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