nnimap using shell command.

[michael@cadilhac.name (Michaël Cadilhac)]

[-- Attachment #1.1: Type: text/plain, Size: 781 bytes --]

When using `imap-shell-program' (with a nnimap-stream of 'shell), the
process is created `as is' with start-process.  The docstring of
start-process says :

        If you want to separate standard output from standard error,
        invoke the command through a shell and redirect one of them
        using the shell syntax.

Well, this is fun, because my distant imapd says the following :

$ imapd
* PREAUTH Ready.
INFO: LOGIN, user=cadilhac, ip=[127.0.0.1], protocol=IMAP

Oh, heck.  Gnus is searching for PREAUTH on the INFO line, doesn't found
it, and just wait until the end of time to see what's happening next[1].

Well, I'm not comfortable with the use of `2> /dev/null' on a package
meant to work on Windows, so I propose this more radical change :


[-- Warning: decoded text below may be mangled, UTF-8 assumed --]
[-- Attachment #1.2: gnus.patch --]
[-- Type: text/x-patch, Size: 946 bytes --]

--- gnus.texi	09 Aug 2007 16:22:28 +0200	7.241
+++ gnus.texi	21 Aug 2007 15:54:10 +0200	
@@ -14254,7 +14254,9 @@
 ssh %s imapd
 @end example
 
-The valid format specifier characters are:
+Make sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g.,
+don't forget to redirect the error output to the void.  The valid format
+specifier characters are:
 
 @table @samp
 @item s
@@ -16881,8 +16883,10 @@
 
 @vindex imap-shell-program
 @vindex imap-shell-host
-For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
-@code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
+For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the
+variable @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.  Make
+sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g., don't
+forget to redirect the error output to the void.
 
 @item nnimap-authenticator
 @vindex nnimap-authenticator

[-- Attachment #1.3: Type: text/plain, Size: 499 bytes --]


and maybe change imap.el to not wait indefinitely, but just a few
seconds.

Cheers !

Footnotes: 
[1]  Which is, as we know, that everybody leaves the Restaurant.

-- 
 |   Michaël `Micha' Cadilhac       |  Une erreur peut devenir exacte        |
 |   http://michael.cadilhac.name   |     selon que celui qui l'a commise    |
 |   JID/MSN:                       |  s'est trompé ou non.                  |
 `----  michael.cadilhac@gmail.com  |          -- Pierre Dac            -  --'

[-- Attachment #2: Type: application/pgp-signature, Size: 188 bytes --]