Changing IMAP separator - does it break things?

Victor Sudakov
Wed, 14 Oct 2020 09:51:05 -0000

Filip Hajn? wrote:
> >
> > On 14.10.20 04:36, Victor Sudakov wrote:
> >> Do you think I can change the hierarchy separator in the
"inbox"
> >> namespace without breaking other clients and the mail layout on
disk,
> >> losing mail etc?
> >
> > I personally would try to avoid such a change (really IMHO),
especially if it's "only":
> >
> >> I don't want to break mail for 50 people just to please one
Mac Mail
> >> user.
> >
> > _one_ user. Could Thunderbird or another IMAP client be an option for
this single user? And perhaps Apple can tell some details when their Mail client
will be standards-compliant?
> >
> > Besides that: changing the hierarchy separator is generally possible.
But you schould try and check that with a test system to prevent problems with
your productive environment and all the other users.
> >
>
> I had to do it with 10-20 live users and it went fine, nobody noticed
> anything (I made the change in the night hours just to be sure
> though). I had to go down and fix some erratic folder names that
> resulted from the botched separator handling on some macOS Mail
> accounts.

Did it change anything on Dovecot disk/storage or is the IMAP separator just
"virtual" - ephemeral ?

>
> The funny thing is that I set up a vanilla Dovecot server elsewhere
> and subfolders worked fine there on the very same macOS client.
> Couldn?t find any significant difference in the configs that would
> explain the problem, also the relative lack of similar reports out
> there seemed mind boggling.

Those Mac clients who do not use nested folders do not seem to be
affected. That is, I've already suggested to the Mac Mail user that he
start Thunderbird, move all his mailboxes into the IMAP root folder, and
then go on using Mac Mail. I hope that's what he has done.

>
> (I?m using the Dovecot-based Mailcow mail stack for production, which
> makes troubleshooting a little more challenging.)

--
Victor Sudakov,  VAS4-RIPE, VAS47-RIPN
2:5005/49 at fidonet http://vas.tomsk.ru/
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