Subject: Netscape 4.61 Messager Problems

From: Jeff Breitner <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 01:20:35 GMT

I just upgraded my POP3/IMAP servers on my Irix boxes and suddenly Netscape
communicator users are unable to retrieve mail via POP3.

Sniffing port 110, I see that Netscape's messenger mail system greets the POP
server with AUTH, not exactly what the POP server is looking to see.  Regardless of
what the server type is set to, Netscape's messager mail program blatantly refuses
to talk POP.

Investigating why it worked on my old server, I noticed that the 3.3 POP server
did accept AUTH, and some rudimentary IMAP commands.

My options are limited; I could wait for Netscape to repair the problem (cha,
right!) or I could install the 3.3 POP client.  Unfortunately, some of the software I
run uses the latest c-client library, and I'm thinking that the index file for
the mailbox is going to be a persistent reminder of the Netscape "whoops".

Any suggestions?

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From: Mark Crispin <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 19:56:13 -0700 (PDT)

ipop3d certainly does support the AUTH command.  On systems which have an
/etc/cram-md5.pwd file set up, APOP is also permitted:
	+OK POP3 v7.62 server ready <[email-masked]>
	AUTH
	+OK Supported authentication mechanisms:
	CRAM-MD5
	LOGIN
	.

On systems which don't have an /etc/cram-md5.pwd file set up:
	+OK POP3 Ikkoku-Kan.Panda.COM v7.62 server ready
	auth
	+OK Supported authentication mechanisms:
	LOGIN
	.
and APOP is not permitted.

Read imap-4.[xxx]/docs/md5.txt for information about the /etc/cram-md5.pwd
file and warnings about whether or not you really want to use it.

There is also the traditional USER/PASS form of authentication.

I haven't a clue as to why you think that the 3.3 POP server would "accept
some rudimentary IMAP commands".  POP and IMAP are completely different
protocols.

ipop3d version 3.3, which was part of the imap-3.x series toolkit, did not
accept either AUTH or APOP.

I think that you need to provide me with more information, such as an exact
telemetry of what is going on.  Your report isn't making very much sense to
me, which suggests that you're misinterpreting the data somehow.  If you have
a packet trace, try to put that into a telemtry of what the server says and
what the client says, and then send that to me to interpret.  Thanks.

Lots of people are using Netscape with ipop3d successfully, so whatever is
wrong is probably something localized to your site.

-- Mark --