Re: [fetchmail-users] Re: RETR with UIDL

[Jakob H. <jh...@pl...>]

Sunil Shetye wrote:

>> | clean up TOP vs. RETR but leave TOP as an option for the server scum
>> | that deletes message right after RETR, voiding client retries (Jakob
>> | Hirsch, 2006-01-03).

Note that the server i was referring to (MercuryP/NLM, version 1.48)
only deletes RETRieved mail after a QUIT, thereby not really violating
the RFC.

> Are these "scum" servers supporting "uidl"? Please note that the

Yes. But I can only speak for the server mentioned above.

Anyway, I really think fetchmail should by default simply retrieve all
message, using standard MUA mechanisms: RETR and DELE; no TOP, UIDL or
LAST. This makes sure that fetchmail works with as much servers as
possible without any tweaking.

If one wants 'keep', UIDL/RETR should be used, with fallback to
LAST/RETR. And there should probably be an option to force one of UIDL
or LAST (uidl/nouidl?) so the user can enfore client or server side
tracking (with fetchmail bailing out if the requested option is not
available on the server). The magic fetchmail does is nice and works in
most cases, but final control should be left to the user.

As for TOP, there are legit uses, so there should also an option to
enable it explicitly.

Oh, and all of this should be documented as comprehensible as possible,
of course. Anybody with loads of free time on the hand? :)

But as Matthias said, all of this is surely nothing for 6.3.