TkGoodStuff PopImap

# TkGoodStuff PopImap Utility

## Function

The PopImap client automates the fetching of your mail from remote POP or IMAP servers to your local machine. Once the mail is on your local machine, you can use any mail reader you like (rather than having to make do with one you don't really like that supports the needed client protocol).

The client really is little more than a scheduler for a unix mail-fetching command that you provide (it is not itself a POP or IMAP client; you need to get a mail-fetching client, on which see below). You configure the client by telling it what unix command will get your new mail from your remote server, and (optionally) what remote command will fetch an entire remote mailbox (including old messages), and replace a local mailbox with it.

### Interaction with other tkgoodstuff Clients

One convenient feature is that the Net client knows about PopImap and vice versa, so that if both clients are used, PopImap doesn't try to check for mail when the Net line is down, and when the Net line goes up, Net schedules the periodic PopImap new mail checking to start right away (so that your new mail gets to you quickly).

## Use

In the preferences manager you will need to set preferences that indicate how frequently to look for new mail on the remote server, as well as the unix command that does the looking, and (optionally) the unix command that copies the entire remote mailbox over the local one (replacing it). The real work comes in setting up these unix commands, which may require finding some programs you don't yet have.

See also Biff's IMAP method, which doesn't require any external IMAP program.

## Where to Find POP and IMAP Fetching Utilities

Here I have a decided lack of expertise. I would very much appreciate pointers to stuff I don't know about.

- POP

- "fetchpop". The author claims it is very stable and feature-rich. Get it at ftp://sunsite.unc.edu in pub/Linux/system/Mail/pop (it's not just for linux).
- "popclient". Also at sunsite.
- "pop-perl". Also at sunsite.

- IMAP

- imapcopy, which requires imap.tar.Z to compile. This utility nondestructively copies all of the remote mailbox, appending all of its messages to your local spool file or other local mailbox (including mh folders!).
- imapmove (simply a unix link to imapcopy), which deletes all of the remote mailbox after copying as in imapcopy.
- I encourage anyone with a little knowledge of C to look at the imapcopy utility to get a sense of what's possible with a little hacking.

## Invocation

All parameters are adjustable in the preferences manager.