My sub-folder with Outlook work-around to date

[David.M.Clark]

Hi All, please be kind, this is my first e-mail to the list :-)

I actively support CentOS based e-mail servers running Dovecot, 
Sendmail, Spammassassin and 3 x SOGo based setups.

Dovecot is my goto IMAP server and have used it and modifications to it 
to net excellent results for years.

Then we have people who insist on only using Outlook (and in some 
instances the MS Live Messenger thingy).

Some shenanigans in recent years have arose with using sub-folders in 
the Outlook clients (2013 and 2016).

Traditionally, placing a "/" after the name of a newly desired e-mail 
folder has netted the result of something like:

"Rentals/"

creating:

/u/home/someuser/mail/Rentals/

Under which users then create actual e-mail folders under the "Rentals" 
Linux directory as such.

With Outlook 2013 and 2016 this seems to have stopped working and so I 
implemented a work-around where the user creates a normal folder, 
example "Rentals++", and I have written a cron script that trawls the 
$HOMEs each minute and if it finds a folder with a "++" at the end, it 
creates the folder as a directory, so:

/u/home/someuser/mail/Rentals++

becomes:

/u/home/someuser/mail/Rentals/

and adds this new subscription to their .subscription folder. It also 
sends an e-mail to the user advising that the new folder is created and 
they can proceed to use the "Rentals" folder for adding sub-folders (as 
in real text based mail folders).

The script was a quick work-around one weekend in a mad flurry to get 
things working and to date works but is not 'user-proof'. So I am now 
looking at developing an internal web interface to do the same thing and 
hoping with more controls, has no or far less margin for user error. 
Long times of Outlook folder refreshes don't help and users sometimes 
end up with issues that require my Linux command line help.

I have been trawling e-mail forums for some time now and have not seen 
any other work-arounds (or perhaps I am living under a rock) but before 
I embark on this web interface adventure, I just wanted to make sure I 
had not missed some fundamental 'bit' that I should be observing.

All servers are either CentOS 6.9 (or slightly less) and CentOS 7 with 
the latest updates and for things like Thunderbird and Roundcube and 
SOGo, work well. I need to experiment with the whole "/" for these but I 
am currently driven by the enforced Outlook chains.

Any input from you guys on whether this is my best approach or 'hey 
mate, just do this', would be much appreciated.

I am happy to share my travels script/web-wise if this is the only 
option to date.

-- 

As always, I remain at your service.

Kindest Regards,
David.M.Clark (Director - Senior Linux/UNIX Consultant)
E-mail: david at davrom.com
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  Specialising in: Linux (Fedora/RedHat/CentOS), UNIX, SCO, MikroTik,
                   Networking/Internet, E-mail/Web Technologies
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