dovecot - Dec 2006 - Advice, Converting a Live/Production server.

I want to mess with a live server. (a Bad thing).

I have googled until my eyes boogled, wiki'ed until my fingers are wonked,
have read as much as I can read, however I'm left with a few
questions/worries.

Issue:
 I am currently running Dovecot as a pop3 server with standard /var/mail
mbox's
 I would like to run a mixed Imap/Pop3 server with ~/maildir inbox's

 The thread http://www.dovecot.org/list/dovecot/2006-February/011304.html
 is fairly close to what I want to do, but I would like to go ahead and
 convert to maildir. (Mixed pop3/imap access for each user)

 I don't have a system to test, "I used have one but it's now the
 production server... PW/Disk failed, thank G-D(s) for rsync/backups".

Setup:
 procmail, dovecot 1.0 beta 8.2 (fc5), squirrelmail.

 all users use outlook (2000,2003) or outlook express (random versions)
  (^^^^ not my choice, I just have to deal with it {and use it} ^^^^^)

 the majority of users will continue to use pop3, however some would like to
 convert to imap and have all mail stored on the server.


Questions:

 /etc/procmailrc?  just set default to ~/maildir?  do I need to define
"INBOX"?
 aka $MAILDIR=~/maildir/, $ORGMAIL=~/maildir/, $DEFAULT=~/maildir/

 Same as above, what about new/cur  should I set up a /etc/skel?

 close to above, if I create rules, for spam, etc. do I need to worry about
 cur/new.

 close to above, what about Sent Items, Drafts etc... for imap users, I
 do understand that client rules would likely be needed to store sent items.

 conversion, anything to look for? mb2md seems to work, but some users have
 "don't delete from server set", will they get dups? (I can live
with this)

 archiving, can I (or a script) mess with the files in the maildir?  aka
keep
 the number of files/messages less than 16k for the outlook users.

 Bugs, should I cool my heals, and wait for rc16 or 1.0 final?  I am
currently
 running problem free, and I do hate to mess with something which is not
busted.

TIA Michael.

On Sunday 10 December 2006 19:16, Michael Dilworth
wrote:
> ?I am currently running Dovecot as a pop3 server with standard
> /var/mail mbox's
> ?I would like to run a mixed Imap/Pop3 server with ~/maildir inbox's
I would suggest first using mbox for everything, since you already have 
mbox working.

Dovecot can support a mixed environment, and maildir is indeed somewhat 
faster, but if only some of your users intend to use imap, mbox plus 
dovecot's indexes may very well be sufficient without conversion.  If the 
performance is acceptable, you might not need to run a mixed environment.

Regards,

   - Brian