dovecot - Oct 2008 - Proxying pop3 sessions into an imap one.

I know it seems at least unusual.

But I would like to know if someone knows a software that can proxy
multiple pop3 and imap connections to the same account and use only
imap connections to the real server.

I need it because I've to deal with two pieces of software that are
out of my control:

- 1 - A certified mail provider that states something that I would
like to know if it's really true, or if it's worth keeping like a
funny signature: "multiple imap sessions are possible. When an imap
session is active, no pop3 connections are possible on the same
account; when no imap connection is active, only one pop3 connection
at a time is possible on the same account. This is a limitation of the
pop3 protocol."

- 2 - A software written to deal with certified mails that supports
only pop3 used by many people on the same account, (and the same
account is used also by multiple imap mail readers).

Regards,
Diego.

On 10/21/2008 10:18 PM, Diego Liziero wrote:
> I know it seems at least unusual.
> 
> But I would like to know if someone knows a software that can proxy
> multiple pop3 and imap connections to the same account and use only
> imap connections to the real server.
> 
I don't think that you'll find any piece of software that internally 
'translates' pop3 commands to imap ..
> - 1 - A certified mail provider that states something that I would
> like to know if it's really true, or if it's worth keeping like a
> funny signature: "multiple imap sessions are possible. When an imap
> session is active, no pop3 connections are possible on the same
> account; when no imap connection is active, only one pop3 connection
> at a time is possible on the same account. This is a limitation of the
> pop3 protocol."
Pop3 sessions are usually locked, so multiple sessions are not 
possible.. Unless something like the following is set in dovecot.conf

   # Keep the mailbox locked for the entire POP3 session.
   pop3_lock_session = no

but this is dovecot specific (does this mail provider use dovecot?).

Also, I believe that behaviour will probably by uncertain if, say, 
multiple pop3 clients try to modify the same (single) mbox file.. So it 
also depends on the mailbox format you are trying to access, maybe 
Maildir or dbox are better..
> - 2 - A software written to deal with certified mails that supports
> only pop3 used by many people on the same account, (and the same
> account is used also by multiple imap mail readers).
Again.. Many people using pop3.. Depends on mail server software and 
mailbox format.. IMAP does multiple sessions better.

Sot.