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@@ -1,43 +1,79 @@ - README for fetchmail + The fetchmail announcement -fetchmail is a full-featured, robust, well-documented POP2, POP3, APOP, and -IMAP batch mail retrieval utility intended to be used over on-demand TCP/IP -links (such as SLIP or PPP connections). It retrieves mail from remote -mail servers and forwards it to your local (client) machine's delivery -system, where it can then be be read by normal mail user agents such as -elm(1) or Mail(1). +fetchmail is a full-featured, robust, well-documented POP2, POP3, +APOP, and IMAP batch mail retrieval/forwarding utility intended to be +used over on-demand TCP/IP links (such as SLIP or PPP connections). +It retrieves mail from remote mail servers and forwards it to your +local (client) machine's delivery system, so it can then be be read by +normal mail user agents such as elm(1) or Mail(1). -The fetchmail program was originally developed (under the name popclient) by -Carl Harris <ceharris@mal.com> and now maintained by Eric S. Raymond -<esr@thyrsus.com>. See the file NEWS for a version history. +The fetchmail code was developed under Linux, but should be readily +portable to other Unix variants (it uses GNU autoconf). It has also +been ported to QNX; to build under QNX, see the header comments in the +Makefile. -The fetchmail code was developed under Linux and should be readily portable -to other UNIX systems (it uses GNU autoconf). It has also been ported to -QNX; to build under QNX, see the header comments in the Makefile. +The fetchmail program was originally authored (under the name +popclient) by Carl Harris <ceharris@mal.com>. I, Eric S. Raymond, +<esr@thyrsus.com> took over development in June 1996. I subsequently +renamed the program `fetchmail' to reflect the addition of IMAP +support. See the distribution file NEWS for detailed information on +recent changes. -You can find the latest version of fetchmail from Eric's home page +Before accepting responsibility for the popclient sources from Carl, I +had investigated and used and tinkered with every other UNIX +remote-mail forwarder I could find, including fetchpop1.9, +PopTart-0.9.3, get-mail, gwpop, pimp-1.0, pop-perl5-1.2, popc, +popmail-1.6 and upop. I learned from all of them, and fetchmail is a +carefully-thought-out attempt to render obsolete every other program +in its class. - http://www.ccil.org/~esr +Here are fetchmail's main features. Those unique to fetchmail are marked +with **. + + * POP2, POP3, **APOP, **RPOP and **IMAP support. + + ** Host is auto-probed for a working server if no protocol is + specified for the connection. Thus you don't need to know + what servers are running on your mail host in advance; the + verbose option will tell you which one succeeds. + + ** Delivery via via SMTP to the client machine's port 25. This + means the retrieved mail automatically goes to the system + default MDA as if it were normal sender-initiated SMTP mail. + + * Easy control via command line or free-format run control file. -Features of fetchmail include: + * Daemon mode -- fetchmail can be run in background to poll + one or more hosts at a specified interval. - * POP2, POP3, APOP, RPOP and IMAP support with auto-probing for a - server on the host if no protocol is specified. + * From:, To:, Cc:, and Reply-To: headers are rewritten so that + usernames relative to the fetchmail host become fully-qualified + Internet addresses. This enables replies to work correctly. + (Would be unique to fetchmail if I hadn't added it to fetchpop.) - * Easy control via command line or free-format run control file. + * Strict conformance to relevant RFCs and good debugging options. + You could use fetchmail to test and debug server implementatations. - * Daemon mode -- fetchmail can be run in background to poll - one or more hosts at a specified interval. + * Carefully written, comprehensive and up-to-date man page describing + not only modes of operation but also (**) how to interpret the most + common kinds of problems and what to do about deficient servers - * Delivery via via SMTP to the client machine's port 25 (or - optionally via either file-append with mandatory locking or an - MDA you specify). + * Rugged, simple, and well-tested code -- the author relies on it + every day and it has never lost mail, not even in experimental + versions. + + * Large user community -- fetchmail has inherited a significant + user base from Carl Harris's popclient community. This means + feedback is rapid, bugs get found and fixed rapidly. + +You can easily find the latest version of fetchmail from Eric's home page: + + http://www.ccil.org/~esr - * From:, To:, Cc:, and Reply-To: headers are rewritten so that - usernames relative to the fetchmail host become fully-qualified - Internet addresses. This enables replies to work correctly. +Just chase the link to the freeware collection. Besides fetchmail, it +includes a tasty selection of Web authoring tools, programmer's aids, +graphics libraries, compilers for bizarre languages, games, and +miscellaneous interesting hacks. Enjoy! -There is a man page at fetchmail.man. A sample rc file is at sample.rcfile. -For a release history, see the file NEWS. -- esr |