How to specify a mailbox?

#1 05-26-2004, 09:39 AM

When I execute Mutt 1.4.1i in Slackware 9.1
I get an error message that states
"/home/lba/Mail is not a mailbox"
or
"/home/lba/Maildir" is not a mailbox
depending on how I have set the $MAIL.

Both of these subdirectories are set up with permissions as follows:
drwx------ 7 lba users 4.0K May 23 18:37 Mail/
drwxr-xr-x 3 lba users 8.0K May 26 08:27 Maildir/

How do I tell Mutt that one of these is my mailbox?

I'd perfer to use the Maildir format.

There is a very simple ~/.muttrc which first sources /etc/mutt/Muttrc
and then sets a few colors.

#2 05-26-2004, 07:28 PM

On Wed, 26 May 2004 13:39:00 GMT, Austin Reed wrote:
> How do I tell Mutt that one of these is my mailbox?

Cozy up with the Mutt manual and start reading. It's included when you
install Mutt, but here it is online too:

<http://www.mutt.org/doc/manual/>

especially:

<http://www.mutt.org/doc/manual/manual-3.html>
<http://www.mutt.org/doc/manual/manual-4.html>

--
\ "Here is a test to see if your mission on earth is finished. If |
`\ you are alive, it isn't." -- Francis Bacon |
_o__) |
Ben Finney <http://bignose.squidly.org/>

#3 05-27-2004, 12:59 AM

On Thu, 27 May 2004 05:05:04 GMT, Austin Reed wrote:
> Finally found the mailbox problem. I'm using sendmail which does not
> support maildir format so it just wasn't working for me.

Maildir is indeed a good mail folder storage format, and Sendmail is far
too complex for mere local delivery.

You would benefit from replacing Sendmail with a more easily configured
MTA that does support Maildir, like Postfix or Exim. (If you're using
GNU/Linux, one or both of these will likely come with your
distribution.)

--
\ "During the Middle Ages, probably one of the biggest mistakes |
`\ was not putting on your armor because you were 'just going down |
_o__) to the corner.'" -- Jack Handey |
Ben Finney <http://bignose.squidly.org/>

#4 05-27-2004, 01:05 AM

On 27 May 2004 09:18:39 +0950, Ben Finney
<bignose-hates-spam@and-benfinney-does-too.id.au> wrote:

>On Wed, 26 May 2004 13:39:00 GMT, Austin Reed wrote:
>> How do I tell Mutt that one of these is my mailbox?
>
>Cozy up with the Mutt manual and start reading. It's included when you
>install Mutt, but here it is online too:
>
> <http://www.mutt.org/doc/manual/>
>
>especially:
>
> <http://www.mutt.org/doc/manual/manual-3.html>
> <http://www.mutt.org/doc/manual/manual-4.html>

I've been doing a lot of reading of the manual and built-in help.
Also googling.
Problem it's hard when I have no idea what the program should be doing
because I'm so new.
But I'm getting there.

Finally found the mailbox problem. I'm using sendmail which does not
support maildir format so it just wasn't working for me.
So I changed to mbox and Mutt created a ~/mbox file and Mutt is
tootling along nicely now. It totally ignores my ~/Mail folder.

Austin

#5 05-27-2004, 09:15 AM

On 27 May 2004 14:49:53 +0950, Ben Finney
<bignose-hates-spam@and-benfinney-does-too.id.au> wrote:

>On Thu, 27 May 2004 05:05:04 GMT, Austin Reed wrote:
>> Finally found the mailbox problem. I'm using sendmail which does not
>> support maildir format so it just wasn't working for me.
>
>Maildir is indeed a good mail folder storage format, and Sendmail is far
>too complex for mere local delivery.
>
>You would benefit from replacing Sendmail with a more easily configured
>MTA that does support Maildir, like Postfix or Exim. (If you're using
>GNU/Linux, one or both of these will likely come with your
>distribution.)

From what I've read, Postfix is probably the best for me.
More people seem to use it than Exim and Exim possibly "not soup" yet.

I'll have to download the source and recompile but that happens with
Slackware <g>.

In the meantime, I'm getting to know Mutt in mbox mode with fetchmail
set to keep all messages on server so it won't disturb my present
Windows mail.

Thanks for your help,

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode