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Old 10-03-2005, 01:35 PM   #1
Moebius
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sending through IMAP (not SMTP)?


My university blocks SMTP servers, but they told me that its possible to SEND email through IMAP, but since I'm using my own email with my own server they won't support it and won't help me configure my mail client to do it. I use IMAP already to access my email, but I'm unaware of a method to send mail via IMAP. Does anyone know of how to do this with Thunderbird? Or if it doesn't work with Thunderbird I'd be willing to convert to Outlook as long as I can send some bloody emails.
 
Old 10-03-2005, 02:23 PM   #2
XOR007
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Re: sending through IMAP (not SMTP)?

Quote:
Originally posted by Moebius
My university blocks SMTP servers, but they told me that its possible to SEND email through IMAP, but since I'm using my own email with my own server they won't support it and won't help me configure my mail client to do it.


Mail servers connect to other mail servers to send mail through SMTP. This is the only way to transport mail between different mail domains. IMAP is a more modern way for users to get their mail off their real mail servers with more advanced features than POP3. The only way that could happen is this:

Your own mail server<----?????--->a mail client<--------IMAP-----> the Campus Mail server.

This is an interesting scenario, but it means someone starts hacking.... as I don't know of a way for a mail server to connect to a client(contact a client???) to send mail.


Quote:
I use IMAP already to access my email, but I'm unaware of a method to send mail via IMAP. Does anyone know of how to do this with Thunderbird? Or if it doesn't work with Thunderbird I'd be willing to convert to Outlook as long as I can send some bloody emails.
I don't use thunderbird(yet), the setup of IMAP on both outlook and Evolution is just a wizard were you need: email address, account name, hostname of server, and password.
 
Old 10-03-2005, 02:51 PM   #3
Matir
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I am unaware of any mechanism to SEND email through IMAP. SMTP is a protocol for sending mail, IMAP/POP for retrieiving it from a "mailbox".
 
Old 10-03-2005, 03:03 PM   #4
XOR007
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Again, if someone could write an IMAP(client) plugin for Sendmail or Postfix or Exim etc., this WOULD be possible and interesting...
 
Old 10-03-2005, 03:06 PM   #5
Matir
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Quote:
Originally posted by XOR007
Again, if someone could write an IMAP(client) plugin for Sendmail or Postfix or Exim etc., this WOULD be possible and interesting...
It would still not be possible because the IMAP protocol does not support sending mail. You're basically suggesting an extension to the IMAP protocol that would require modifying both clients and servers... in order to... reinvent SMTP?
 
Old 10-03-2005, 03:10 PM   #6
Moebius
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Yeah I don't think its possibly to actually send mail using IMAP, BUT as XOR007 says it might be possible to write a plugin for sendmail that could interface with IMAP. It could actually be as simple as sendmail checking the Outbox folder of an email account every minute or two and if an email exists there, send it and delete it.

But I'm not prepared to write something like that now.
 
Old 10-03-2005, 03:29 PM   #7
XOR007
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The idea would be to have

my clients<----IMAP/POP3------->my sendmail+imap or pop3(client)<-----IMAP-----> the campus mail servers.

I would set my sendmail to queue all the mail at the campus server using my pop3/imap accounts and rewriting addresses. It would be enough to have a one to one mapping of my clients mailboxes to my campus mailboxes.

This can help in studying the relation between a mail server and clients, as most networks now block SMTP because of spam(zombies smtps in windoze boxes). It is true however that this will not help you to study SMTP. In your case you have no choice but to run many mail servers in a lan.

Just because it is a different perspective makes it interesting, but it will be at best a very ugly hack.

Last edited by XOR007; 10-03-2005 at 03:36 PM.
 
  


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