[sork] Re: [imp] Contrib: Integrated LDAP Change Password Page

[Eric Rostetter]

Quoting Zhang Bo <boozhang@sdb.ac.cn>:

> Hi, Eric

Hi.  I'm answering this on the list...

> I am Zhang Bo. I have a suggestion.
> I think it is difficult to make a password moulde for imp.

A small nit, but the passwd module is for Horde, not IMP.  It can be used
without IMP at all.  But I agree it is difficult.  Just as writing IMP is 
difficult for the same reasons.

> Bcause every application of imp is so different. For example,

Yes, but we'd have to scrape most of the modules if we went with this theory.
Every application of IMP is different (pop3, imap, simap, sendmail, smtp, etc),
so we shouldn't make IMP?

> You store your server's mail-account information in ldap server,

Personally I store mine in NIS+, not ldap.  But that shouldn't
matter.
 
> I and lee store server's mail-account information in mysql server,

That's cool, and shouldn't be a problem, as long as you do it in a standard
way.

> while my mysql database's table structure is different from lee's.  

Depending on how different they are, that may or may not be a problem. 
If it is simple stuff (field name is different, encryption is different)
then it is no problem.  If it is major stuff (permissions to the password
field are totally different, ability to update passwords via sql is
different, etc) then there is a problem.

> And I think imp is a MUA, while password change module should 
> interosculate with a mail server's administration moudle.

Passwd has nothing to do with IMP.  So this is not an issue.  It is a
Horde modules, not an IMP module.  You could reasonably run Horde/Passwd
and not run IMP.

> So I suggest that maybe you can begin with a vacation module or forward
> module.

I have these modules already, using a .forward setup.  I find these actually
more complex to make work between systems than passwords.  But I'm very open
to expanding them, in the same was as  the passwd module, to handle more cases.

> I have secceed in impelement the forwarding  fuction with 
> easysieve in my mail server. And I think maybe it is not difficult to
> integrate them into imp.

While this is a more natural fit to integrate into IMP than passwords, I have
for whatever reason decided not to integrate anything into IMP.  My modules
are standalone Horde modules. Unlike the fetchmail services, which I thought
about doing as a standalone module but then realized it should be integrated
with IMP, my modules in way benefits from IMP.  Fetchmail is different, as you
have commonality with IMP (like server setup, folder lists, folder and message
access, etc).  My modules have none of this.  So I choose to keep them 
completely separate.

I would like your input on any forward/vacation ideas or code you have
and would like to share.  My system uses .forward files, so that is what
I did first.  My system also uses procmail, so I can (and someday would like
to) work on that also.  I don't currently run seive (but would like to),
so I can't (yet) work on that.  But if people who do run seive want to
help, I'll gladly add seive support to my modules. Of course, you are free
not to help, or to create your own modules, or to integrate your code into
IMP.  I will not stop you from any of those if you want to go in one
of those directions.  But I would welcome your help if you wanted to help
with my projects in any way.

> cheers,
> 
> Zhang Bo

-- 
Eric Rostetter
The Department of Physics
The University of Texas at Austin

"TAD (Technology Attachment Disorder) is an unshakable, impractical devotion
to a brand, platform, product line, or programming language. It's relatively
harmless among the rank and file, but when management is afflicted the damage
can be measured in dollars. It's also contagious -- someone with sufficient
political clout can infect an entire organization."

--"Enterprise Strategies" columnist Tom Yager.