[Resend - originally sent from wrong address for this list]
On Fri, Aug 06, 2004 at 01:06:42PM -0500, David Champion wrote:
> * On 2004.08.05, in <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
> * "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > Is there a way to tell if a message in the mail spool has been 'completely
> > downloaded' by the user. In the context of the answers given (thanks, btw)
> > does qpopper write that 'Status' header after the message has been
> > successfully downloaded?
>
> Status: is often written by the MUA, and qpopper creates one if an
> uploaded message doesn't have it already (i.e., the particular MUA in
> question doesn't care about Status: headers).
>
> Any message left in the spool after qpopper is done with it has been
> uploaded -- the behavior is to delete them, unless the client re-uploads
> them.
Whoa there - unless I am completely brain-dead this morning (always a
possibility) POP doesn't re-upload messages last I looked.
Deleting messages automatically on download is a qpopper option, and
one not in use at the majority of sites. (It's nice if you can make
people think it works that way from the beginning, but once they get
used to "leave-mail-on-server" and checking from multiple PCs it's very
hard to get them to switch.) Mostly messages get deleted via a
specific DELE command in the POP session, as I remember from times doing
telnet-level interactive sessions to debug popper.
Using presence of the X-UIDL flag in a message is a much better test;
however all that tells you for sure is that popper touched the
mailspool after that message was delivered.
I am fairly sure it does not tell you whether that message was actually
downloaded with the RETR command, which I think comes closest to what
was asked. AFAIK there is no guaranteed unique thing that will get set
in a message after the POP RETR command has been executed on that
message.
-- Clifton
--
Clifton Royston -- [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Tiki Technologies Lead Programmer/Software Architect
Did you ever fly a kite in bed? Did you ever walk with ten cats on your head?
Did you ever milk this kind of cow? Well we can do it. We know how.
If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good.
-- Dr. Seuss
