[Dovecot] http://wiki2.dovecot.org/MailServerOverview contains poppycock

[Charles Marcus]

Instead of complaining, why not just fix it (it is a wiki after all) and
*then* post your email explaining the changes you made?

On 2011-03-22 8:28 AM, William Blunn wrote:
> Just having another look at http://wiki2.dovecot.org/MailServerOverview
> , it seems to have some statements in it which are misleading, and some
> which are really ... well ... wrong.
> 
> Quote: "With the possible, optional, exception of the deliver MDA,
> Dovecot is not involved with reception, delivery, and storage of mail.
> That function is provided by a MTA such as postfix
> <http://www.postfix.org>. It is the MTA that determines where and how
> mail is stored - Dovecot must then be configured to retrieve the mail
> accordingly." (Entered by user "amfes".)
> 
> This contains a significant proportion of poppycock.
> 
> Dovecot includes extensive functionality for the storage (as in the
> action of storing) of e-mail as well as retrieval, in the shape of the LDA.
> 
> Using Dovecot's LDA is /required/ in the case of Dovecot-specific mail
> storage formats (sdbox, mdbox).
> 
> With mbox, use of the Dovecot LDA is advisable since it will guarantee a
> locking strategy which is compatible with Dovecot's mail retrieval
> functionality.
> 
> And in any case, use of the Dovecot LDA has merit in that it should
> guarantee line-up between the mailstore configurations used for storage
> and retrieval.
> 
> It is NOT the MTA that determines where and how mail is stored. It is
> the PERSON who configures the system who decides this, and codifies that
> configuration into whatever systems carry out local delivery and retrieval.
> 
> It IS true that use of Dovecot's LDA is optional, but to say that it is
> a "possible exception" is misleading. People /should/ use the Dovecot
> LDA if they are using Dovecot IMAP/POP, and the /option/ is to use the
> MTA's local delivery system /if/ it is so indicated on a particular system.
> 
> Quote: "Again, it bears repeating, Dovecot /is not responsible for mail
> delivery or storage/. Any questions on these issues involve your MTA and
> MDA. Get those working first." (Entered by user "DanielMiller".)
> 
> Again, contains quite a lot of misleading nonsense.
> 
> "Mail delivery" includes the hand-off of the message by the MTA to the
> LDA, and the storage of the message by the LDA. The LDA should probably
> be Dovecot, so really Dovecot /is/ partially responsible for mail delivery.
> 
> "Storage" involves that placing of message into the message store. This
> should be done by Dovecot, so Dovecot is responsible for this.

-- 

Best regards,

Charles