[Dovecot] IMAP instead of Maildir on Ubuntu Precise
Why is dovecot using Maildir and not IMAP. Or is it using even using Maildir at all?
Currently I'm using mailman, postfix and dovecot to manage a mailing list. Mail is sent to thufir@dur.bounceme.net which the "mail server delivery agent stack provided by Ubuntu server team" of dovecot-postfix handles fine, keeping it locally, so far as it goes. The mail ends up in /home/thufir/Maildir, which the balsa mail client reads fine, as it handles Maildir fine.
However, I would like to use dovecot-imapd which is installed. However, it's not clear quite how to switch over to IMAP. I see:
root@dur:~# root@dur:~# nl /usr/share/dovecot/protocols.d/imapd.protocol 1 protocols = $protocols imap root@dur:~# root@dur:~# grep protocol /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf # Enable installed protocols !include_try /usr/share/dovecot/protocols.d/*.protocol root@dur:~#
which indicates to me that IMAP is configured. So, why is mail showing up using Maildir?
I'm looking at:
"Once you have chosen, amend the following line in the file /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf:
protocols = pop3 pop3s imap imaps"
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Dovecot
Admittedly, I've not looked too closely into Dovecot man pages as I don't want to get too deep into the weeds on that if it's not even Dovecot I need to configure. I'm assuming that it's dovecot which is using Maildir:
root@dur:/etc/postfix# root@dur:/etc/postfix# grep dovecot main.cf smtpd_sasl_type = dovecot smtpd_sasl_path = private/dovecot-auth mailbox_command = /usr/lib/dovecot/deliver -c /etc/dovecot/conf.d/01-mail-stack-delivery.conf -m "${EXTENSION}" root@dur:/etc/postfix#
Can I force dovecot to only ever use IMAP and never use anything else? Is it maybe postfix which is using Maildir, and this is why my mail shows up as Maildir type mail?
thanks,
Thufir
thufir@dur:~$ thufir@dur:~$ head .balsa/config -n 20
[mailbox-Inbox] Path=/var/mail/thufir Type=LibBalsaMailboxMbox Name=Inbox
[mailbox-Outbox] Path=/home/thufir/Maildir/outbox Type=LibBalsaMailboxMbox Name=Outbox
[mailbox-Sentbox] Path=/home/thufir/Maildir/sentbox Type=LibBalsaMailboxMbox Name=Sentbox
[mailbox-Draftbox] Path=/home/thufir/Maildir/draftbox Type=LibBalsaMailboxMbox Name=Draftbox thufir@dur:~$
On 2012-12-10 6:50 AM, Thufir <hawat.thufir@gmail.com> wrote:
Why is dovecot using Maildir and not IMAP. Or is it using even using Maildir at all?
? Maildir is a way of *storing* emails.
IMAP is a protocol used by mail server *applications*, for providing *access* to email *clients* that speak the IMAP protocol.
Now... maybe you can rephrase the question? ;)
--
Best regards,
Charles
Heh, yes, err, I realized that after sending the question. Let me ask it this way then:
1.) am I using IMAP? and how do I test that it's working. 2.) I can connect to the IMAP server, dovecot-imapd, on localhost?
I want to read these messages with Thunderbird, and enter "localhost" to "download" the e-mails.
thanks,
Thufir
On Mon, Dec 10, 2012 at 3:56 AM, Charles Marcus <CMarcus@media-brokers.com>wrote:
On 2012-12-10 6:50 AM, Thufir <hawat.thufir@gmail.com> wrote:
Why is dovecot using Maildir and not IMAP. Or is it using even using Maildir at all?
? Maildir is a way of *storing* emails.
IMAP is a protocol used by mail server *applications*, for providing *access* to email *clients* that speak the IMAP protocol.
Now... maybe you can rephrase the question? ;)
--
Best regards,
Charles
Well, I'm just confused now because I see, which I should've noticed first, that IMAP is a protocol while Maildir is a Mailbox (type).
So, I could very well be using Mailbox with IMAP?
What I want to do is to "read" messages from Thunderbird by connecting to dovecot-imapd. Pardon, I'm flailing a bit because of the terminology.
thanks,
Thufir
On 12/10/2012 03:50 AM, Thufir wrote:
Why is dovecot using Maildir and not IMAP.
On 10/12/12 11:58, Thufir wrote:
Well, I'm just confused now because I see, which I should've noticed first, that IMAP is a protocol while Maildir is a Mailbox (type).
So, I could very well be using Mailbox with IMAP?
What I want to do is to "read" messages from Thunderbird by connecting to dovecot-imapd. Pardon, I'm flailing a bit because of the terminology.
thanks,
Thufir
On 12/10/2012 03:50 AM, Thufir wrote:
Why is dovecot using Maildir and not IMAP.
In that case you probably want to have Dovecot using Maildir or mdbox as the underlying storage format (both are better performing than Mbox). If dovecot-imapd is running and your authentication is set up ok you should simply be able to connect to the server with Thunderbird and read your email.
IMAP clients don't care how the server is storing the email, they just "talk IMAP" and don't see the format the messages are actually stored with.
Cheers
Alex
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LOL, ok, well that was a total non-issue. I connected by using "thufir@localhost" and it seems to download all the messages.
Well, thanks for the help. Seems silly now.
On Mon, Dec 10, 2012 at 4:12 AM, Alex Crow <acrow@integrafin.co.uk> wrote:
On 10/12/12 11:58, Thufir wrote:
Well, I'm just confused now because I see, which I should've noticed first, that IMAP is a protocol while Maildir is a Mailbox (type).
So, I could very well be using Mailbox with IMAP?
What I want to do is to "read" messages from Thunderbird by connecting to dovecot-imapd. Pardon, I'm flailing a bit because of the terminology.
thanks,
Thufir
On 12/10/2012 03:50 AM, Thufir wrote:
Why is dovecot using Maildir and not IMAP.
In that case you probably want to have Dovecot using Maildir or mdbox as the underlying storage format (both are better performing than Mbox). If dovecot-imapd is running and your authentication is set up ok you should simply be able to connect to the server with Thunderbird and read your email.
IMAP clients don't care how the server is storing the email, they just "talk IMAP" and don't see the format the messages are actually stored with.
Cheers
Alex
-- This message is intended only for the addressee and may contain confidential information. Unless you are that person, you may not disclose its contents or use it in any way and are requested to delete the message along with any attachments and notify us immediately.
"Transact" is operated by Integrated Financial Arrangements plc Domain House, 5-7 Singer Street, London EC2A 4BQ Tel: (020) 7608 4900 Fax: (020) 7608 5300 (Registered office: as above; Registered in England and Wales under number: 3727592) Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (entered on the FSA Register; number: 190856)
participants (3)
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Alex Crow
-
Charles Marcus
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Thufir