On Fri, 10 Oct 2003, Eric S. Raymond wrote:
Matthias Andree <ma(_at_)dt(_dot_)e-technik(_dot_)uni-dortmund(_dot_)de>:
Generally, we need to remove all assumptions that fetchmail is the only
client accessing the mailbox, because both aren't true and can cause
mail loss, therefore, we need to find alternatives for server-side
"seen" tracking.
I question this assumption. Why are you trying to use fetchmail as one
quasi-user-agent among others when its job is to be an MTA-like
protocol gateway?
Because it can work with proper options.
So, either the IMAP code uses a custom \Fetchedmail flag or a unique
identifier. I'm not very acquainted with IMAP, so I don't know if it
has the equivalent of POP3's "UIDL". (I wonder what all that UID and
UIDVALIDITY stuff is, might be related.)
Both these features seem directed at the case where fetchmail is one of
several programs mining the same mailbox. Why are you doing this? It's
Because I can. (I am the user, I choose what to do with the software.)
As I have previously remarked, the right fix for the second issue is
not to complicate the fetchmail code, but rather to have fetchmail
call a wrapper script that takes multiple addresses. I would take
a patch to enable the MDA code to send bounces.
MDA = mail _delivery_ agent. Such software cannot send bounces. We'd
need a separate MTA option to inject bounces.