74b133c500
`make` in the `docs` dir or `make doc` in the root dir will now create the 1) man page and 2) the user documentation using sphinx (requiring python-doctools, and sphinx). The resulting user docs are in `docs/html`. You can also only create the man pages with `make man` in the `docs` dir. Also fixed all .rst conversion errors as requested by Gentoo downstream. Signed-off-by: Sebastian Spaeth <Sebastian@SSpaeth.de>
67 lines
3.7 KiB
ReStructuredText
67 lines
3.7 KiB
ReStructuredText
Description
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===========
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OfflineIMAP is a tool to simplify your e-mail reading. With OfflineIMAP, you can
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read the same mailbox from multiple computers. You get a current copy of your
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messages on each computer, and changes you make one place will be visible on all
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other systems. For instance, you can delete a message on your home computer, and
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it will appear deleted on your work computer as well. OfflineIMAP is also useful
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if you want to use a mail reader that does not have IMAP support, has poor IMAP
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support, or does not provide disconnected operation.
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OfflineIMAP works on pretty much any POSIX operating system, such as Linux, BSD
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operating systems, MacOS X, Solaris, etc.
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OfflineIMAP is a Free Software project licensed under the GNU General Public
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License. You can download it for free, and you can modify it. In fact, you are
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encouraged to contribute to OfflineIMAP, and doing so is fast and easy.
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OfflineIMAP is FAST; it synchronizes my two accounts with over 50 folders in 3
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seconds. Other similar tools might take over a minute, and achieve a
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less-reliable result. Some mail readers can take over 10 minutes to do the same
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thing, and some don't even support it at all. Unlike other mail tools,
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OfflineIMAP features a multi-threaded synchronization algorithm that can
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dramatically speed up performance in many situations by synchronizing several
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different things simultaneously.
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OfflineIMAP is FLEXIBLE; you can customize which folders are synced via regular
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expressions, lists, or Python expressions; a versatile and comprehensive
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configuration file is used to control behavior; two user interfaces are
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built-in; fine-tuning of synchronization performance is possible; internal or
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external automation is supported; SSL and PREAUTH tunnels are both supported;
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offline (or "unplugged") reading is supported; and esoteric IMAP features are
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supported to ensure compatibility with the widest variety of IMAP servers.
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OfflineIMAP is SAFE; it uses an algorithm designed to prevent mail loss at all
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costs. Because of the design of this algorithm, even programming errors should
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not result in loss of mail. I am so confident in the algorithm that I use my
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own personal and work accounts for testing of OfflineIMAP pre-release,
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development, and beta releases. Of course, legally speaking, OfflineIMAP comes
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with no warranty, so I am not responsible if this turns out to be wrong.
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.. note: OfflineImap was written by John Goerzen, who retired from
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maintaining. It is now maintained by Nicolas Sebrecht & Sebastian
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Spaeth at https://github.com/spaetz/offlineimap. Thanks to John
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for his great job and to have share this project with us.
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Method of Operation
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===================
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OfflineIMAP traditionally operates by maintaining a hierarchy of mail folders in
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Maildir format locally. Your own mail reader will read mail from this tree, and
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need never know that the mail comes from IMAP. OfflineIMAP will detect changes
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to the mail folders on your IMAP server and your own computer and
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bi-directionally synchronize them, copying, marking, and deleting messages as
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necessary.
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With OfflineIMAP 4.0, a powerful new ability has been introduced ― the program
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can now synchronize two IMAP servers with each other, with no need to have a
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Maildir layer in-between. Many people use this if they use a mail reader on
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their local machine that does not support Maildirs. People may install an IMAP
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server on their local machine, and point both OfflineIMAP and their mail reader
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of choice at it. This is often preferable to the mail reader's own IMAP support
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since OfflineIMAP supports many features (offline reading, for one) that most
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IMAP-aware readers don't. However, this feature is not as time-tested as
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traditional syncing, so my advice is to stick with normal methods of operation
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for the time being.
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