Re: Muttrc example needed POP3/SMTP

[Erik Christiansen]

On 04.02.17 17:04, sunrise wrote:
> 
> Are there any suggestions for which MTA would be most suitable for
> this purpose (sending queued messages on a system that is not online
> when composing messages)?

They would all handle that, straight out of the box. Mail spooling is a
basic MTA function. (I remember looking at great piles of backed up mail
on a company-wide mailserver which used sendmail and uucp over dial-up,
back in the early 1990s, when the internet in Australia had only spread
to universities and companies.)

I have ADSL, but may not remember to turn on the modem before composing
some emails. Postfix will spool them, and automatically send them after
the ADSL link comes up. The others will too.

Maybe look up the manual on the preferred MTA candidate, and check for
an easy to understand command to flush the queue, in case you ever need
to manually free a logjam for some reason, and you want to get e.g. a
resume out fast.

Erik

Re: Muttrc example needed POP3/SMTP

[sunrise]

Thank you for all your replies and suggestions - they were greatly appreciated.

I am using dial-up email and would like to setup a cron job to 1) Dial in to 
the server,
2) Retrieve any messages (probably via getmail4 or similar) and 3) Send any 
queued
messages. So I'm looking into using msmtpq (a script for use with msmtp) with 
mutt.

Are there any suggestions for which MTA would be most suitable for this purpose 
(sending
queued messages on a system that is not online when composing messages)?

Thanks.



On Fri, 3 Feb 2017 21:31:33 +1100
Erik Christiansen  wrote:

>On 03.02.17 09:47, Chris Green wrote:
>> ... and if you're on a distribution where Postfix is the standard
>> that's also pretty easy to set up.  I personally prefer Postfix from
>> the ease of configuration point of view.
>
>+1
>
>(It also has a Sendmail compatibility interface, so that we old folks
>could move over painlessly. But now my muscle memory is Postfix oriented.)
>
>> I use Postfix and both send and receive mail using SMTP as my desktop
>> machine is on all the time.  Thus I have no need for POP3/IMAP mail
>> collection.
>
>As my machine is shut down each night, I use fetchmail to bring mail in
>via POP3. It has served me well for several decades now.
>
>Erik

Re: Muttrc example needed POP3/SMTP

[sunrise]

Thanks for your input; I will definitely be looking at the possibility of
using offlineimap. I am on a dial up connection - does offlineimap handle 
dropped
connections well?

Thanks again.


On Fri, 3 Feb 2017 21:57:21 + (UTC)
Arkadiusz Drabczyk  wrote:

>On 2017-02-03, sunrise  wrote:
>> I would like to start using mutt but am somewhat intimidated by all the 
>> possible
>> options in the muttrc config file. Would someone be willing to provide me 
>> with a basic
>> muttrc I could use to get started?
>>
>> Here is what I'm looking for:
>>
>> * POP3 (one provider) for retrieving messages
>
>I'd just like to add that these days you should give IMAP a try - I
>find better than POP3 because it automatically synchronizes
>everything.  It's easy to use with mutt as well.
>
>For example, I use offlineimap as the IMAP client on my Slackware box
>and K9Mail e-mail client on my phone.  When I mark a message as read
>on my phone it's automatically marked as read when downloaded with
>offlineimap in mutt, when I send a message on either device it's
>automatically shown in Sent folder on both devices, and when I move a
>a message to a given folder or delete a message it's automatically
>synchronized on both devices.  It's very convenient, especially if get
>a lot of mail.

Re: Muttrc example needed POP3/SMTP

[Arkadiusz Drabczyk]

On 2017-02-03, sunrise  wrote:
> I would like to start using mutt but am somewhat intimidated by all the 
> possible options
> in the muttrc config file. Would someone be willing to provide me with a 
> basic muttrc I
> could use to get started?
>
> Here is what I'm looking for:
>
> * POP3 (one provider) for retrieving messages

I'd just like to add that these days you should give IMAP a try - I
find better than POP3 because it automatically synchronizes
everything.  It's easy to use with mutt as well.

For example, I use offlineimap as the IMAP client on my Slackware box
and K9Mail e-mail client on my phone.  When I mark a message as read
on my phone it's automatically marked as read when downloaded with
offlineimap in mutt, when I send a message on either device it's
automatically shown in Sent folder on both devices, and when I move a
a message to a given folder or delete a message it's automatically
synchronized on both devices.  It's very convenient, especially if get
a lot of mail.
-- 
Arkadiusz Drabczyk 

Re: Muttrc example needed POP3/SMTP

[Erik Christiansen]

On 03.02.17 09:47, Chris Green wrote:
> ... and if you're on a distribution where Postfix is the standard
> that's also pretty easy to set up.  I personally prefer Postfix from
> the ease of configuration point of view.

+1

(It also has a Sendmail compatibility interface, so that we old folks
could move over painlessly. But now my muscle memory is Postfix oriented.)

> I use Postfix and both send and receive mail using SMTP as my desktop
> machine is on all the time.  Thus I have no need for POP3/IMAP mail
> collection.

As my machine is shut down each night, I use fetchmail to bring mail in
via POP3. It has served me well for several decades now.

Erik

Re: Muttrc example needed POP3/SMTP

[Chris Green]

On Fri, Feb 03, 2017 at 12:11:10AM -0600, rlhar...@oplink.net wrote:
> On Thu, February 2, 2017 10:37 pm, sunrise wrote:
> > I already had getmail set up but didn't have msmtp installed.
> 
> If exim4 is installed and configured, there is no need for msmtp, unless you
> need the profile feature of msmtp which gives you the ability to send
> messages through any of a number of smarthosts.
> 
> Some may argue that exim4 is overkill for most users, but the package is
> mainstream, proven, and very capable; and, with the script provided by the
> Debian maintainer, configuration of exim4 is simple and quick.
> 
... and if you're on a distribution where Postfix is the standard
that's also pretty easy to set up.  I personally prefer Postfix from
the ease of configuration point of view.

I use Postfix and both send and receive mail using SMTP as my desktop
machine is on all the time.  Thus I have no need for POP3/IMAP mail
collection.

-- 
Chris Green

Re: Muttrc example needed POP3/SMTP

[rlharris]

On Thu, February 2, 2017 10:37 pm, sunrise wrote:
> I already had getmail set up but didn't have msmtp installed.

If exim4 is installed and configured, there is no need for msmtp, unless you
need the profile feature of msmtp which gives you the ability to send
messages through any of a number of smarthosts.

Some may argue that exim4 is overkill for most users, but the package is
mainstream, proven, and very capable; and, with the script provided by the
Debian maintainer, configuration of exim4 is simple and quick.

RH

Re: Muttrc example needed POP3/SMTP

[rlharris]

On Thu, February 2, 2017 10:37 pm, sunrise wrote:
> Thanks a lot for both replies; I feel I am now several steps closer to
> getting a working system. I already had getmail set up but didn't have
> msmtp installed.

The Mail Transfer Agent (on Debian, typically Exim4) handles outgoing
messages on the local machine; these messages are sent to the mail server
of your Internet Service Provider (ISP), which acts as a "smarthost".

If you configure Exim4 (and you should, using the configuration dialogue
provided by the Debian maintainer), you specify the URL of the smarthost
(such as "mail.myisp.net"), the address which is to appear on outgoing
messages ("myn...@myisp.net"), and the password which the smarthost
requires for authentication.  For this, see the command "dpkg-reconfigure
exim4-config" and the files "/etc/email-addresses" and
"/etc/exim4/password-client".



> One question I still have is: What are the advantages of using getmail
> and msmtp versus using mutt's built in POP3 and SMTP capabilities?

The author and maintainer of getmail has taken great pains to ensure that
getmail4 works reliably even if a POP3 server is "broken" (and that often
is the case).  With a properly-configured getmail, you pretty much are
assured of never losing a message.  In salvaging messages from a POP3
server, I personally have used getmail4 to download hundreds of thousands
of messages in a single marathon session running in excess of a day.

And, as I previously mentioned, you can use the combination of getmail4
and maildrop to sort incoming messages in any manner and to any degree you
wish, triggering periodic fetches with a cron job, even if no mutt session
is running.  And then, when you do start mutt, you can view any of the
sort categories independently of the others. Thus, if you are pressed for
time, you can look only at messages of important categories, without the
necessity of wading message-by-message through stuff which is not urgent.

Also, if you do not have 24/7 access to the Internet, delegating
downloading (and sorting, if desired) allows you to go on-line, get your
messages while you browse or do other on-line work, then go offline and
read the messages with mutt.

But those who are accustomed to the Window$ way of doing things may prefer
a monolithic mail client which can fetch directly from a POP3 server and
send directly to a smarthost.

RH

Re: Muttrc example needed POP3/SMTP

[dale]

On 2/2/17 9:44 PM, sunrise wrote:

I would like to start using mutt but am somewhat intimidated by all the 
possible options
in the muttrc config file. Would someone be willing to provide me with a basic 
muttrc I
could use to get started?

Here is what I'm looking for:

* POP3 (one provider) for retrieving messages
* SMTP for sending
* Mail stored in maildir format in $HOME

Using Mutt 1.5.21

Thanks!




I think there is an example .muttrc in /etc/mutt

--
dale | http://www.dalekelly.org

Re: Muttrc example needed POP3/SMTP

[sunrise]

On Fri, 3 Feb 2017 04:15:23 +0100
Francesco Ariis  wrote:

>On Thu, Feb 02, 2017 at 08:44:34PM -0600, sunrise wrote:
>> I would like to start using mutt but am somewhat intimidated by all the 
>> possible
>> options in the muttrc config file. Would someone be willing to provide me 
>> with a basic
>> muttrc I could use to get started?
>
>This is what I have:
>
>set mbox_type=Maildir
>set folder="~/mail"
>set mask="!^\\.[^.]"
>
>mailboxes "+inbox" # ~/mail/inbox
>
>set record="+sent" # ~/mail/sent
>set postponed="+drafts" # etc.
>set trash="+trash"
>
>set realname="Plato"
>
>set envelope_from=yes
>set sendmail="msmtp -C /home/f/cfg/msmtp/msmtpall"
># msmtp is small, efficient and easy to configure
>
>macro generic \e0 'bash -ic "k echo Checking mail...; getmail -g
>~/cfg/getmail -r getmailconf; echo over"'
># alt-0 to download messages
>
>
>Mutt is a client, so you will have to configure msmtp and getmail yourself
>(they are easy enough). If you need more help fire again in the mailing
>list and please consider updating the wiki with your use case when
>you succeed.


Thanks a lot for both replies; I feel I am now several steps closer to getting 
a working
system. I already had getmail set up but didn't have msmtp installed.

One question I still have is: What are the advantages of using getmail and 
msmtp versus
using mutt's built in POP3 and SMTP capabilities?

Thank you for your time.

Re: Muttrc example needed POP3/SMTP

[Francesco Ariis]

On Thu, Feb 02, 2017 at 08:44:34PM -0600, sunrise wrote:
> I would like to start using mutt but am somewhat intimidated by all the 
> possible options
> in the muttrc config file. Would someone be willing to provide me with a 
> basic muttrc I
> could use to get started?

This is what I have:

set mbox_type=Maildir
set folder="~/mail"
set mask="!^\\.[^.]"

mailboxes "+inbox" # ~/mail/inbox

set record="+sent" # ~/mail/sent
set postponed="+drafts" # etc.
set trash="+trash"

set realname="Plato"

set envelope_from=yes
set sendmail="msmtp -C /home/f/cfg/msmtp/msmtpall"
# msmtp is small, efficient and easy to configure

macro generic \e0 'bash -ic "k echo Checking mail...; getmail -g 
~/cfg/getmail -r getmailconf; echo over"'
# alt-0 to download messages


Mutt is a client, so you will have to configure msmtp and getmail yourself
(they are easy enough). If you need more help fire again in the mailing
list and please consider updating the wiki with your use case when
you succeed.

Re: Muttrc example needed POP3/SMTP

[rlharris]

On Thu, February 2, 2017 8:44 pm, sunrise wrote:
> I would like to start using mutt but am somewhat intimidated by all the
> possible options in the muttrc config file. Would someone be willing to
> provide me with a basic muttrc I could use to get started?

That's why they make search engines; you can find dozens of muttrc files,
and any number of muttrc tutorials.

You might consider using getmail4 for POP3?  getmail4 is reliable and easy
to configure, and by using getmail4 you simplify the configuration of
muttrc.

Later you can add maildrop to sort into categories messages retrieved by
getmail4 -- it is a nice combination.

RH

Muttrc example needed POP3/SMTP

[sunrise]

I would like to start using mutt but am somewhat intimidated by all the 
possible options
in the muttrc config file. Would someone be willing to provide me with a basic 
muttrc I
could use to get started?

Here is what I'm looking for:

* POP3 (one provider) for retrieving messages
* SMTP for sending
* Mail stored in maildir format in $HOME

Using Mutt 1.5.21

Thanks!