Make Your Own IMAP Mail Server for the Netscape Communicator 4.0 or above

IMAP is a newer email service, supported in Netscape clients beginning with Communicator 4. With POP, you either leave your mail on the server (you cannot delete or rearrange it at all), or you remove it to your local machine...neither of which is really what you want when you have multiple access points to your email. IMAP, on the other hand, allows you to keep the mail on the server machine but at the same time manipulate it (drag around in folders, delete, etc.) This is great for situations where you access email from more than one machine but want it to reside only on one.

Example: my email will remain on my IMAP server machine (my workstation at work), but I can use it, see all of the directories, etc., from itself as well as my home workstation, my laptop, and my desktop PC.

Server A (SGI system) will use IMAP. The new and unsaved messages will stay in /var/mail and messages were stored in ~userid/nsmail directory. Server A will be the IMAP server and a client as well. To do this, as super-user or root:

1. Make directory /usr/local (if one does not exist).
2. Make directory /usr/local/bin (if one does not exist).
3. Get imap executable:
             rcp -v guest@jupiter.houst:/usr/freeware/bin/imapd /usr/local/bin/imapd
4. Permissions on imap should be:
            -rwxr-xr-x 1 root sys 977936 Sep 22 14:45 /usr/local/bin/imapd
5. Add lines to /etc/inetd.conf
           imap2    stream    tcp    nowait    root    /usr/local/bin/imapd    imapd
6. Type at shell prompt: (twice for good measure)
             /etc/killall -HUP inetd
7. Wait a minute before testing, to allow inetd to fully start up.
8. Create directories and change ownership:
             mkdir ~<userid>/ns_imap
             mkdir ~<userid>/ns_imap_local
             chmod 700 ~<userid>/ns_imap ~<userid>/ns_imap_local
9. In Netscape, set these Mail Server preferences:
   - Enter <username> for "Mail server user name".
   - Enter "localhost" for "Outgoing mail (SMTP) server".
   - Etner "localhost" for "Incoming mail server".
   - Check "IMAP4" and "Move deleted messages to trash".
   - Click "More Options". For
   Local mail directory: ~userid/nsmail
   IMAP4 mail directory: ~userid/ns_imap
   IMAP4 local mail directory: ~userid/ns_imap_local
   Make sure "Remember my mail password" is NOT checked. There are instances where checking this will cause Netscape to core dump.
10. Restart Netscape.

If this is your office macine, you may still use MediaMail and it will interact fine with Netscape Mail.

SGI Client

Client B (SGI) now wants to read email off of server A and have access to all of the previously defined folders. Here is the configuration information, based on the fact that the above configuration has been followed:

1. In Netscape, set these Mail Server preferences:
   - Enter <username> for "Mail server user name".
   - Enter <hostname of server A> for "Outgoing mail (SMTP) server".
   - Enter <hostname of server A> for "Incoming mail server".
   - Check "IMAP4" and "Move deleted messages to trash".
   - Click "More Options". For
   Local mail directory: ~userid/nsmail
   IMAP4 mail directory: ~userid/ns_imap
   IMAP4 local mail directory: ~userid/ns_imap_local
   Make sure "Remember my mail password" is NOT checked. There are instances where checking this will cause Netscape to core dump.
2. Restart Netscape.

PC Client (running windows 95)

Client B (PC) now wants to read email off of server A and have access to all of the previously defined folders. Here is the configuration information, based on the fact that the above configuration has been followed:

1. In Netscape, set these Mail Server preferences:
   - Enter <username> for "Mail server user name".
   - Enter <hostname of server A> for "Outgoing mail (SMTP) server".
   - Enter <hostname of server A> for "Incoming mail server".
   - Check "IMAP4" and "Move deleted messages to trash".
   - Click "More Options". For
   Local mail directory: (Select Default: eg: c:\programs\netscape\communicator\<user>\mail)
   IMAP4 server directory: ~userid/ns_imap_local
   Make sure "Remember my mail password" is NOT checked. There are instances where checking this will cause Netscape to core dump.
2. Restart Netscape.