[Dovecot] Server-side sieve for client-side copies

[Patrick Nagel]

Hi,

On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:38:19 -0700, "Daniel L. Miller" <dmiller at amfes.com>
wrote:
> My understanding is that sending a message from a client (use 
> Thunderbird for simplicity of this conversation) is performed via SMTP.  
> Saving a copy into a sent folder is performed via IMAP (hence the 
> multiple transfers to the server).  Now that I've laid a background - 
> let's make it Dovecot specific.  I don't know how "behind-the-scenes" 
> Dovecot performs the act of saving mail messages that it receives from 
> IMAP, instead of SMTP.  Specifically, if I'm using sieve filters via 
> deliver - can I setup a filter that will place mail copies to specific 
> recipients into specific subfolders?

It seems to me, that you are assuming that Dovecot also speaks SMTP and is
able to actually handle sending of mails to other hosts. To clarify:
Dovecot is an IMAP/POP3 mail server (with integrated Mail Delivery Agent
(MDA) or Local Delivery Agent (LDA) (synonyms)). SMTP is being handled by a
Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) such as Postfix.

So as you can see, the Mail User Agent (MUA) (for example Thunderbird)
interacts with two different server programs, one for sending mail (via
SMTP), one for accessing stored mail (via IMAP/POP3).

The only way I can see to make the double uploading go away, would be, to
change the MTA's configuration so that it automatically sends a blind
carbon copy of the outgoing message to the sender. Then set up a sieve rule
in Dovecot to file this mail into the Sent folder. Of course don't forget
to switch off the 'copy sent mails to Sent folder' feature in every mail
client which is using this setup.

Patrick.

-- 
STAR Software (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.            http://www.star-group.net/
Phone:    +86 (21) 3462 7688 x 826             Fax:   +86 (21) 3462 7779

PGP key:         https://stshacom1.star-china.net/keys/patrick_nagel.asc
Fingerprint:           E09A D65E 855F B334 E5C3 5386 EF23 20FC E883 A005