[lug] IMAP Server Recommendations...

[Ryan Kirkpatrick]

	I have been doing some research on (Linux) IMAP servers recently,
and have yet to find a single server that meets all of my needs. Many of
them meet one or two of my needs, but often include other show stoppers as
well. I am hoping that some one on this list might have more insight into
IMAP servers. Here are my needs:

*) Simple to setup and administer.
  *) Cyrus fails this as the IMAP server is part of a huge system
     providing more features than I really need.
  *) Courier fails this for the same reason, and even the standalone
     IMAP server's configuration and init.d scripts are kludge to say the
     least.

*) Supports MailDirs.
  *) UW IMAP fails this as it only supports mbox.

*) Supports PAM authentication.
  *) Most servers seem to support this, but sometimes in rather complex
     ways.

*) Supports folders as siblings to INBOX. Basically does not forces INBOX
   to the be both the root folder and the primary incoming folder.
  *) Only Binc IMAP seems to support this, but it is still in beta, and
     requires pieces of qmail (I am running postfix). 

*) Supports a POP server. Not an absolute requirement, but would be nice.

I may be over picky in my needs here, but this does not seem too difficult
of a set of requirements. It appears that almost all of the IMAP servers
seem to use an overly complex sequence of port listener, authentication
daemon, login handler, and actual IMAP server processes, all chained
together in a rather complex and commentless init.d script (i.e.
courier-imap). As well, they force INBOX as an artificial root of the IMAP
server's folders, and forcing all subfolders to be hidden directories
(start with a dot) on the filesystem. Overall, quite inelegant. But enough
ranting, on to my question...
	Does anyone know of any IMAP servers that could satisfy all of
these requirements? So far, the closest I have been able to find is
DoveCot (does not appear to support INBOX siblings), and Binc IMAP (with
the above mentioned limitations). Thanks.

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|   "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."                    |
|                                            --- Philippians 1:21 (KJV)   |
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|   Ryan Kirkpatrick  |  Boulder, Colorado  |  http://www.rkirkpat.net/   |
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