Subject: PC Pine via dial-up

From: Rick Troth <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 93 11:22:54 CDT

Hi,

        I've mentioned this elsewhere but still don't know the scoop.
What about running Pine over a dial-up?   I mean on a PC or Mac w/o
a network connection such that the dial-up essentially performs IMAP.
Is this being developed?   T'would be nice  ... "way cool" and etc.

Rick Troth <[email-masked]>,  Rice University,  Information Systems

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From: Terry Gray <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1993 13:17:28 -0700 (PDT)

Rick, 
Dialup mail access is important to us as well.  For the time being,
we're only looking at supporting dialup IP connections; that is, SLIP or
PPP, since the idea of having a different async protocol for every
different network app is a painful prospect. 

-teg

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From: Tim Brooks <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1993 09:08:53 +0100

The Eudora UA (Mac POP based UA) has a neat dial-up approach.
Basically it automatically dials up and logs you onto your server then
execs the srialpop package to which it then sends "telnet <host>
<port>" commands.  Srialpop sets up the required session and then
transparently passes through the protocol (SMTP or POP in this case)
"messages" between the SMTP/POP servers and the dialup UA.  All you
would need to do to extend it for IMAP2 is add in the port number to
the list of allowed ports.

Therefore there is no need to implement different protocols, just the
modem driver and login/exec/telnet sequence.

Tim Brooks
Mail-Support(@UK.AC.Cam.UCS, @UCS.Cam.AC.UK)

University of Cambridge Computing Service Tel: 0223-334709, Int: +44 223 334709
New Museums Site                          Fax: 0223-334678, Int: +44 223 334678
Pembroke Street                           Telex: 81240 CAMSPL G
CAMBRIDGE                                 E-Mail(JNT): [email-masked]
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From: Terry Gray <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1993 09:00:55 -0700 (PDT)

Tim,
I've heard it said that the Eudora approach does not provide for error 
checking on the serial link (presumably relying on EC in the modems).
Is this true, and if so, is there not a risk that those without 
EC-capable modems (maybe even some with) could get nailed with respect to 
data integrity?

-teg

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From: Mike Roch <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1993 21:22:15 +0100 (BST)

> checking on the serial link (presumably relying on EC in the modems).

There's parity checking of course. I guess it would matter less with imap
than pop though; with pop you may be deleting the copy at the Unix end.

Of course without a slip/ppp host available, your mailboxes would be
_really_ safe when you're off site with a pc, a modem and pc-pine as
announced! ;^)

Mike

==============================================================================
Mike Roch, Computer Services Centre,                          Tel: 0734 318430
The University, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 2AX.               Fax: 0734 753094

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From: Tim Brooks <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1993 09:57:56 +0100

>EC-capable modems (maybe even some with) could get nailed with respect to 

This is correct and could be a problem.  But it depends on what you
are trying to achieve.  The benefit of the approach is that it is a
simple solution that works most of the time, which is what people
want.  Most lines in the UK (at least local to us) will handle 9.6K
without problems.

We only have limited experience of using it here but people don't tend
to draw/send megabytes of encrypted GIF file across their dialup line
(especially as here in the UK you even pay for local calls), just the
plain text parts to get the gist of any messages. With the Pine/IMAP
approach the user will always be able to check out any "errors" when
they are next "back in the office", which is a lot better than the
Eudora/POP approach where the principle is that the mail is sucked
onto the client and the maildrop copy deleted.

Ideally one would use SLIP/PPP; but if you haven't got it this does
the job.

Tim

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From: Laurence Lundblade <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1993 08:19:47 -0400 (EDT)

Reading mail is one thing. If there are error there you only see the wrong
thing, unless of course you are detaching large parts of MIME messages that
you plan to use otherwise. e.g. a lotus spread sheet. There is also the
possibility with IMAP (and POP too) that noise could result in the right
commands to delete all your mail. I suppose you could always open the
mailbox read-only.

Sending mail is another.  It's possible the sent message will have
permanent errors, will not get delivered due to errors in the address, or
worst, get delivered to the wrong person. 

Seems like it should be OK over EC modems, but I wouldn't trust anything
important to it otherwise.

Laurence Lundblade
  [email-masked] or [email-masked] (both forward to same place)
    Blacksburg, Virginia or Seattle, Washington