Push email for POP or IMAP?
 

Is it possible to do it like Gmail does - when a new mail arrives, it shows it without having to click "Download"? Which email CLIENT would I use?


Thx.

Not a networking question, moved to Linux - Newbie.

Where does GMail do this? The web interface is totally proprietary, there is no open protocol between your browser and their servers.

configure imap access for your gmail id in thunderbird. then if you keep thunderbird open then it will automatically receive an email when it arrives.

Perhaps OP meant the way Gmail shows up Inbox(1) when a new mail arrives, and you don't have to click refresh, Kmail and Evolution both have these facilities, but you have to set them!

There is a difference between rapid refreshing of imap connections and genuine push email, but in general I'd imagine a simple reduced check time is all that's required.

Thunderbird...

As stated, Thunderbird can be configured to download E-mail from its configured server as soon as the mail is available. You can read this or find many other post on the subject on the Internet. Note the reference to "POP".

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Thunderbir...nload_Messages

No, that's not true. that will not get email as soon as it's available, there is no push there, just a frequent poll.

No I apologise greatly because I don't know the diff bet POP and IMAP, all I wanted was a way for a program to do what Gmail does, yes, just like Anisha said. No, without hitting the server frequently, that's too dumb. Isn't there anyone doing this?

To acid kewpie...

You are doubtlessly correct; I mis-stated. However, for the purpose the OP seems to require, a frequent if not immediate query for mail might be good enough. How frequent frequent must be I don't know, but frequent he might try.

To resetreset...

If you configure Thunderbird to check for E-mail at intervals, you don't have to query the server yourself. but there will be a demand on the server as it is asked again and again.

There are imap push extensions which you can find out about from a quick search. And Evolution appears to support a given set of functionality if the server side also agrees. http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/10/e...volution-2-30/ Saying it is "like GMail" does you no favours though, it's not.

Are you thinking about something like the IMAP IDLE feature?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAP_IDLE
Thunderbird supports it but you need your mail server to support it too. Microsoft Exchange 2003 supports it, presumably later versions do too.

So what is Gmail doing? Is the browser actually running a server or is it just polling with small intervals? You know, I was using it on my really old machine some time back, and *typing* was slow and hiccupy!
So Javascript is pretty smart then eh? :) I HATE to think that an app can't do what a site can. But then we're all about to move to the cloud right? :)

it's a "web2.0" application, as above it's doing whatever google code it to specifically. A web page is NOT an email client, just a web page, and if that's doing AJAX calls and the likes then it can do funky stuff, but it's all just coding.

yes... I guess what my questions was was... HOW do you write a server running inside the browser?

You don't.