
                               Courier-IMAP FAQ
                                       
$Id: FAQ.html,v 1.6 2000/06/10 20:43:21 mrsam Exp $

Table of contents

     * Configuration script fails on Solaris in the waitlib subdirectory
     * Netscape Messenger displays an error message when new mail arrives
     * I can't create any top-level folders, only subfolders of INBOX
     * I don't know how to build binary RPMs as non-root
       
Configuration script fails on Solaris in the waitlib subdirectory

   This is a self-test check failing. A script tests the semantics of the
   wait() system call, and fails. Apparently something in Solaris's
   wait() logic is not working the way I expect it to work. This may or
   may not be a problem. I don't know yet. You can use the
   --with-waitfunc=wait3 option to the configure script to bypass this
   test, but you're own your own.
   
   UPDATE: 5/3/2000, there's a Solaris bug ID that is fixed by a recent
   kernel update:
      4220394 wait3  library function fails after 248 days

   Try installing this update to see if it fixes the problem. Some people
   reported that this kernel update fixes the configuration failure, but
   some people reported that the problem still exists.
   
Netscape Messenger displays an error message when new mail arrives

   Use --enable-workarounds-for-imap-client-bugs option to the configure
   script.
   
I can't create any top-level folders, only subfolders of INBOX

   This is a user-interface design issue with your mail client. IMAP
   servers are free to use any folder namespace arrangement that's
   technically convenient for them. Courier-IMAP uses "INBOX." as the
   namespace for private folders, and "shared." as the namespace for
   public, shared, folders. The IMAP NAMESPACE extension (see
   http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2342.txt) allows IMAP clients to
   automatically discover where the server creates folders, and your IMAP
   client should implement it.
   
   This should be completely transparent to you, if your IMAP client
   properly uses the NAMESPACE extension. If your IMAP client were to
   automatically take advantage of self-configuration features offered by
   RFC 2060 and RFC 2342, it would automatically discover, without any
   additional configuration from the user, that:
    1. The folder namespace hierarchy separator is the . character
    2. Private folders are stored underneath the "INBOX." hierarchy
    3. Public folders are stored underneath the "shared." hierarchy
       
   If you have to explicitly create folders that are subfolders of INBOX,
   or if you explicitly have to name that "INBOX.foldername", this is due
   to your IMAP client not being able to configure itself accordingly.
   
I don't know how to build binary RPMs as non-root

   If you're going to build stuff with RPM, then you should really go out
   and get a copy of the "Maximum RPM" book. It's very out of date, but
   if you learn the basics, you'll be able to figure the rest out by
   yourself. The following instructions are applicable to RPM 3.0.4, or
   higher.
   
   First, you need to create a mirror image of the main RPM directory in
   your account:
    mkdir $HOME/rpm
    mkdir $HOME/rpm/SOURCES
    mkdir $HOME/rpm/SPECS
    mkdir $HOME/rpm/BUILD
    mkdir $HOME/rpm/SRPMS
    mkdir $HOME/rpm/RPMS
    mkdir $HOME/rpm/RPMS/i386

   Use sparc, or alpha, or whatever's appropriate. Finally:
    echo "%_topdir    $HOME/rpm" >> $HOME/.rpmmacros

   That's it, now you can build your RPMs:
    rpm -ta courier-imap-0.34.tar.gz
