IMAP debate [was Re: Blackberry-like device, MacOS X, and/or IMAP? ]

[Kenneth E. Lussier]

On Sun, 2003-10-19 at 12:27, p.lussier wrote:

> The nice thing about Cyrus, from what I've seen is that it's similar 
> to MH in the sense that each message is a separate file.  You want to 
> delete a message, you delete that file. You need to rename a folder, 
> you mv the directory.

> The other nice thing about it is the database for user 
> authentication.  There's no need to add a system user account for 
> someone who just wants to get e-mail.  UW-IMAP is another UW student 
> project gone awry :)

This is how Maildir works. Another problem that can arise from mbox
format is that if a user collects mail and never deletes anything
(usually people that sit in corner offices), then it is possible that
the mbox file can grow to >2GB. If your file system isn't properly
equiped to handle single files >2GB, then once they hit it, they are
done (and mail bounces because it can't be written to the file). Of
course, those people should be forced to take a course in remedial
e-mail, but try telling them that ;-)

I've been using Courier for about 2 years now, and I love the maildir
format. Courier also allows for "virtual" users, so you don't have to
have system accounts. You can authenticate against an SQL database, an
LDAP directory, etc. 

C-Ya,
Kenny  
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Tact is just *not* saying true stuff" -- Cordelia Chase

Kenneth E. Lussier
Sr. Systems Administrator
Zuken, USA
PGP KeyID CB254DD0 
http://pgp.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xCB254DD0