[imp] mbox-vs-maildir

[mjaw@ipartners.pl]

Attaching Alexander Skwar <ASkwar@DigitalProjects.com>:
> So sprach ťMike CoughlanŤ am 2001-12-21 um 13:24:44 -0500 :
> > mbox format if performance is expected to be an issue. Mail conversion
> after
> > the fact is quite painful. Thanks all.
> 
> Really?  Uhm, I actually think conversion afterwards isn't that hard.
> Simply pipe the mails thru formail -s procmail and setup a .procmailrc
> (or a global one) which delviers to maildir.
> 
> Or what painful aproach did you use?

You probably wasn't ever putted in front of migration issue.
Imagine a production system setted up in early 90's, when noone 
thought about maildir. Imagine its 24/7 ISP system. 

Try to go into details about _transparent_ migration procedure.
"Split old files, and deliver to newly created mailboxes" - 
ever though about, let's say, one million messages total delivery 
time ? :> Try imagine dozen additional tools needed for all the 
small obvious stupid things while migrating. 

Of course, all the people setting up a new large production environment
shouldn't think any second: maildir is the only answer. 

In my opinion maildir is the milestone comparable to IDE SCSI differences
in its first days.

MJ.

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