Overview of CSB IMAP Implementation

IMAP Server

The user's inbox is stored in /eve/mail/$USER. This is the same as the incoming mail spool directory. IMAP is like POP in this respect. It is unlike programs that read mail on the unix computers. These tend to copy mail from /eve/mail/$USER to $HOME/Mail/Inbox or a similarly-named file.

When the user creates folders for keeping mail files, they are stored in $HOME/CSBimap/. That directory may contain subdirectories. Two folders that IMAP will create there on its own are Trash and Sent Items. Note that Netscape uses the same name for its Trash folder, but simply uses Sent instead of IMAP's Sent Items.

If you configure your Mail client (Netscape, Eudora, etc.) to show only subscribed folders, IMAP will look in the file $HOME/.mailboxlist for the list. If you disable this option, every time you open your IMAP connection, IMAP will scan $HOME/CSBimap/ and tell your Mail client what folders are available. There may be more overhead, as well as more flexibility, with the latter option.

Core Netscape Client

The IMAP server requires an encrypted connection between it and your machine.  This is provided by using an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) connection.  As part of this we have generated a certificate which your machine must accept in order to complete the connection. This certificate, once you accept it, is used to verify that the imap server is who you think it is and not a rouge machine trying to impersonate it.  This certificate is not "signed" by a trusted certificate authority at this time.  The original certificate expired on Dec. 19, 2002 and a new one was created on Jan. 29, 2003 set to expire in 5 years.  The new certificate has the name Yale CSB IMAP Server.