On Tue, Feb 03, 2009 at 03:14:55PM +0000, Mark Rogers wrote:
MJ Ray wrote
IMAP is as flexible as its backend when it comes to folder handling. One can have private folders, shared folders and most client-server combinations do a reasonable implementation of hierarchies.
Thanks, that's good to know. Obviously only used rubbish IMAP servers in the past!
I don't think "Obviously only used rubbish IMAP servers in the past!" is necessarily true. One of the reasons I have never stayed with IMAP as my main/only mail repository is that my experience has been similar to yours. There *are* good IMAP servers out there but finding one that is also being run by a reliable/reputable company isn't necessarily easy.
Don't let me put you off but don't jump at the first service you see that offers IMAP, I think there's still IMAP and IMAP.
I question the presumption above, though. Simply replicating a typical POP3 power user model like the above with IMAP will miss out on several nice features.
Maybe, but there are some reasons for considering it; one of them being that I really should know much more about the server-side config of this stuff than I do, so learning on my own box makes sense.
It means you can choose your IMAP server software too. As Brett has said Dovecot seems to be a good (and well maintained) modern implementation.
[snip]
- read-anywhere - I think a STARTTLS-enabled IMAP server in a hosting
facility is good for this, instead of a server on one's desktop.
That said remote access to my desktop is not a big problem for me, and something I already use. Being able to access home email via IMAP rather than a remote X session to load up Thunderbird would be a benefit though.
Can anyone point me at fairly simple instructions for installing an IMAP server on an Ubuntu desktop? Or recommend a good imap server for this type of use? I think dovecot would be my default choice.
Yes, I'd go for dovecot, I did even run it for a little while to see how 'local IMAP' felt. I seem to remember it was very easy to set up (must be, I set it up!).