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Re: [Mutt] #714: Lines starting From aren't escaped saving from Maildir to mbox



#714: Lines starting From aren't escaped saving from Maildir to mbox

Comment (by rtc):

 Replying to [comment:16 vinc17]:
 > So, for the same reason, the "From " should not be quoted, and MTAs/MDAs
 should not add headers to messages (or modify the encoding of messages).

 From_ must be quoted in some way; if not, the end of the message cannot be
 uniquely determined anymore.

 > > You should always assume mboxrd format when unquoting,
 > No, this is not the format supported by most software. Procmail, Exim
 and Postfix assume mboxo.

 To the best of my knowledge, procmail, exim and postfix never read from a
 mailbox (correct me if I am wrong), but only append to it, so they never
 have to assume a mailbox format, but only write messages in one. Assuming
 mboxrd format when reading a mail from a mboxo format mailbox has not more
 problems than assuming mboxo format when reading a mail from a mboxo
 format mailbox.

 > No information is lost when the mail is written. It is lost only when
 the mail is stored to some mbox format.

 In fact, it is only lost when the mail is stored to some mbox format other
 than mboxrd.

 > But in general the mbox format is not the mboxrd format. So, it is
 better not to assume mboxrd when unquoting.

 There is no such thing as "the mbox format".  It is always better to
 assume mboxrd. It has the clear advantage that the message is retrieved
 correctly at least for one case: The case that the file was written in
 mboxrd format.

 > > If you do mboxrd style From_ quoting und unquoting, you will not
 violate it.
 > But the point is that most software does not use mboxrd.

 I am not exactly sure whether you have understood the problem that mboxrd
 solves. mboxo mailboxes always involve a loss of information. You cannot
 decode a mboxo mailbox correctly, even if you know that it was written in
 mboxo format. So there is no problem that was not already there if you
 assume mboxrd format.

 Reservations such as you have towards mboxrd are not really justified and
 have long been refuted. See
 http://groups.google.com/group/comp.mail.misc/msg/1c75d524a8957427 The
 best choice is short and simple: Always assume mboxrd.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://dev.mutt.org/trac/ticket/714#comment:17>