Some more info: I found out that all my mails were sitting in the file /var/mail/arvind, realised that exim had by default set "Delivery method for local mail:" to "mbox format in /var/mail/". I changed it to "Maildir format in home directory".
Not sure if that was the cause of the problem but still i am left with the old 417 messages, updating getmail again claims to deliver nearly 600 messages, but they are not anywhere in ~/mail/inbox. Arvind ps: My localhost is behind a firewall. The firewall is 'manju.mbu.iisc.ernet.in', the localhost is 'orion.mbu.iisc.ernet.in'. I am attaching the file /etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf below. Please point out if there is anything wrong with exim configuration. ---------------------------------------------- # /etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf # # Edit this file and /etc/mailname by hand and execute update-exim4.conf # yourself or use 'dpkg-reconfigure exim4-config' # # Please note that this is _not_ a dpkg-conffile and that automatic changes # to this file might happen. The code handling this will honor your local # changes, so this is usually fine, but will break local schemes that mess # around with multiple versions of the file. # # update-exim4.conf uses this file to determine variable values to replace # the DEBCONFsomethingDEBCONF strings in the configuration template files. # # Most settings found in here do have corresponding questions in the # Debconf configuration, but not all of them. # # This is a Debian specific file dc_eximconfig_configtype='smarthost' dc_other_hostnames='manju.mbu.iisc.ernet.in' dc_local_interfaces='127.0.0.1' dc_readhost='orion.mbu.iisc.ernet.in' dc_relay_domains='' dc_minimaldns='false' dc_relay_nets='' dc_smarthost='mbu.iisc.ernet.in' CFILEMODE='644' dc_use_split_config='true' dc_hide_mailname='true' dc_mailname_in_oh='true' dc_localdelivery='maildir_home' > Following is my .procmailrc, if that is any help > ----------------------------------------------- > MAILDIR=$HOME/mail/ > LOGFILE=$HOME/.procmaillog > VERBOSE=no > :0 > inbox/ > ----------------------------------------------- > > And this is my ~/.procmaillog > ----------------------------------------------- > From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tue Jun > 19 15:01:19 2007 > Subject: orkut - Invitation to join from aditi kanhere > Folder: inbox/new/1182245479.16098_0.orion 3088 > ----------------------------------------------- > > The message mentioned in the .procmaillog is the 417th mail message. Does all > this give any hint to the experienced guys? I'm clueless )-: > > Arvind > > >> On 9/11/07, Kumar Appaiah <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> >>> I think getmail marks messages as read once you receive them. In fact, >>> it may so have happened that of your 582 messages, only 417 were new >>> (unread), but getmail's claim to have delivered everything beats me. >> >> The OP's getmailrc calls procmail. Does .procmailrc contain the >> standard recipe for deleting duplicates? >> >> Checking that (and your procmail log, if you're using one) will be helpful. >> >> Breen >> >> -- >> Breen Mullins >> Menlo Park, Calif. >> >> -- >> This message has been scanned for viruses and >> dangerous content by MailScanner, and is >> believed to be clean. >> >> > > -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.
