came across a problem when trying to export my Lotus Notes Contacts as vCard 2.1.

I am using Lotus Notes Client 20101215.1023-FP1 (Release 8.5.2) on RHEL9 and I am using a rather old mobile phone in business - a Nokia 6021. Now and then I export my Lotus Notes Contacts and import them again in my mobile phone. On Linux there are no Nokia standard tools to help you synching your contacts with Notes. On Linux - as always - we have other tools with more manual/technical procedures to do the same thing. In my case I am using gnokii for the job.

This is how it is done:

1.) Install gnokii from your RHEL software management (it is in the standard RHEL repository).
2.) Connect your phone via bluetooth to RHEL and open it to browse files. You will notice that the device has a bluetooth address like AA:DD:BB:CC. Keep it in mind.
3.) Now edit the gnokii config file to make it run with the Nokia 6021:
sudo gedit /etc/gnokiirc
change 'model = xxxxx' to 'model = 6510'
change 'port = xx:xx:xx:xx' to the bluetooth address you saw at step 2.
4.) Try if the conncetion works with the following command:
gnokii --identify
5.) A very simple way to backup all your contacts is the following command:
gnokii --getphonebook ME 1 end --vcard >myphonebook.vcf
You will notice that the myphonebook.vcf is in vCard 2.1 format.
6.) Now all phonebook items need to be deleted:
gnokii --deletephonebook ME 1 999
7.) Time to switch to Lotus Notes 8.5. Select the Contacts and try
File -> Export Contacts
Save them in Unicode UTF8 and in vCard format. Lets say as 'myNotesContacts.vcf'.
8.) Usually we would now copy those contacts to the mobile phone with the command:
gnokii --writephonebook --vcard <myNotesContacts.vcf
9.) With my Nokia 6021 this results in corrupt contacts no longer showing a telephone number.

The Problem: the exported contacts from Lotus Notes are in vCard 3.0 format which is only compatible with newer mobile phones that run Symbian.

I had a look at the internet: Several pages describe that there should be an option in Lotus Notes 8.5 'export Contacts' to select vCard 2.1 or vCard 3.0. But in my case there is only the option 'vCard' which will always result in a vCard 3.0 file. Too much for my poor Nokia 6021.

I guess there must be a way to export the Contacts in vCard 2.1 format as well. Can anybody help?

Many many thanks in advance!! (Sorry for using Linux)

Steven

References:

gnokii documentation wiki: http://wiki.gnokii.org/index.php/User%27s_Guide
IBM site that describes the vCard 2.1/3.0 option: https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21102862

Feedback number WEBB8J7QJF created by ~Autumn Relusterlen on 06/26/2011

Status: Open
Comments: