texinfo/programs/pop3d.texi

@c This is part of the GNU Mailutils manual.
@c Copyright (C) 1999--2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file mailutils.texi for copying conditions.
@comment *******************************************************************
@pindex pop3d

The @command{pop3d} daemon implements the Post Office Protocol
Version 3 server.

@command{pop3d} has two operation modes:

@table @asis
@item Inetd
The server is started from @file{/etc/inetd.conf} file:

@example
pop3  stream tcp nowait  root  /usr/local/sbin/pop3d pop3d
@end example

This is the default operation mode.

@item Standalone
The server runs as daemon, forking a child for each new connection.
@end table

The server operation mode is configured using @code{mode} statement
(@pxref{Server Settings, mode}).

@menu
* Login delay::
* Auto-expire::
* Bulletins::
* Conf-pop3d::           Pop3d Configuration
* Command line options::
@end menu

@node Login delay
@subsection Login delay

  POP3 clients often login frequently to check for new mail.  Each new
connection implies authenticating the user and opening his maildrop
and can be very resource consuming.  To reduce server load, it is
possible to impose a minimum delay between any two consecutive logins.
This is called @samp{LOGIN-DELAY} capability and is described in RFC
2449.

  As of version @value{VERSION}, GNU Mailutils @command{pop3d} allows
to set global login delay, i.e. such enforcement will affect all POP3
users.  If a user attempts to log in before the specified login delay
expires, he will get the following error message:

@example
-ERR [LOGIN-DELAY] Attempt to log in within the minimum login delay interval
@end example

The message will be issued after a valid password is entered.  This prevents
this feature from being used by malicious clients for account
harvesting.

  To enable the login delay capability, specify the minimum delay
using @code{login-delay} configuration statement, e.g.:

@example
login-delay 60;
@end example

  The @command{pop3d} utility keeps each user's last login time in a
special DBM file, called @dfn{login statistics database}, so to be
able to use this feature, Mailutils must be compiled with DBM support.
By default, the login statistics database is called
@file{/var/run/pop3-login.db}.  You can change its name using
@code{stat-file} configuration statement:

@example
login-delay 60;
stat-file /tmp/pop.login.db;
@end example

  The login delay facility will be enabled only if @command{pop3d} is
able to access the statistics database for both reading and
writing.  If it is not, it will report this using @command{syslog} and
start up without login delay restrictions.  A common error message
looks like:

@example
Unable to open statistics db: Operation not permitted
@end example

  You can check whether your @command{pop3d} uses login delays by
connecting to it and issuing the @samp{CAPA} command.  If login delays
are in use, there response will contain the string @samp{LOGIN-DELAY
@var{n}}, where @var{n} is the actual login delay value.

@node Auto-expire
@subsection Auto-expire

  Automatic expiration of messages allows you to limit the period of
time users are permitted to keep their messages on the server.  It is
enabled by @code{expire} configuration statement:

@table @code
@item expire @var{n};
Enable automatic expiration of messages after @var{n} days.
@end table

  The current implementation works as follows.  When a message is
downloaded by @code{RETR} or @code{TOP} command, it is marked with
@samp{X-Expire-Timestamp: @var{n}} header, where @var{n} is current
value of UNIX timestamp.  The exact expiration mechanism
depends on you.  Mailutils allows you two options:

@enumerate
@item
Expired messages are deleted by @command{pop3d} upon closing the
mailbox.  You specify this mechanism using @code{delete-expired}
configuration statement:

@table @command
@item delete-expired @var{bool};
If @var{bool} is @samp{true}, delete expired messages after receiving
the @code{QUIT} command.
@end table

@item
Expired messages remain in the mailbox after closing it.  The system
administrator is supposed to run a cron job that purges the mailboxes.
Such a cron job can be easily implemented using @command{sieve} from
GNU Mailutils and the following script:

@example
@group
require "timestamp";
# @r{Replace "5" with the desired expiration period}
if timestamp :before "X-Expire-Timestamp" "now - 5 days"
  @{
    discard;
  @}
@end group
@end example

This script will remove expired messages 5 days after the
retrieval.  Replace @samp{5} with the desired expiration period and
make sure it equals the argument to @command{expire} configuration keyword.
@end enumerate

The statement @code{expire 0} means the client is not permitted to
leave mail on the server.  It always implies @code{delete-expired true}.

@node Bulletins
@subsection Bulletins

  The bulletin feature allows you to send important announcements to
all POP3 users without mailing them.  It works by creating a
@dfn{bulletin source mailbox} and sending the announcements to it.

  After a user successfully authenticates, @command{pop3d} checks the
last @dfn{bulletin number} the user receives.  The bulletin number
refers to the number of the bulletin message in the bulletin source
mailbox.  If the latter contains more messages, these are appended to
the user mailbox.

  The user last bulletin number can be kept in two places.  First, it
can be stored in file @file{.popbull} in his home directory.  Secondly,
if Mailutils is compiled with DBM support, the numbers can be kept in
a DBM file, supplied via @code{bulletin-db} configuration statement.  If
both the database and the @file{.popbull} file are present, the data
from the database take precedence.

  To enable this feature, use the following configuration statements:

@table @code
@item bulletin-source @var{mbox}
Set the @acronym{URL} of the bulletin source mailbox.

@item bulletin-db @var{file}
Set the name of the database file to keep last bulletin numbers in.
@end table

  The following example instructs @command{pop3d} to look for the
bulletin messages in @acronym{MH} folder @file{/var/spool/bull/mbox}
and to keep the database of last delivered bulletin numbers in
@file{/var/spool/bull/numbers.db}:

@example
@group
bulletin-source mh:/var/spool/bull/mbox;
bulletin-db /var/spool/bull/numbers.db;
@end group
@end example

@node Conf-pop3d
@subsection Pop3d Configuration

The following configuration file statements affect the behavior of
@command{pop3d}.

@multitable @columnfractions 0.3 0.6
@headitem Statement @tab Reference
@item debug         @tab @xref{debug statement}.
@item tls           @tab @xref{tls statement}.
@item tls-file-checks @tab @xref{tls-file-checks statement}.
@item mailbox       @tab @xref{mailbox statement}.
@item locking       @tab @xref{locking statement}.
@item logging       @tab @xref{logging statement}.
@item pam           @tab @xref{pam statement}.
@item sql           @tab @xref{sql statement}.
@item virtdomain    @tab @xref{virtdomain statement}.
@item radius        @tab @xref{radius statement}.
@item ldap          @tab @xref{ldap statement}.
@item auth          @tab @xref{auth statement}.
@item server        @tab @xref{Server Settings}.
@item acl           @tab @xref{acl statement}.
@item tcp-wrappers  @tab @xref{tcp-wrappers statement}.
@end multitable

@deffn {Pop3d Conf} tls-mode @var{mode}
Configure the use of TLS encryption for inetd mode.

In daemon mode, this statement sets the type of TLS encryption to
use in all server blocks that lack the @code{tls-mode} statement
(@pxref{Server Statement}).

Allowed values for @var{mode} are:

@table @asis
@item no
TLS is not used.  The @command{STLS} command won't be available even if
the TLS configuration is otherwise complete.

@item ondemand
TLS is initiated when the user issues the appropriate command.
This is the default when TLS is configured.

@item required
Same as above, but the use of TLS is mandatory.  The authentication
state is entered only after TLS negotiation has succeeded.

@item connection
TLS is always forced when the connection is established (POP3S
protocol).
@end table
@end deffn

@deffn {Pop3d Conf} undelete @var{bool}
On startup, clear deletion marks from all the messages.
@end deffn

@deffn {Pop3d Conf} expire @var{n}
Automatically expire read messages after @var{n}
days.  @xref{Auto-expire}, for a detailed description.
@end deffn

@deffn {Pop3d Conf} delete-expired @var{bool}
Delete expired messages upon closing the mailbox.  @xref{Auto-expire},
for a detailed description.
@end deffn

@deffn {Pop3d Conf} login-delay @var{duration}
Set the minimal allowed delay between two successive logins.
@xref{Login delay}, for more information.
@end deffn

@deffn {Pop3d Conf} stat-file @var{file}
Set the name of login statistics file for the @code{login-delay}
facility.  @xref{Login delay}, for more information.
@end deffn

@deffn {Pop3d Conf} bulletin-source @var{file}
Get bulletins from the specified mailbox.  @xref{Bulletins}, for a
detailed description.
@end deffn

@deffn {Pop3d Conf} bulletin-db @var{file}
Set bulletin database file name.  @xref{Bulletins}, for a
detailed description.
@end deffn

@node Command line options
@subsection Command line options

The following table summarizes all @command{pop3d} command line options.

@table @option
@item -d[@var{number}]
@itemx --daemon[=@var{number}]
Run in standalone mode.  An optional @var{number} specifies the maximum number
of child processes allowed to run simultaneously.  When it is omitted,
it defaults to 10 processes.
@emph{Please note}, that there should be no whitespace between the
@option{-d} and its parameter.

@item -i
@itemx --inetd
Run in inetd mode.

@item --foreground
Remain in foreground.
@end table

The Mailutils common options are also understood.  @xref{Common Options}.