[BlueOnyx:07238] Re: POP3 Locks, with Dovecot

[Michael Stauber]

Hi Charles,

> We are having issues we have never seen before (multiple POP3 logins into
> the same accounts).
> 
> I thought BO used to have POP3 mailbox locks by default?

It's a never ending story with Dovecot. Sometimes stuff works as advertised, 
only to break during the next minor upgrade and the changelog gives no 
indication that something related to it has been changed around. When you then 
complain about it, you get told it's a feature and not a bug. :p

We turned the pop3_locks in dovecot.conf off a few versions ago, as we started 
to get the same irratic behaviour that you're still seeing when you turn it 
on.

Even in the best of circumstances you'll get really bad results when you have 
a POP3 account that's polled simulteanously from different email clients.

In a situation like this (multiple POP3 logins on the same account from 
various clients or devices), tell the clients the following:

- It ain't supported and never really was.
- They better use IMAP instead on one of the accounts. OR forward all emails 
to a second (separate) account that's then used by the 2nd POP3 client.
- If they're using mobile devices, they should consider switching that mobile 
device to use Z-Push (ActiveSync) instead.

So there are a few technically more solid alternatives around and everyone of 
them is by far better (all things considered) than the headaches of dealing 
with multiple POP3 logins to the same mailbox.

-- 
With best regards

Michael Stauber