Andy,
I had replied earlier on this thread because I could not get the same
results consistently. You asked for a comparison between Netscape
accessing an Courier-IMAP server and a binc-IMAP server. Well here it
is, including a comparison between binc-IMAP accessing a Maildir++ depot
and and IMAPdir depot.
Overview:
1. Subscribe to all folders by manually editing "subscribe files"
2. Start Netscape and "Subscribe"
3. "Unsubscribe" from "Grandaughter" from Netscape and exit Netscape
4. "Subscribe" from Netscape
5. "Unsubscribe" from "Bubby" down through "Granddaughter" and exit
Netscape
6. "Subscribe" from Netscape to "Bubby"+ and exit Netscape
7. Repeat Step 6 to see if things change
8. Manually remove the "subscribe files"
9. Start Netscape and "Subscribe"
I did this for all three of Courier-IMAP, binc-IMAP accessing an IMAPdir
depot and binc-IMAP accessing a Maildir++ folder.
Step 1:
Subscribe to all folders manually. Here are the "*subscribe*' files
(which accurately reflect the mail depots):
$ cat IMAPdir/bincimap-subscribed
subscribed{0=.hidden,1="Bubby/Momma",2="Bubby/Momma/Daughter",3="Bubby/Momma/Daughter/Granddaughter",4=Drafts,5=Folder,6="Folder/Subfolder",7="Folder/Test",8=INBOX,9=Sent,10=Test,11=Trash}
$ cat Maildir++/bincimap-subscribed
subscribed{0=INBOX,1="INBOX/Bubby/Momma",2="INBOX/Bubby/Momma/Daughter",3="INBOX/Bubby/Momma/Daughter/Granddaughter",4="INBOX/Drafts",5="INBOX/Folder",6="INBOX/Folder/Subfolder",7="INBOX/Sent",8="INBOX/Templates",9="INBOX/Test"}
$ cat Courier/courierimapsubscribed
INBOX.Bubby
INBOX.Bubby.Momma
INBOX.Bubby.Momma.Daughter
INBOX.Bubby.Momma.Daughter.Granddaughter
INBOX.Drafts
INBOX.Folder
INBOX.Folder.Subfolder
INBOX.Folder.Subfolder.SubSubFolder
INBOX.Sent
INBOX.Templates
INBOX.Test
INBOX.Trash
<SIDE NOTE>
"bincimap-subscribed" is a pain to edit by hand. I know that this file
should be private to bincIMAP, but when something goes wrong (or for
testing) it does need manual manipulation. Furthermore, the manual
manipulation is usually done under duress (such as an upset customer/boss
breathing down your neck) which creates and environment where mistakes are
much more likely. To create the "bincimap-subscribed" folders I had to:
1. ls >bincimap-subscribed
2. Convert all "." "/" (really "\." to "\/" since both characters have
meaning to RE's)
3. Unconvert all "/" that start a line (since a leading "." is legitimate)
4. Put '"' around all entries with a "/"
5. Add a "," to the end of every line
6. Add a sequence number (e.g. "0=INBOX") to every line
7. Collapse all the lines onto one line (and remove extraneous " ")
RECOMMENDATION: Define the format for ".bincimap-subscribed" (sic, and as
per other discussions in other threads) so a subscription to everything
can be accomplished with a simple "ls >.bincimap-subscribed".
Implications:
1. All non-mailbox files/directories must start with a "." (as discussed
in another thread); although removing junk files is not that painful when
each one is on its own line.
2. The folder separator needs to be converted from "/" back to "."
3. Sequence order is now implicit rather than explicit
</SIDE NOTE>
Step 2.
Start Netscape 7.01. All the folders are subscribed for all three IMAP
server configurations.
Subscribe for all three situations looks good: all folders are present
and accounted for. The relevant tcpdumps can be found at:
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/bincimap-IMAPdir-Step_2.txt
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/bincimap-Maildir++-Step_2.txt
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/Courier-Maildir++-Step_2.txt
Step 3.
"Unsubscribe" from "Granddaughter": works as expected for all three
situations; as does the exit from Netscape.
Step 4.
Restart Netscape and "Subscribe" to see which folders are available:
"Granddaughter" is not available for selection in any of the situations.
The relevant tcpdumps can be found at:
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/bincimap-IMAPdir-Step_4.txt
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/bincimap-Maildir++-Step_4.txt
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/Courier-Maildir++-Step_4.txt
Step 5.
"Unsubscribe" from "Bubby" down through "Granddaughter" and exit from
Netscape.
Step 6.
Restart Netscape and "Subscribe" to see which folders are available: only
"Bubby" is available for bincIMAP using an IMAPdir depot; None of the
"Bubby" heirarchy is available for bincIMAP using a Maildir++ depot; and,
"Bubby" and "Momma" are available for Courier, but not "Daughter". The
relevant tcpdumps can be found at:
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/bincimap-IMAPdir-Step_6.txt
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/bincimap-Maildir++-Step_6.txt
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/Courier-Maildir++-Step_6.txt
Step 7.
Repeat Step 6 to see if things change: no change for any situation. The
relevant tcpdumps can be found at:
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/bincimap-IMAPdir-Step_7.txt
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/bincimap-Maildir++-Step_7.txt
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/Courier-Maildir++-Step_7.txt
Step 8.
Manually remove the "subscribe files". Done.
Step 9.
Start Netscape and "Subscribe": no subfolders are available for bincIMAP
using an IMAPdir depot (but every other folder is available); No folders
(other than INBOX) are available for for bincIMAP using a Maildir++ depot
(which might make sense because they are all subfolders of INBOX); and,
all folders within depth 2 of the INBOX (e.g. "Bubby" & "Momma") are
available for Courier, but no folders below depth 2 (e.g. no "Daughter").
The relevant tcpdumps can be found at:
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/bincimap-IMAPdir-Step_9.txt
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/bincimap-Maildir++-Step_9.txt
http://www.instantiated.ca/download/Courier-Maildir++-Step_9.txt
Note that I had to exit Netscape each time in order for it to really
unsubscribe for the folders that I "Unsubscribed"; if I went to subscribe
again before exiting, Netscape displayed all the folders that were
unsubscribed as subscribed which would hold true for the next invocation
of Netscape.
Overall, there are operational differences between Courier and bincIMAP,
and possibly between a Maildir++ and an IMAPdir depot. I hope that I have
provided enough information for someone to unravel these mysteries.
Regards,
Henry