[Dovecot] client cannot list subfolders

[Michael B Allen]

Hi,

I'm having a problem with the Sylpheed mail client and dovcot
1.0.rc15. Sylpheed does not like how dovecot is returning LIST output
so it cannot see subfolders.

Note: Sylpheed 2.4 actually works with the same server so apparently
something in a newer version of Sylpheed has changed.

This is some dialog with the Sylpheed mailing list:

> > Apparently it sees them but they're not making it into the tree:
> >
> > [18:06:12] IMAP4> 11 LIST "" "*"
> > getting list of "" ...
> > IMAP4< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "Lists.Heimdal"
> > folder 'Lists/Heimdal' found.
> > IMAP4< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "Lists.JCIFS"
> > folder 'Lists/JCIFS' found.
> > IMAP4< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "LearnAsSpam"
> > folder 'LearnAsSpam' found.
> > IMAP4< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "Spam"
> > folder 'Spam' found.
> > IMAP4< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "Trash"
> > folder 'Trash' found.
> > IMAP4< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "Sent"
> > folder 'Sent' found.
> > IMAP4< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "Drafts"
> > folder 'Drafts' found.
> > IMAP4< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "Saved"
> > folder 'Saved' found.
> > IMAP4< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "INBOX"
> > folder 'INBOX' found.
> > IMAP4< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "TMP.STMP"
> > folder 'TMP/STMP' found.
> > [18:06:12] IMAP4< 11 OK List completed.
> > imap_get_part_folder_list(): get root folders
> > append 'LearnAsSpam'
> > append 'Spam'
> > append 'Trash'
> > append 'Sent'
> > append 'Drafts'
> > append 'Saved'
> > append 'INBOX'
> > imap_get_part_folder_list(): get folders under 'LearnAsSpam'
> > imap_get_part_folder_list(): get folders under 'Spam'
> > imap_get_part_folder_list(): get folders under 'Trash'
> > imap_get_part_folder_list(): get folders under 'Sent'
> > imap_get_part_folder_list(): get folders under 'Drafts'
> > imap_get_part_folder_list(): get folders under 'Saved'
> > imap_get_part_folder_list(): get folders under 'INBOX'
> > Setting folder info...
> > empty folder
> >
> > Note that TMP.STMP was created through Sylpheed but after a rebuild
> > it's gone ....
>
> This breaks in the implementation because both "Lists" and "TMP" are not
> listed separately and are not recognised as root folders by Sylpheed. As I
> read the code, only folders without a '/' are recognised as root folders
> (considering the '.' namespace that is used here). It could be that
> Sylpheed 2.4.0 parsed the LIST return values differently.
>
> For Thomas White it's the same problem. Folders "Academic" and
> "Theatre" are not recognised as root folders.
>
> On the contrary, for example Google Mail returns all root folders
> separately.
>
> Which behaviour exactly is IMAP4 compliant remains to be investigated.

Basically Sylpheed does not like the dots (which represent slashes)
and would prefer to see each folder "listed separately".

Can anyone comment regarding proper LIST output and what clients
should be expected to handle?

Who's bug is this and what is the path of least resistance to fixing it?

Mike