[CLUE-Tech] IMAP vs POP

[Angelo Bertolli]

>
> The answer to your question is : It's configurable by the system 
> administrator for each of many different types of IMAP server.
> (Note: xinetd is not an IMAP server.  You mentioned it in your last 
> e-mail.  Xinetd is a newer version of inetd, a daemon that answers 
> network requests for numerous services on Unix.  Most ISP's do not run 
> their IMAP or other critical services under inetd, but perhaps yours 
> does.)
>
> IMAP is just a transport protocol between your MUA (mail program like 
> Mozilla or mutt or whatever...) and the server.  In practice, even 
> though they don't have to be configured this way, IMAP stores your 
> mail on the server whereas most POP3 setups encourage you to take the 
> mail off the server and into your machine's local cache every time 
> something new arrives.
>
> How a particular server operates is mostly a function of how it's set 
> up, if you're looking for information about where they store your mail 
> files, etc.  .
>
Well for example, is storing IMAP folder information in .mailboxlist 
something Mozilla does or something the IMAP server implements?  It sort 
of looks like IMAP just gives Mozilla access to my inbox and my home 
directory, and Mozilla decides on what to do from there.  In fact, it 
seems that while some clients use IMAP mailboxes in mbox format, others 
use maildir format.

Angelo