Re: gnus, thunderbird and imap

[Tyler Smith]

ken <gebser@mousecar.com> writes:

> On 12/27/2010 03:12 AM Richard Riley wrote:
>> Rud1ger Sch1erz <nospam_tigre@yahoo.es> writes:
>> 
>>> Tyler Smith <tyler.smith@eku.edu> writes:
>>>
>>>> Indicate that I need to set up a local IMAP server to get gnus working.
>>> Why that? I use gnus just with my IMAP account at gmx, concurrently with
>>> thunderbird, which I sometimes use from a different machine where no
>>> gnus is installed.
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> Rudiger
>>>
>> 
>> Its a lot faster and you get nnir indexed searching as well as a
>> local copy of all your mail and the overhead is very low.
>
> For years I've been using IMAPS without a local server and the speed is
> fine... anything "faster" than  my remote connection-- such as a local
> server-- wouldn't be noticeable.  

I do have it running off the remote server now. However, it's noticeably
slower than Thunderbird - often several seconds delay while moving
messages between folders or rescanning new mail. On Thunderbird, with a
local message repository, there is also a delay, but it's shorter and
doesn't lock the entire application up. So I may still go the extra
effort to set up a local server.

> Moreover, using the remote server (my ISP's) allows me to access my
> email from anywhere in the world where I can get an internet
> connection. Yes, I could do that with a local IMAPS server... and of
> course secured and firewalled it... and put those machines on a UPS
> and performed regular backups. But why go through all that when the
> ISP (or other organization) does it for free?

I assume I could set up a local server that would mirror, rather than
download, the remote server? Thunderbird is set up to download all my
messages off of the remote server, but it doesn't delete anything. So I
get the advantage of local speed, plus I can access the server from
other machines anywhere else. I'd like to have that with gnus,
eventually. 

>
> The OP just wants to use emacs to get mail from a remote IMAP(S) server.
>  Why turn it into a project?  It should take ten minutes, tops, to set
> that up... 

*should* being the operative word, of course. I'm still ironing out
 issues after several hours of reading manuals, googling and prowling
 mailing lists. Granted, the initial connection to the IMAP server
 probably was accomplished in less than a single hour.

Thanks to all for your comments!

Tyler