Re: converting from qpopper

[Alain Magloire]

> 
> On Sat, Nov 10, 2001 at 12:58:12AM -0500, Alain Magloire wrote:
> 
> > > > The best way to convert qpopper's database to pop3d's seems to convert 
> > > > it
> > > > to plaintext first, and then make a db from it using db_load. 
> > > 
> > > Cool, thanks.  I'm not so familiar with qpopper, do you know of a good
> > > tool to convert it to plain text?  I'm not sure what type of database
> > > it is.
> > 
> > It's a good point.
> > 
> > We support APOP in text file "/etc/apop.passwd"
> > and in DB2 "/etc/apop.db",  but the twist here,
> > for DB, we do not provide any tools to actually
> > create DB file.
> > 
> > On the TODO list.
> 
> I will try to write that this weekend - Fencepost is running qpopper
> and it's corrupting mail.  They will soon be running our pop3d.

That's great, but you did not find the cause of the problem :)
It may not be qpopper that is doing the corruption.
Qpopper works somewhat differently then other pop3d's,
when you entering a sucessful authenticated session:
 - It checks if you have a <spoolfile>/.jbailey.pop
 - If (yes)
    -  terminated with -ERR spoolfile busy.
   else
    - gets the lock
    - move the entire mailbox in <spoolfile>/.jbailey.pop
    - truncate <spoolfile>/jbailey to 0
 - all tasks will be on <spoolfile>/.jbailey.pop 
 - When session terminated gets the lock on <spoolfile>/jbailey
   if you receive new mails append them to  <spoolfile>/.jbailey.pop
 - Move <spoolfile>/.jbailey.pop back to <spoofile>/jbailey
 - Release the lock

Of course this is a bird's eyes view, probably missing some steps.

The advantage to work on a second drop ".user.pop" is to lesser
the chance of corruptions and to permits new mail to come in
despite having a pop session active.
They also shorten the timeout to something like 30 seconds
which goes against RFC ascking for a mininum of 10 min, again 
there are some real advantage to this.

To work on second mailbox, it may be something we should
do also a an argument option:
 pop3d --qpopper
or
 pop3d --mode=qpopper
or
 pop3d  --use-second-drop
or
 ....

To emulate this behaviour.

> > Note:  Suprisingly we do not support GDB. Strange.
> 
> Errr Gnu Debugger?

8-)
I meant gdbm.
 
> 
> > > I'll write this all up for the docs after.  Alain, do you want this
> > > all in the main mailutils docs, or in a seperate document "Defecting
> > > from the enemy"
> 
> > Probably in programs.texi(section pop3d).
> 
> Okay.
> 
> > It will be incorporated later in the program that
> > manage/create db/gdb files, when someone find time
> > to write it.
> 
> Okay.
> 
> > Note: I think qpopper comes with such a tool.
> 
> Yup, popauth.  That's what a few other pop3ds call it too, so we
> should stick to that.
> 
> Hmm..  Should that go in the pop3d directory?  Or a subdir off of that
> pop3d/popauth?  

Probably on its own, there is nothing POP specific about this tool
and can probably be use by other program like comstat or imap4d
to provide DB support.

NOTE: Sergey sent mail that he was on it, you may want
to coordinate with him, to avoid duplications.

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