[Dovecot] public or shared folders

[Chris Wakelin]

Richard Stegman wrote:
> Hello
> 
> I would like to setup a public namespace with folders under it that are 
> accessiable by certain users.
> Something like this:
> 
> Projects----
>                  |
>                  |-----03060
>                  |
>                  |-----04579
> 
> Users should be able to move emails from their inbox to the shared 
> folders, and all user can see the moved email.
> 
> Here is what I have done so far:
> 
> 1. I installed dovecot-1.0-0 4 stable20050221.rhf3.at.i386.rpm to a 
> Fedora core 3 machine with Postfix and procmail.
> 2. Tested mail server - both pop and imap work.
> 3. Modified dovecot conf. file with the following entry:
> 
> namespace private {
>   separator = /
>   prefix    =
>   inbox     = yes
>   hidden    = no
> }
> 
> namespace public {
>   separator = .
>   prefix    = Projects.
>   location  = maildir:/var/mail/Projects
>   inbox     = no
>   hidden    = no
> }
> 
> 4. Restart dovecot.  Test - imap and pop work.
> 5. Create group imapu. Add email users to group imapu
> 6. Create (as root) /var/mail/Projects.  Change group to imapu. Change 
> mode 770
> 7. Touch file dovecot-shared to /var/mail/Projects. Change group to 
> imapu. Change mode 770
> 8. Make directory /var/mail/Projects/.03060. Change group to imapu. 
> Change mode 770
> 9. Touch file dovecot-shared to /var/mail/Projects/.03060. Change group 
> to imapu. Change mode to 770
> 10. Restart dovecot.
> 
> I start up thunderbird and the Project namespace shows up. I then 
> subscribe to 03060 and get this error:
> The current command did not succeed. The mail server responded: Error in 
> IMAP command UID: Invalid BODY[..] parameter: Missing '>' <10240.-1357>'.

I think this is a known issue with Thunderbird not liking the FETCH 
response. Have you tried adding "tb-negative-fetch" to 
"imap_client_workarounds" in dovecot.conf?

I think the issue is fixed in the latest dovecot-1.0-test66, and I've 
back-ported the fix to dovecot-1.0-stable (see my post a couple of days 
ago).

Also search the list archives for "error in imap command uid", e.g. 
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.mail.imap.dovecot/4452 for discussion of 
the issue and a partial patch.

> 
> I click ok and I can move email from the inbox to 03060.  The mail shows 
> up in 03060.  No other user can then subscribe to 03060.
> What am I doing wrong?

I'm not sure how well shared-folders are working at the moment. See 
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.mail.imap.dovecot/5118 for another 
possibly relevant thread. Have you tried later versions, e.g. 
dovecot-1.0-test66 or a more recent dovecot-1.0-stable?

Best Wishes,
Chris

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Christopher Wakelin,                           c.d.wakelin at reading.ac.uk
IT Services Centre, The University of Reading,  Tel: +44 (0)118 378 8439
Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 2AF, UK              Fax: +44 (0)118 975 3094