[Dovecot] Behavior difference in mbox versus Maildir listing

[Bruno Prémont]

On Sat, 21 May 2011 Timo Sirainen <tss at iki.fi> wrote:
> On 21.5.2011, at 23.16, Bruno Prémont wrote:
> 
> > The resulting IMAPv4 session is:
> >  mb1 LIST "" "#mbox.%"
> >  * LIST (\Noselect \HasChildren) "." "#mbox.folder"
> >  mb1 OK List completed.
> >  mb2 LIST "" "#mbox.folder.%"
> >  * LIST (\Noselect \HasChildren) "." "#mbox.folder."
> >  * LIST (\NoInferiors \UnMarked) "." "#mbox.folder.folder1a"
> >  * LIST (\NoInferiors \UnMarked) "." "#mbox.folder.folder1b"
> >  * LIST (\NoInferiors \UnMarked) "." "#mbox.folder.folder1c"
> >  mb2 OK List completed.
> >  md1 LIST "" "#maildir.%"
> >  * LIST (\HasChildren) "." "#maildir.folder"
> >  md1 OK List completed.
> >  md2 LIST "" "#maildir.folder.%"
> >  * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "#maildir.folder.folder1a"
> >  * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "#maildir.folder.folder1b"
> >  * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "#maildir.folder.folder1c"
> >  md2 OK List completed.
> > 
> > Notice the extra presence of listed folder itself with trailing "."
> > in mb2 that has no equivalent in md2!
> > 
> > Is this expected listing behavior? If so, why the differing behavior
> > between both storage engines?
> 
> It's expected, although maybe not the best behavior. I'm basically
> copying UW-IMAP behavior for mbox and Courier/Cyrus behavior for
> Maildir. There are more detailed reasons for why the "#mbox.folder."
> should be listed, which are described by Mark Crispin somewhere in
> imap-protocol mailing list archives I think. I've been thinking about
> making dbox and Maildir (and maybe mbox) behavior identical though..

Hm, at least claws-mail (it uses libetpan) does not survive listing the
#mbox namespace here, it loops listing the same folder until it crashes.

The mbox behavior must have changed during 1.1.* series as some time ago
I could refresh the folder list (unless claws-mail/libetpan changed their
approach of listing folders recently)

Reporting bug over there as crashing/infinite-looping MUA is bad.

If you have a pointer to the detailed reasons for the differing behavior
I would appreciate so I could add it to the bug report.

Thanks,
Bruno
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