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Date:      Tue, 23 Apr 2002 23:52:37 -0700
From:      "Freddie Cash" <fcash@mail.ocis.net>
To:        Nik Clayton <nik@freebsd.org>, chat@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: IMAP server recommendations
Message-ID:  <3CC5F3C5.17529.66E7800@localhost>
In-Reply-To: <20020424074820.K30474@canyon.nothing-going-on.org>

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> I'm in need of an IMAP server.  It's got to support a grand total of 2
> users, and being able to throw an SSL protected webmail system in
> front of it would be a bonus.  As would easy integration with
> Procmail.
 
> Any recommendations?  There are several in the ports tree, but I don't
> have enough real world experience with any of them to choose one, and
> life's too short to try all of them.

The easiest to set up and use is UW-IMAP.  Runs via inetd and is about 
as easy to install/run as telnetd.  However, it doesn't scale beyond 
about 100 users, and can be slow with large mailboxes.

The hardest to set up and use (IMO) is Cyrus.  There's virtually no 
documentation on it and it is in a constant state of flux.  Plus, the 
whole SASL thing is just mind-boggling.  However, those that have put 
the time in to make it work swear by it, so there must be something to 
it.

Somewhere in the middle is Courier.  This can be installed as either a 
full-blown e-mail server with IMAP, POP, and SMTP, or as just IMAP.  
Fairly straightforward to setup and use, and is supposed to scale 
nicely.  It uses the MailDir format which is supposed to be the most 
network friendly (for mailboxes stored via NFS or access by more than 
one process at a time).

Those are the only ones I've come into contact with.  I'm currently 
running UW-IMAP on 11 servers around the local school district 
(roughly 300-500 users per server) without many problems.  However, 
I'm currently in the process of testing Courier with plans to move to 
that over the summer.

Courier and Cyrus both support using databases for mail storage and 
IMAP-over-SSL.  I believe they both support virtual domains but 
haven't really looked into that (no need for it right now).

If you need it right now, I'd suggest UW-IMAP (especially with only 2 
users).  Once that's up and running, you'll have time to play with the 
other ones, if needed.

(Please forward this to -chat if it doesn't make it through to the 
list.  Somedays @freebsd.org accepts my ISP, some days it doesn't.)

Cheers,
Freddie			PhoenixTek Consulting
fcash@bigfoot.com	Unix / Networking Services
			(250) 314-4029


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