Getmail
Encyclopedia
getmail is a simple mail retrieval agent
intended as a replacement for fetchmail
, implemented in Python
. It can retrieve mail from POP3
, IMAP4
and Standard Dial-up POP3 Service servers, with or without SSL
. It supports simple and domain (multidrop) mailboxes, mail filtering via any arbitrary program, and supports a wide variety of mail destination types, including mboxrd, maildir
, and external arbitrary mail delivery agent
s. Unlike fetchmail
, getmail's Python foundation makes it all but immune to buffer overflow
security holes. It also has a simpler configuration syntax than fetchmail. It also supports fewer authentication protocols than fetchmail. On systems processing local mail, its delivery capability is redundant, because such systems must have a local mail delivery agent (mda) anyway. This inclusion of mda functionality within fetchmail, without providing full mda functionality (such as the ability to receive and deliver locally-originated messages) is contrary to the UNIX philosophy of application modularity.
Getmail is free software
and is licensed under the GNU General Public License
version 2. It is written and maintained by Charles Cazabon.
Mail retrieval agent
A mail retrieval agent is a computer application that retrieves or fetches e-mail from a remote mail server and works with an mail delivery agent to deliver mail to a local or remote email mailbox. MRAs may be external applications by themselves or be built into a bigger application like an MUA...
intended as a replacement for fetchmail
Fetchmail
Fetchmail is an open source software utility for POSIX-compliant operating systems which is used to retrieve e-mail from a remote POP3, IMAP, ETRN or ODMR mail server to the user's local system. It was developed from the popclient program, written by Carl Harris.Its chief significance is perhaps...
, implemented in Python
Python (programming language)
Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...
. It can retrieve mail from POP3
Post Office Protocol
In computing, the Post Office Protocol is an application-layer Internet standard protocol used by local e-mail clients to retrieve e-mail from a remote server over a TCP/IP connection. POP and IMAP are the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval. Virtually all modern...
, IMAP4
Internet Message Access Protocol
Internet message access protocol is one of the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval, the other being the Post Office Protocol...
and Standard Dial-up POP3 Service servers, with or without SSL
Transport Layer Security
Transport Layer Security and its predecessor, Secure Sockets Layer , are cryptographic protocols that provide communication security over the Internet...
. It supports simple and domain (multidrop) mailboxes, mail filtering via any arbitrary program, and supports a wide variety of mail destination types, including mboxrd, maildir
Maildir
The Maildir e-mail format is a common way of storing e-mail messages, where each message is kept in a separate file with a unique name, and each folder is a directory...
, and external arbitrary mail delivery agent
Mail delivery agent
A mail delivery agent or message delivery agent is a computer software component that is responsible for the delivery of e-mail messages to a local recipient's mailbox...
s. Unlike fetchmail
Fetchmail
Fetchmail is an open source software utility for POSIX-compliant operating systems which is used to retrieve e-mail from a remote POP3, IMAP, ETRN or ODMR mail server to the user's local system. It was developed from the popclient program, written by Carl Harris.Its chief significance is perhaps...
, getmail's Python foundation makes it all but immune to buffer overflow
Buffer overflow
In computer security and programming, a buffer overflow, or buffer overrun, is an anomaly where a program, while writing data to a buffer, overruns the buffer's boundary and overwrites adjacent memory. This is a special case of violation of memory safety....
security holes. It also has a simpler configuration syntax than fetchmail. It also supports fewer authentication protocols than fetchmail. On systems processing local mail, its delivery capability is redundant, because such systems must have a local mail delivery agent (mda) anyway. This inclusion of mda functionality within fetchmail, without providing full mda functionality (such as the ability to receive and deliver locally-originated messages) is contrary to the UNIX philosophy of application modularity.
Getmail is free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
and is licensed under the GNU General Public License
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
version 2. It is written and maintained by Charles Cazabon.
External links
- getmail homepage
- getmail at SourceForge
- getmail at freshmeat
- Getmail for Windows a separately developed proprietary softwareProprietary softwareProprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary...
package by the same name. - GetMail for Hotmail a program with the same name designed to forward messages from Hotmail/MSN/Live account emails as POP3 is not available for these email providers.