6.0.0-git
2024-10-31
Last Modified 2009-02-18 by Guest

The imap_config parameter in IMP 4.1+'s servers.php file

As mentioned in the servers.php file, the Horde Project does not officialy support this parameter. Use at your own risk.

For information on configuring UW-IMAP servers, see IMP UW-IMAP/Namespace Configuration Tips.

This documentation is also valid for MIMP 1.0.


Why use this parameter?

  1. The IMAP_Client:: library does not currently support logins for your IMAP authentication type (i.e. kerberos, NTLM).
  2. You both know what you are doing and you want to save a single login to the server at the beginning of a session. (i.e. you are implementing IMP in a large environment, know what these IMAP configuration items are, and want to save a bit of bandwith/CPU cycles for each session by eliminating a server access needed to obtain the IMAP server information). Quite honestly, if the auto-detect method of IMP - the default - correctly detects the IMAP server information, you really shouldn't be messing with this configuration option.

Why is IMAP_Client needed at all? Or, why don't you guys just use the c-client library to get this information?

Simple. The php imap_*() functions don't provide a way for us to get this information. Trust us, we would gladly use those functions if they existed.


What is the format of the 'namespace' parameter?

Please see the documentation for the namespace function in imp/lib/IMAP/Client.php. Or you can try going to our API Documentation. (No guarantees this link will remain correct).


What does an example 'imap_config' entry in servers.php look like for IMP?

Thanks for asking. It looks like the following (this is an example of a dovecot-1.0 IMAP server):

'imap_config' => array(
    'children' => true,
    'namespace' => array(
        '' => array(
            'name' => '',
            'delimiter' => '.',
            'type' => 'personal',
            'hidden' => false
        ),
        '#foo.' => array(
            'name' => '#foo.',
            'delimiter' => '.',
            'type' => 'shared',
            'hidden' => false
        ),
        '#foo2.' => array(
            'name' => '#foo2.',
            'delimiter' => '.',
            'type' => 'public', (or 'other' if using IMP 4.2+)
            'hidden' => false
        )
    ),
    'search_charset' => array(
        'UTF-8' => true
    )
)

This is an example of an UW-IMAP server:

'imap_config' => array(
    'children' => false,
    'namespace' => array(
        'INBOX/' => array(
            'name' => 'INBOX/',
            'delimiter' => '/',
            'type' => 'personal',
            'hidden' => false,
        ),
    ),
    'search_charset' => array(
        'UTF-8' => true
    )
)

Another UW-IMAP example:

    'imap_config' => array(
        'children' => false,
        'namespace' => array(
            'mail/' => array(
                'name' => 'mail/',
                'delimiter' => '/',
                'type' => 'personal',
                'hidden' => false,
            ),
        ),
        'search_charset' => array(
            'UTF-8' => true
        )
    )

Obviously, don't copy this code directly into servers.php and expect it to work! This is merely an example. Your IMAP server configuration is almost certainly different.

Note: MIMP does not require the 'search_charset' value.
Note: As of IMP 4.2.1, the 'children' value is no longer needed.


Notes for Perdition Imap/Pop3 Proxy

Please, pay attention with imap capability command. IMAP_Client run CAPABILITY before login, so, perdition proxy don't realy return a full capability string. You can use perdition parameter to fix it:

imap_capability "IMAP4rev1 CHILDREN NAMESPACE"


Notes for dovecot using maildir INBOX and mbox Mail/ folders with dimp 1.1.1

There is a strange bug with imp1.1.1 and dovecot in the configuration in the subject.
My old config which used to work fine with imp was:

    'imap_config' => array(
        'children' => true,
        'namespace' => array(
                'Mail/' => array(
                        'name' => 'Mail/',
                        'delimiter' => '/',
                        'type' => 'personal',
                        'hidden' => false
                ),
        ),
        'search_charset' => array(
                'UTF-8' => true
        )
    )

but using this config with dimp 1.1.1, when selecting a new message from the inbox, the preview would never show up and the "working" icon would never go away. if a message was not marked as new, it could be previewed without any problems. also preview of new messages under Mail/ folders worked fine as well.

To make the preview work for new messages in the INBOX i had to add a new namespace definition (maildir style):

    'namespace' => array(
            '' => array(
            'name' => '',
            'delimiter' => '.',
            'type' => 'personal',
            'hidden' => true
            ),

any maildir namespace will do to fix the issue. we dont want to support both formats so i am hiding this definition.