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List:       c-client
Subject:    Re: How does imapd treat multiple conns to the same account?
From:       Mark Crispin <MRC () CAC ! Washington ! EDU>
Date:       1999-08-22 2:33:58
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On Sat, 21 Aug 1999, Alex Shvedov wrote:
> I have the impression that simultaneous connections to one
> account are "almost" impossible.

Just with the default UNIX format of mail.  No problem with most other
formats.

> 1. Am I right to understand that o the server side there's no
> queueing for RW clients at all?

Right.  You shouldn't have multiple clients.

> 2. How do the RW/RO and RO/RO pairs go togther?

An RO client doesn't lock and doesn't care if the mailbox is locked, which
means that it gets clobbered if the RW client makes any modification.  
However, since it's RO, no damage to the mailbox happened if it gets
clobbered, so you're allowed to take the risk.  You aren't allowed to take
the risk with multiple RW clients since it's more than a session that gets
clobbered, the mailbox itself can be clobbered.

> The worst thing is that c-client doesn't give me the opportunity
> to find out that the mailbox is locked, mail_open just logs off
> and kicks me out. Am I missing something?

There's no way to do it in IMAP protocol.  The IMAP protocol was not
designed for crufty old mailbox formats that aren't ameniable for multiple
RW with external software.

> 3. Is it possible for a client to find out that the mailbox it's
> going to access is locked by some other RW guy before and/or
> instead of being forced to logoff?

No.

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