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Automatically retrieve received emails into Mail
Authored by: nathanst on Nov 28, '03 12:01:27PM

Just thought I'd explain what this is doing, since the hint doesn't.

Gopher is a service that existed prior to the web that offered similar services, but without the ability to customize the interface with html. This hint sets up a gopher server on port 70 of your machine.

BUT, instead of offering gopher services, the "server" that is executed to handle the request is actually the script that tells mail to check immediately.

Finally, on your mail server, a .procmailrc file allows the computer to execute special instructions each time you receive mail. In this case, the server is being told to try to contact your gopher server each time new mail comes in.

So, this is the process:

* Mail arrives in your account.
* Procmail contacts port 70 on your machine.
* Your machine receives the request.
* The applescript runs that tells Mail to check immediately.

Typing "telnet 127.0.0.1 70" also tests this, because it does the same job of contacting port 70 on your machine.

Know that malicious people around the web are continually scanning IP addresses and trying different exploits on open ports, so it is possible that you will find yourself checking e-mail each time you get hit with one of these port scans.

Also know that if you make a mistake in your .procmailrc file your mail could just vanish, so be careful to type stuff in correctly, and test it immediately.

Writing a $10 program to do this automagically? If someone does it, it better be free. (pretty simple to do)



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Automatically retrieve received emails into Mail
Authored by: mkhaw on Nov 28, '03 12:39:58PM
A couple of questions:
  1. After a reboot is it necessary to re-execute sudo service gopher start?
  2. Does it have to be a tcp stream connection? Would a udp connection work? If so, it should be possible to use the more apt comsat/biff port instead.


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Automatically retrieve received emails into Mail
Authored by: GoobleyGook on Nov 28, '03 06:25:02PM

A question: What do you mean "Put the following in~/bin/check-mail"? There is no "bin" directory in any "Users" folder. Do you mean create "~/bin/check-mail"?



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Automatically retrieve received emails into Mail
Authored by: nathanst on Nov 29, '03 12:55:04PM
After a reboot is it necessary to re-execute sudo service gopher start?
    It shouldn't be, because you are placing the file where all services go, and OS X automatically starts them. But, I haven't tested this.
Does it have to be a tcp stream connection? Would a udp connection work? If so, it should be possible to use the more apt comsat/biff port instead.
    You can really should be able to use any port or service. For instance, you could create a special web page that does the same thing, and then you wouldn't have to start any other services at all.
A question: What do you mean "Put the following in~/bin/check-mail"? There is no "bin" directory in any "Users" folder. Do you mean create "~/bin/check-mail"?
    Not my hint...but yes, that's what the author means. You should probably keep this in your User folder, but you can really put it anywhere out of the way.


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