[plug] ATO Portal under Linux (including ECI)

[Chris Caston]

On Fri, 2004-04-23 at 12:51, Onno Benschop wrote:
;snip
> 
> 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?
> 

If there is a way for me to help I will do so but I'm not a developer so
I can probably only help with testing and documentation.

 I'm currently using a Win98 machine (through a KVM) to do my eBAS. I
did try getting the CSI running at one stage but when I needed to get
new certificates. I was able to run it but came up with an error
somewhere along the line. I ended up using Win98 with IE to get them to
issue me new certificates because I was in a hurry to register for GST
so that I could get my input tax credits back on my payment to Sensis
for my yellow pages advertising.

I'm very happy that you actually got that far with them instead of
getting the standard template response that I've got many times.

What do you mean they are looking at adopting an open source model?
It sounds good to me. are they serious?

> 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.
> 
Probably easier for them to support.

> Cheers,
> 
> 
> Onno Benschop 
> 
> Connected via Optus B3 at S38°01'05" - E145°25'10" (Upper Beaconsfield, VIC)
-- 
Linux is ready for the desktop like a Boeing F-22 is ready for the
run-way.