[Dovecot] Feature Request: Control over IMP IDLE 'OK Still Here' message timings

[Robert Goldsmith]

Hi all,

I would like to make a feature request regarding IMAP Idle support.

Currently when a client triggers Idle support, Dovecot then sends 'OK  
Still Here' messages every 2 minutes. This is apparently to prevent  
NAT systems killing the tcp connection and disconnecting the client.  
However, while this may be fine for desktop clients, this rapidly  
drains the battery life of mobile clients such as phones.  
Unfortunately, the timing control on this behaviour is a c define at  
the top of cmd-idle.c and is only adjustable at compile-time. I have  
experimented with this define and find a timeout of 20 minutes between  
'OK' messages is perfectly adequate for my system setup and results in  
a significant battery saving for my Nokia 6120c (increasing from ~ 6  
hours to ~ 55 hours from full charge to low battery warning).

Therefore, can you please make the timeout changeable from the config  
file, even if it defaults to the current 2min timing, so admins  
supporting mobile users can balance battery life with a need to  
prevent killed tcp connections.

Thanks

Robert Goldsmith
---
GnuPG public key:
http://www.Far-Blue.co.uk


-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: PGP.sig
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 186 bytes
Desc: This is a digitally signed message part
Url : http://dovecot.org/pipermail/dovecot/attachments/20090405/432ed9d1/attachment.bin