[plug] ATO Portal under Linux (including ECI)

[Onno Benschop]

Now if you understood the subject and you are now getting all hot and
bothered and you're looking for the URL, I've got to disappoint you,
because we're not there yet, but it is getting better...

You may or may not have noticed an announcement from the ATO that they
are moving away from MS-Java to Sun-Java - in addition to looking at
Open Source as a model. This means that when they actually complete that
transition, Linux users (and anyone who can run Sun-Java) are pretty
close to being able to log-in to the ATO Business Portal and do their
BAS on-line. (And then all I need to do is migrate away from MYOB and
I'm MS-free :-)

A month ago (while I was still in Tasmania and felt isolated) I figured
I'd relieve the boredom and start playing. After confirming that the ATO
Portal allows you to do your BAS on-line (using the same certificate as
your ECI software), without the need to actually run ECI, combined with
their Sun-Java move I got all excited.

I managed to install Sun-Java, install the CSI (Common Signing
Interface) software from the ATO, import and activate my ECI keys, and
play a little with their web-page to get it to start the process of
logging in.

On a whim, I decided to ask the ATO for some help and after confessing
that the first person couldn't help and with my encouragement, the
problem was escalated. It has been escalated twice more and I've had
fruitful discussions with all those along the path.

Today on the way to my car-(van)-service, I got another call from the
ATO. There appears to be real interest and commitment on their end to
get this to work. I noted that: "I was a developer and a member of an
active Linux community and would there be any interest for us to assist
in the process of making this happen?" The response was "Yes, that would
be great."

So, while I'm waiting for an email from the ATO, I figured I'd ask if
you were in a position to assist - eg. you had an ECI certificate, you
used Linux, you could install stuff and you would be interested in
assisting to figure out how to make this work.

It is my intention to reply to the ATO message with a copy of the email
I sent them already (they keep forwarding it to each-other without the
attachments) showing my progress to date - with screen-shots,
installer-logs, JavaVM logs, etc.

I'd like to include the names of a few of you who'd be happy to assist
in getting this to actually work.

Now I'm not guessing that we'd get paid, nor that we'd get anything more
than a thanks from the ATO (if that), but I'm banking that with our help
we have a good chance of being able to lodge our BAS on-line from our
Linux Desktop all the sooner.

I've already offered to write a HowTo when this actually happens.

So is there any interest - that is, have you read to here, did you get
what I'm proposing, are you willing and able to help?

PS. I know that we could start a debate about the benefits of their
method of implementation - Java vs. Web-site etc. but while I may agree
with you that there are other (simpler - more compatible) ways to lodge
your BAS, this is not the purpose of my endeavour. I figure that this is
already in place, we can improve it incrementally and perhaps there are
reasons for their method that I don't know about.

Cheers,


Onno Benschop 

Connected via Optus B3 at S38°01'05" - E145°25'10" (Upper Beaconsfield, VIC)
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