I struggled to get NTLM authentication working, but now I have
it working.
I believe that some of the documentation is misleading, and submit
the following suggestions for consideration.
================================
Documentation defects in Fetchmail 5.8.14
FILE: fetchmail.man
Lines: 779-785
Description of NTLM authentication.
NTLM is only supported for IMAP protocol (there's no appropriate code
in pop3.c), and the "user(_at_)domain" format for the user option value is
in my experience the only valid format (so the "if you specify"
statement is misleading).
Suggested replacement text:
"If you are using IMAP, Microsoft's NTLM authentication (used by Microsoft
Exchange) is supported. If you compile in the support, \fIfetchmail\fR
will try to perform an NTLM authentication (instead of sending over the
password en clair) whenever the server returns AUTH=NTLM in its
capability response. Specify a user option value that looks like
`user(_at_)domain': the part to the left of the @ will be passed as the
username and the part to the right as the NTLM domain."
Line: 1245
States that keyword "auth[enticate]" is equivalent to option "-A".
Option "-A" is not supported in the code.
Suggested fix:
Remove -A from line 1245.
Lines: 1674-1683
Defines legal values for "auth[enticate]" keyword.
List doesn't match lines 559-573.
Suggested fix:
Update lines 1674-1683.
FILE: fetchmail-FAQ.html
Lines: 510-511
Describes use of NTLM with Microsoft Exchange.
Doesn't indicate that NTLM only works with IMAP, not POP3.
Suggested replacement text:
"If you are fetching mail from Microsoft Exchange using IMAP, you will be able
to use NTLM."
Lines: 1363-1367
Describes use of NTLM with Microsoft Exchange.
NTLM is only supported for IMAP protocol (there's no appropriate code
in pop3.c), and the "user(_at_)domain" format for the user option value is
in my experience the only valid format (so the "if you specify"
statement is misleading).
Suggested replacement text:
"<p>Fetchmail using IMAP supports the proprietary NTLM mode used with
M$ Exchange servers. To enable this, configure fetchmail with the
--enable-NTLM option and recompile it. Specify a user option value
that looks like `user(_at_)domain': the part to the left of the @ will
be passed as the username and the part to the right as the NTLM domain."
Line: 1452
Suggests using user option value of "/NTDomain/NTUsername/MailboxName".
I've found no evidence that the code can handle this, and my Exchange
server refuses authentication using this form of user option value.
Suggested fix:
Delete line.
FILE: fetchmail-features.html
Line: 88
Describes NTLM support.
Doesn't indicate that NTLM only works with IMAP, not POP3.
Suggested replacement text:
"<LI>NTLM support under IMAP, so fetchmail can query Microsoft Exchange
servers."
--
Andrew Benham adsb(_at_)nortelnetworks(_dot_)com
Nortel Networks UK Ltd., London Road, Harlow, Essex CM17 9NA, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 1279 402372 Fax: +44 1279 405746
I speak for myself, my views are not necessarily the views
of Nortel Networks or any other corporation.