Re: Linux Mail Client (was: Re: Web browsers for Linux (was: Re: Netscape Bus Error))
Steve Lamb wrote:
> On Tue, Aug 22, 2000 at 06:33:48PM -0400, David Zoll wrote:
[snip]
> > 1) Fetchmail, which will grab the mail from separate accounts, and
> > stuff it through...
>
> Requires filtering to separate out accounts which should be separate in
> the first place.
The way I see it, you have two choices. Use separate tasks for each
mail account, or use one task for all accounts and perform a process
that could be labeled "filtering". Fetchmail offers both options. If
there is a third choice (and I don't mean something that filters but
calls it something else), I'd love to hear about it.
[snip]
> > 3) Procmail, which will easily organize your email into whatever
> > structure you see fit, with plenty of folders and subfolders for...
>
> ...also does filtering, no need for procmail.
True, procmail is in many ways redundant here, but it offers much more
flexibility than any other option I've seen, and it's easy to configure
quickly.
> > 4) Mutt, which can either be set up with an bunch of folder-hook
> > commands to change your settings based on which account's email you are
> > looking at, or with a different muttrc for each account and run with
> > "mutt -M ~/.muttrc-<account>", depending on how you want to use it. Use
> > aliases to keep the command lines easy to remember and type.
>
> A bunch of folder hook commands or have to use a separate instance
> completely.
>
> So each time I sign up for a new mailing list on my work account, for
> example, I need to:
>
> Add a new filter to my work account set of filters.
Only if you want it in a subfolder in your work account mail directory.
I've seen no option on any client that would avoid this step.
> Add a folder definition into Mutt just to keep it straight.
What do you mean a "Folder definition"? Provided you use subdirectories
sanely, you can use one set of folder-hooks for an entire accounts worth
of subfolders, and only need to add one if you need something special
for a specific subfolder.
> Still send mail out my home SMTP server.
Which can then route the mail to the appropriate mail server. This is
how SMTP was designed to work.
Alternately: "folder-hook <pattern> sendmail <alternate send command>".
You just put in one of those lines for each separate account.
> > The only downside I see with the above is it's a bear to configure
> > initially. It should be a SMOP to write a script or a GUI druid to
> > automate such configurations.
>
> It is a bear to configure every time something changes,
Not really, most changes should just work; others, change a line or two
and you're done. The only change that will be a bear is adding,
removing or moving an entire account. If those change often, work on an
automation script, shouldn't be hard.
> it doesn't keep it all separate, COMPLETELY SEPARATE. That is unacceptable.
The mailboxes are separate, the outgoing mail is separate, the headers
are separate; hell, even the user interface can be separaete if you want
to be perverse about it. What more do you want to separate?
> > If this isn't enough power for you, what more do you want? There's
> > probably a solution, but you have to be specific as to your needs. If
> > you can't express what you want, "Too bad" is all that can really be
> > said without you paying someone.
>
> I have been specific. I have even given examples! PMMail and The Bat!
> Screen shots alone for those two products speak volumes!
I must have missed that. I will look for those packages.
Best of Luck,
-Gleef
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