Client issues and configuration
===============================

It seems to be quite difficult to implement a working IMAP client. Here are
some instructions for client implementors:

 * Mark Crispin's Ten Commandments of How to Write an IMAP client
   [http://dovecot.org/client-commandments.txt].
 * IMAP Client Coding Howto [http://dovecot.org/imap-client-coding-howto.html]

 1. Client issues and configuration
     1. Outlook
     2. Outlook Express 6
     3. Netscape 4.x
     4. Netscape Mail
     5. Evolution
     6. Mulberry
     7. Thunderbird
     8. Mutt
     9. Pine
     10. Squirrelmail
     11. Horde IMP

Outlook
-------

 * You should enable 'outlook-idle' workaround with IMAP.
 * You should enable 'outlook-no-nuls' workaround with POP3.
 * Outlook 2003 has problems with older Dovecot's default POP3 UIDL format,
   which causes it to download the same mails over and over again if "leave
   mails to server" option is enabled. See 'pop3_uidl_format' setting.

Outlook Express 6
-----------------

 * Using "Headers only" synchronization is buggy and can cause "Message is no
   longer available on this server" error when opening a mail. This isn't
   Dovecot specific problem, and I'm not aware of any possible workarounds at
   the moment for this in server side.
 * You should enable 'outlook-idle' and 'oe6-fetch-no-newmail' workarounds for
   IMAP.
 * You should enable 'outlook-no-nuls' and 'oe-ns-eoh' workarounds for POP3.

Netscape 4.x
------------

 * You should enable 'netscape-eoh' workaround with IMAP, if you still care
   about supporting this..

Netscape Mail
-------------

I'm not actually sure what version exactly this refers to.

 * You should enable 'oe-ns-eoh' workaround for POP3.

Evolution
---------

 * Doesn't support creating subfolders with mbox format.

Mulberry
--------

Seems to be OK.

Thunderbird
-----------

 * You should enable 'tb-extra-mailbox-sep' workaround for IMAP if you're using
   mbox.Bug report [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=29926].

Mutt
----

 * New mutt versions supporting IDLE command will hang with Dovecot versions
   earlier than v1.0beta3. Upgrade Dovecot or disable IDLE by setting
   imap_idle=no in .muttrc.
 * <Using mutt with IMAP> [mutt.txt]

Pine
----

Seems to be OK.

Squirrelmail
------------

 * Configuration asks IMAP server name for some workarounds, I'm not aware of
   Dovecot requiring any so just select the "other" option. By default it uses
   INBOX-prefix, remove it.
 * Squirrelmail 1.4.5 has broken APPEND command
   [http://www.squirrelmail.org/wiki/ComposeErrorOnSend1]. Upgrade to 1.4.6.

Horde IMP
---------

Dovecot doesn't want any folder prefix, but leaving it empty in login screen
will just use the default. So, change the default from
'/etc/imp3/servers.conf'. Search for ''folders' => 'mail/'' and remove the
'mail/' part. For IMP2 edit 'defaults.php3', search for '$default->folders =

(This file was created from the wiki on 2007-04-06 04:42)
