[imp] Imap stores messages in mbox file

[David Sitman]

On Mon, 16 Oct 2000, C. R. Oldham wrote:

> Greetings,
> 
> It's not really a good idea to combine the UW-IMAP and qpopper.  If at all
> possible you should use the pop3 daemon that comes with the UW kit, or restrict
> your users to IMAP only.

We have been using both UW-IMAP and qpopper here at Tel Aviv University
without any major problems for many years. 

> The documented behavior of the UW imapd is to move messages from
> /var/spool/mail to the mbox file at imap login time.  Mark Crispin (author of
> the kit) has good reasons for doing this.  There are many ways around it,
> though.  Here are three:
> 
> 1. Use the UW pop3 daemon.
> 2. Restrict your users to IMAP only
> 3. Install a separate mail delivery agent that will deliver incoming email
> automatically to the mbox file.  Then point qpopper at the mbox file as it's
> default INBOX.  Imapd will not move the messages anymore (they were already
> moved).

In UW-IMAP, by default, The user's mail is moved to the 'mbox' file in the
user's home directory ONLY if this file already exists and is in mailbox
format. In my experience, this is usually the result of using a program
such as the old Unix 'mail' command previously.

The easiest way around this problem is to disable the mbox driver in
UW-IMAP. THis can be done either in the imap configuration file or,
quoting from the BUILD notes at:

 http://www.washington.edu/imap/documentation/BUILD.html
 -------------------------------------------------------

 The mbox driver is now enabled by default.  If the file "mbox" exists on
 the user's home directory and is in UNIX mailbox format, then when INBOX
 is opened this file will be selected as INBOX instead of the mail spool
 file. Messages will be automatically transferred from the mail spool file
 into the mbox file.  To disable this behavior, delete "mbox" from the
 EXTRADRIVERS list in the top-level Makefile and rebuild.
 
David Sitman
Tel Aviv University

PS- I have just installed IMP for the first time, and I expect it to
become an integral part of our email offering here.
Thanks!