Re: avoid clash between multiple mail backends

[Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org>]

Kai.Grossjohann@CS.Uni-Dortmund.DE (Kai Großjohann) writes:

> One solution is obvious: let all the backends use different active
> files, and maybe even different directories.  This will help new
> users.  But it might break things for unsuspecting old users.  Hm.

Yup.

> Let's talk about the active files.  What happens now if you have two
> servers using the same active file?

Gnus will get very, very confused.

> Does that mean that users won't have two servers with the same
> active file right now?  Then the active file default could be
> changed.
> 
> If using one active file for two servers now works (kind of), then a
> migration mechanism could look like this: server `nnml:foo' looks if
> the active file is specified in the server parameters.  If it is, that
> active file is used.  If no active file is specified in the server
> parameters, then it looks for a ~/Mail/active file and picks out all
> the relevant group entries from that and writes them to
> ~/Mail/active-nnml:foo and uses that file from now on.

Hm.  Well, that's doable, but I think it may be the wrong approach.

I kinda like those "wizard" thingies that other operating systems
have.  Why shouldn't Emacs have them?  Just imagine -- a wizard for
adding new mail backends to Gnus, that would check all these things,
query the users, and create new virtual servers that have everything
set ut poifectly.

> And now let's talk about directories.  What happens if you have an
> nnml server and an nnmh server, both looking at the same directory
> (~/Mail, say)?  (But not at the same active file.)  Does this mean
> that creating an nnml group will make an nnmh group mysteriously
> appear?  And vice versa?

Yes, but not vice versa, I think.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   larsi@gnus.org * Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen