imap folder for outgoing messages

imap folder for outgoing messages

[Niklas Morberg]

I store my outgoing messages in an imap folder. The problem
is that not all messages will be stored there. When sending
a message, gnus tries to open the imap server (only for the
copy, I send messages using SMTP) and sometimes* fails. My
*message* buffer says:

Sending...
Sending via mail...
Opening nnimap server on nil...
imap: Connecting to ...failed
Opening nnimap server on nil...failed

My server buffer tells me I have three nnimap servers:

     {nnfolder:archive} (opened)
     {nnimap:nil} (denied)
     {nnimap:} (denied)
     {nndraft:} (opened)
     {nndoc:gnus-help} (opened)
     {nnimap:imap.axis.com} (opened)

where I of course would prefer to use the last one to save
outgoing copies.

My mail-user-agent is gnus-user-agent if that matters.

There is something weird going on here, but I can't figure
out how to get to the bottom of the problem. Any ideas?

Niklas

*I tried to find a situation that always fails, but have not
yet succeeded (I'm guessing that parameters could be time of
inactivity, sending as a reply or a newly composed message,
etc...).

Re: imap folder for outgoing messages

[Paul Jarc]

Niklas Morberg <niklas.morberg@axis.com> wrote:
>      {nnimap:nil} (denied)
>      {nnimap:} (denied)
>      {nnimap:imap.axis.com} (opened)

Are all these really supposed to be here?  Are they secondary or
foreign servers?  Can you show us their select methods?


paul

Re: imap folder for outgoing messages

[Kai Großjohann]

Niklas Morberg <niklas.morberg@axis.com> writes:

> I store my outgoing messages in an imap folder. The problem
> is that not all messages will be stored there.

Have a look at the Gcc headers.  I guess that sometimes it will be

    Gcc: nnimap+foo:bla.bla

and sometimes it will be

    Gcc: nnimap+nil:bla.bla

and at other times it might be

    Gcc: nnimap:bla.bla

And some of those cases work and others don't.

kai
-- 
Simplification good!  Oversimplification bad!  (Larry Wall)

Re: imap folder for outgoing messages

[Simon Josefsson]

On Tue, 4 Dec 2001, Niklas Morberg wrote:

> I store my outgoing messages in an imap folder. The problem
> is that not all messages will be stored there. When sending
> a message, gnus tries to open the imap server (only for the
> copy, I send messages using SMTP) and sometimes* fails. My
> *message* buffer says:
> 
> Sending...
> Sending via mail...
> Opening nnimap server on nil...
> imap: Connecting to ...failed
> Opening nnimap server on nil...failed
> 
> My server buffer tells me I have three nnimap servers:
> 
>      {nnfolder:archive} (opened)
>      {nnimap:nil} (denied)

Where does this server come from?  Do you really have a server named 
"nil"?  Sounds like a bug somewhere.  Was Gnus started when this happened, 
or did you just start emacs and M-x mail'ed?

How do you store outgoing message in a imap group?  Eplicit GCC, 
gnus-outgoing-message-group, or ...?

Re: imap folder for outgoing messages

[Niklas Morberg]

Simon Josefsson <jas@extundo.com> writes:

>>      {nnfolder:archive} (opened)
>>      {nnimap:nil} (denied)
>
> Where does this server come from? Do you really have a
> server named "nil"? Sounds like a bug somewhere.

No, I don't have a "nil" server.

> Was Gnus started when this happened, or did you just start
> emacs and M-x mail'ed?

Gnus was running.

> How do you store outgoing message in a imap group?  Eplicit GCC, 
> gnus-outgoing-message-group, or ...?

I have these settings in my .gnus.el:

(setq gnus-message-archive-method '(nnimap))
(setq gnus-message-archive-group "\"Sent Items\"")

gnus-outgoing-message-group's value is nil

If it matters, nnimap is my only select method.
(setq gnus-select-method '(nnimap "PROPER.IMAP.SERVER" (nnimap-stream ssl)))

I will be happy to try to debug this further, but as I don't
yet speak lisp I will need someone to tell me what to do (or
tell me where to find some documentation that can get me
started).

I'm sorry that my report is somewhat vague, I'll try harder
to find a repetitive case which always fails.

Niklas

Re: imap folder for outgoing messages

[Kai Großjohann]

Niklas Morberg <niklas.morberg@axis.com> writes:

> (setq gnus-message-archive-method '(nnimap))

This is not a good idea.  What's your normal nnimap select method?
Use the same value.  If it's (nnimap "foo" ...parameters.here...),
then you could also try "nnimap:foo" as the value, rather than
(nnimap).

I just use fully qualified group names in gnus-message-archive-group
and don't bother with setting gnus-message-archive-method at all.
This means I have an unused server, but at least things work :-)

kai
-- 
Simplification good!  Oversimplification bad!  (Larry Wall)

Re: imap folder for outgoing messages

[Niklas Morberg]

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

> I just use fully qualified group names in gnus-message-archive-group
> and don't bother with setting gnus-message-archive-method at all.

Thanks, this seems to do the trick.

FWIW, I did manage to reproduce the original problem in a
more orderly fashion. Fresh gnus from CVS this morning.

When starting gnus the first time, only one nnimap server
was present in the server buffer (the proper one). I then
typed C-x m and composed an email. The value of the Gcc
field when composing the message was

Gcc: nnimap:"Sent Items"

After sending this first message, one additional nnimap
server showed up in the Server buffer:

     {nnimap:} (denied)

and no message got stored in the Sent Items folder after
composing and sending a second message. After sending yet
another message, a third nnimap server showed up:

     {nnimap:nil} (denied)

The other two nnimap servers are still there. Sending works,
but copies are not stored.

Kai's solution now makes the Gcc field to be:

Gcc: "nnimap+MY.IMAP.SERVER:Sent Items"

and everything works as expected. I would still say there
is a bug somewhere that causes the creation of these void
nnimap servers, but I don't get bitten by it anymore.

Niklas

Re: imap folder for outgoing messages

[Kai Großjohann]

Niklas Morberg <niklas.morberg@axis.com> writes:

> When starting gnus the first time, only one nnimap server
> was present in the server buffer (the proper one). I then
> typed C-x m and composed an email. The value of the Gcc
> field when composing the message was
>
> Gcc: nnimap:"Sent Items"

Well, this seems to say that gnus-message-archive-method wasn't
right.  You can notice because the server name is wrong.

Also, the quotes might be in the wrong position.  Hm.  What to do
about that?  Not so sure.  Maybe the Gnus proper should add the
quotes as necessary.

> The other two nnimap servers are still there. Sending works,
> but copies are not stored.
>
> Kai's solution now makes the Gcc field to be:
>
> Gcc: "nnimap+MY.IMAP.SERVER:Sent Items"
>
> and everything works as expected. I would still say there
> is a bug somewhere that causes the creation of these void
> nnimap servers, but I don't get bitten by it anymore.

Well, if gnus-message-archive-method is (nnfolder "foo"
(nnfolder-directory "/tmp/foo")), then Gnus will create the /tmp/foo
directory and put the server there.  If you just say (nnfolder
"foo"), then the directory will be ~/Mail, the default place.  So if
you say (nnimap "foo"), then Gnus will try to open an IMAP server on
the foo host.

Garbage in, garbage out...

But Gnus could protect you better.  For example, it could require
gnus-message-archive-method to be a server _name_ which is verified
to exist, rather than auto-created.  For my taste, Gnus auto-creates
new servers far too often, thus masking problems elsewhere.

kai
-- 
Simplification good!  Oversimplification bad!  (Larry Wall)