July 2004 - WLUG - wlug.mailman3.com

Re: [Wlug] fetchmail/MS IMAP/8 bit

by Bill Mills-Curran

On Thu, Jul 22, 2004 at 02:41:33AM -0400, Keith Wright wrote: > > From: Bill Mills-Curran <bill(a)mills-curran.net> > > > > I'm having troubles retaining special (8 bit?) encoding in email > > messages from the MS Exchange server where I work. Here's the normal > > path of my data: > > > > MS Exchange -> MS(?) IMAP -> fetchmail -> linux sendmail -> procmail > > -> mutt > > > > By the time an email with color fonts gets to mutt, the color is > > gone. As a test, I modified my .fetchmailrc to specify "cat" as my > > MDA so eliminated sendmail, procmail and mutt as offenders. > > > > I've also added "pass8bits" to my .fetchmailrc -- no improvement. > > > > Thus, I've narrowed the suspects to MS IMAP and fetchmail. > > > > Does anyone have experience with this problem? > > Well, I use Emacs to read mail. All my mail is green on black, > with some yellow headers. I like it that way and there is nothing > MS Exchange or anybody else can do about it. I'm sure that the mail reader (mutt in my case) has nothing to do with it, because I looked at the "raw" output file that fetchmail delivered, and the color (8 bit) codes were gone. > > You don't say how you made colored fonts in the first place. > If you are using HTML to specify fonts then I don't see how > the loss of them can have anything to do with 8-bit encoding, > because HTML is just Ascii with extra structure. I made the codes using rich text in MS Outlook. (I only did that for a test.) The colors I'm interested in seeing are used by other employees to flag specific text in their email, and I'm at a disadvantage because I can't see their highlighting. > > Could you be sending MIME Content-Type: multipart/alternative, > with Mutt set to read the Ascii alternative? I don't suspect that it's a mime issue, but I could be wrong. (It's been known to happen. :-) ) > > If you are trying to send DOS screen colors in the high order > bytes---I don't know what to say---you aren't doing that right? I don't claim that MS is doing anything right, but I'm stuck with trying to comply with their data. > > I didn't understand what you meant by using 'cat' as a MDA. > Unix 'cat' copies a file. Do you mean you copied a file from > your local disk into fetchmail thus bypassing IMAP but using Mutt, > or do you mean you copied incoming mail directly to the screen, > thus bypassing Mutt but using IMAP? Or am I out in the weeds? Here's the MDA story. By default, fetchmail delivers (outputs) messages to your local sendmail process. You can have fetchmail do something different if you like. (For a while, I just had it deliver to a file. [Yes, I managed locking.]) For this test, I wanted to eliminate sendmail as the cause of the problem, so I told fetchmail to use "cat" as the mail delivery agent (MDA). This would output the message directly to my interactive process, which I redirect to a file. I could look at that file several ways to confirm that the color codes had been stripped. So, I think that the MS IMAP and fetchmail are the only remaining suspects. > > -- Keith > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug Thanks, Bill

July 22, 2004

Re: [Wlug] fetchmail/MS IMAP/8 bit

by Keith Wright

> From: Bill Mills-Curran <bill(a)mills-curran.net> > > I'm having troubles retaining special (8 bit?) encoding in email > messages from the MS Exchange server where I work. Here's the normal > path of my data: > > MS Exchange -> MS(?) IMAP -> fetchmail -> linux sendmail -> procmail > -> mutt > > By the time an email with color fonts gets to mutt, the color is > gone. As a test, I modified my .fetchmailrc to specify "cat" as my > MDA so eliminated sendmail, procmail and mutt as offenders. > > I've also added "pass8bits" to my .fetchmailrc -- no improvement. > > Thus, I've narrowed the suspects to MS IMAP and fetchmail. > > Does anyone have experience with this problem? Well, I use Emacs to read mail. All my mail is green on black, with some yellow headers. I like it that way and there is nothing MS Exchange or anybody else can do about it. You don't say how you made colored fonts in the first place. If you are using HTML to specify fonts then I don't see how the loss of them can have anything to do with 8-bit encoding, because HTML is just Ascii with extra structure. Could you be sending MIME Content-Type: multipart/alternative, with Mutt set to read the Ascii alternative? If you are trying to send DOS screen colors in the high order bytes---I don't know what to say---you aren't doing that right? I didn't understand what you meant by using 'cat' as a MDA. Unix 'cat' copies a file. Do you mean you copied a file from your local disk into fetchmail thus bypassing IMAP but using Mutt, or do you mean you copied incoming mail directly to the screen, thus bypassing Mutt but using IMAP? Or am I out in the weeds? -- Keith

July 22, 2004

fetchmail/MS IMAP/8 bit

by Bill Mills-Curran

I'm having troubles retaining special (8 bit?) encoding in email messages from the MS Exchange server where I work. Here's the normal path of my data: MS Exchange -> MS(?) IMAP -> fetchmail -> linux sendmail -> procmail -> mutt By the time an email with color fonts gets to mutt, the color is gone. As a test, I modified my .fetchmailrc to specify "cat" as my MDA so eliminated sendmail, procmail and mutt as offenders. I've also added "pass8bits" to my .fetchmailrc -- no improvement. Thus, I've narrowed the suspects to MS IMAP and fetchmail. Does anyone have experience with this problem? My environment: Redhat 9 fetchmail -V: > fetchmail -V This is fetchmail release 6.2.0+IMAP-GSS+NTLM+SSL+INET6+NLS Fallback MDA: (none) Linux esd-bcurran 2.4.20-30.9smp #1 SMP Wed Feb 4 20:36:46 EST 2004 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux Taking options from command line and /x/x/.fetchmailrc Idfile is /x/x/.fetchids Fetchmail will forward misaddressed multidrop messages to bcurran. Options for retrieving from CORP/x(a)x.com: True name of server is corpusmx1.us.dg.com. Protocol is IMAP. Password authentication will be forced. Server nonresponse timeout is 30 seconds. Default mailbox selected. All messages will be retrieved (--all on). Fetched messages will not be kept on the server (--keep off). Old messages will not be flushed before message retrieval (--flush off). Rewrite of server-local addresses is enabled (--norewrite off). Carriage-return stripping is disabled (stripcr off). Carriage-return forcing is disabled (forcecr off). Interpretation of Content-Transfer-Encoding is disabled (pass8bits on). MIME decoding is disabled (mimedecode off). Idle after poll is disabled (idle off). Nonempty Status lines will be kept (dropstatus off) Delivered-To lines will be kept (dropdelivered off) Received-message limit is 5 (--fetchlimit 5). Messages will be SMTP-forwarded to: localhost (default) Single-drop mode: 1 local name(s) recognized. No UIDs saved from this host. IMAP: Microsoft Exchange IMAP4rev1 server version 5.5.2657.74 TIA, Bill

July 21, 2004

Re: [Wlug] USB mouse - left handed ?

by Gregory Avedissian

Charles, Thanks, that's very interesting. Seems like they should have put the screws on the ps2 connectors instead of on the serial connectors. They're shallow plugs that come out very easily. I'm familiar with that keystroke trick with switching screens. I used to have to do that every time I started KDE until I went into the power management section, checked the box for Enable display power management, and then set Standby, Suspend and Power off to disabled. Now, I only have to do the key trick when I start mplayer. Greg Charles R. Anderson wrote: > On Tue, Jul 20, 2004 at 09:19:29PM -0400, Gregory Avedissian wrote: > >>Can anyone tell me if there's an advantage to plugging the mouse or the >>keyboard into usb rather than ps2? > > > USB was designed to be hot-swappable. PS/2 was not. > > If you are lucky, your modern systems and peripherals may work after > hotswapping PS/2. Otherwise, you may have problems with certain > combinations of hardware and software. Linux/XFree86/Xorg-X11 is > especially bad at handling PS/2 swapping. > > If you are unlucky (mainly older hardware) you will fry your PS/2 > controller if you attempt to hot-swap. Some "keyboard wedge" barcode > scanning wands are notorious for this. > > Most KVM switches will emulate an active interface to every computer's > PS/2 ports that appears always connected to a keyboard/mouse, so the > computer won't see them go away when the KVM is controlling a > different PC. However, as there are several protocols a PS/2 mouse > can speak, often a KVM will interfere by emulating the wrong thing. > Sometimes one computer will reprogram the mouse and that will mess up > its use on another computer after switching. I encounter this often. > Usually Ctrl-Alt-F1 followed by Ctrl-Alt-F7 works to bring the mouse > back to sanity in X11 after such a KVM input change, but not before > the mouse has had a chance to randomly paste junk and click randomly > all over my open applications. > > Finally, some laptops and computers with laptop-style 3.3 volt PS/2 > controller chips in them (e.g. most recent Dells) won't work with PS/2 > extender cables or some KVM switches (e.g. Belkin). On mine I had to > purchase a PS/2-keyboard/mouse-to-USB adapter to plug into my Dell USB > port to allow the KVM switch to work. > > PS/2 needs to die. > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > >

July 21, 2004

Re: [Wlug] USB mouse - left handed ?

by Charles R. Anderson

On Tue, Jul 20, 2004 at 09:19:29PM -0400, Gregory Avedissian wrote: > Can anyone tell me if there's an advantage to plugging the mouse or the > keyboard into usb rather than ps2? USB was designed to be hot-swappable. PS/2 was not. If you are lucky, your modern systems and peripherals may work after hotswapping PS/2. Otherwise, you may have problems with certain combinations of hardware and software. Linux/XFree86/Xorg-X11 is especially bad at handling PS/2 swapping. If you are unlucky (mainly older hardware) you will fry your PS/2 controller if you attempt to hot-swap. Some "keyboard wedge" barcode scanning wands are notorious for this. Most KVM switches will emulate an active interface to every computer's PS/2 ports that appears always connected to a keyboard/mouse, so the computer won't see them go away when the KVM is controlling a different PC. However, as there are several protocols a PS/2 mouse can speak, often a KVM will interfere by emulating the wrong thing. Sometimes one computer will reprogram the mouse and that will mess up its use on another computer after switching. I encounter this often. Usually Ctrl-Alt-F1 followed by Ctrl-Alt-F7 works to bring the mouse back to sanity in X11 after such a KVM input change, but not before the mouse has had a chance to randomly paste junk and click randomly all over my open applications. Finally, some laptops and computers with laptop-style 3.3 volt PS/2 controller chips in them (e.g. most recent Dells) won't work with PS/2 extender cables or some KVM switches (e.g. Belkin). On mine I had to purchase a PS/2-keyboard/mouse-to-USB adapter to plug into my Dell USB port to allow the KVM switch to work. PS/2 needs to die.

July 21, 2004

Re: [Wlug] USB mouse - left handed ?

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Tuesday 20 July 2004 9:14 pm, Gregory Avedissian wrote: > I use my mouse left-handed, and it never occurred to me to switch the > buttons. Just switch your fingers. Well, yes, but my fingers are already trained differently. :-) One one of my trackballs (ps/2), there's a DIP switch to do this swapping of left/right. However, the USB version of this trackball appears not to have the same functionality (CH Products DT225). > I just went into kde control center (suse 8.2), and there's a choice for > left-handed mouse. After trying it with the buttons reversed, I retract my > initial suggestion and recommend that you get it to work the way you're > used to. Maybe a USB to PS2 adapter plug would do the trick. I'm using the > one that came with my new mouse. I tried the KDE control center, but it didn't work on this mouse(!). It has worked on all other mice/trackballs except this USB trackball. I also tried a USB->PS2 adapter, and then the trackball doesn't work at all. > Can anyone tell me if there's an advantage to plugging the mouse or the > keyboard into usb rather than ps2? Advantage? I think not. They're just different. Thanks, Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group Worcester, MA USA http://www.wlug.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFA/cdGHl0iXDssISsRAhgBAJ9sv7RY919sGddleqsKlPzt9XK1ZQCdFITl 1go+6IbX9RYM+xghj/VF70w= =ygbl -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

July 21, 2004

Re: [Wlug] USB mouse - left handed ?

by Gregory Avedissian

I use my mouse left-handed, and it never occurred to me to switch the buttons. Just switch your fingers. I just went into kde control center (suse 8.2), and there's a choice for left-handed mouse. After trying it with the buttons reversed, I retract my initial suggestion and recommend that you get it to work the way you're used to. Maybe a USB to PS2 adapter plug would do the trick. I'm using the one that came with my new mouse. Can anyone tell me if there's an advantage to plugging the mouse or the keyboard into usb rather than ps2? Greg Andy Stewart wrote: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > > HI gang, > > I am running a USB mouse on a RedHat 7.3 system (ancient version...don't > ask...). In KDE 3.0, I use the GUI to change to left handed, but it has no > effect. I also tried ' xmodmap -e "pointer = 3 2 1 " ' to no avail. Other > than the fact that I cannot switch the two buttons, the mouse (trackball > actually) works fine. gpm is not installed on this sytem, and I don't have > root privs. > > Does anybody have any suggestions as to what else I should try (or rather, > what else I should ask my sysadmin to try) ? > > Thanks, > > Andy > > - -- > Andy Stewart, Founder > Worcester Linux Users' Group > Worcester, MA USA > http://www.wlug.org > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux) > > iD8DBQFA/bFiHl0iXDssISsRApk7AJwJecahdYUx70IXYfILrFJbR+rMQgCfevuX > K0gezxQ+ZovMw7lVpu+IAvs= > =jawy > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > >

July 21, 2004

USB mouse - left handed ?

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 HI gang, I am running a USB mouse on a RedHat 7.3 system (ancient version...don't ask...). In KDE 3.0, I use the GUI to change to left handed, but it has no effect. I also tried ' xmodmap -e "pointer = 3 2 1 " ' to no avail. Other than the fact that I cannot switch the two buttons, the mouse (trackball actually) works fine. gpm is not installed on this sytem, and I don't have root privs. Does anybody have any suggestions as to what else I should try (or rather, what else I should ask my sysadmin to try) ? Thanks, Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group Worcester, MA USA http://www.wlug.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFA/bFiHl0iXDssISsRApk7AJwJecahdYUx70IXYfILrFJbR+rMQgCfevuX K0gezxQ+ZovMw7lVpu+IAvs= =jawy -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

July 20, 2004

Open-source software running the Internet under the radar

by Karl Hiramoto

Open-source software running the Internet under the radar http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/07/20/open.source.ap/index.html -- -- Karl Hiramoto karl at hiramoto dot org http://karl.hiramoto.org/ Mobile: 508.517.4819 Work: 978-425-2090

July 20, 2004

REMINDER: WLUG BBQ

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 HI Everybody, This is a reminder about the upcoming WLUG BBQ, which will be held in Shrewsbury MA on Wednesday, July 21st at 6:00 PM (yes, that's 6:00 PM). Directions are on the WLUG website. See ya there! Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group Worcester, MA USA http://www.wlug.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFA/QQ+Hl0iXDssISsRAlSLAJ0bXRs7rvQWzXinfTb5u/DnL8lECACghv34 akxPaMUWd/KH5UStKUuNeN0= =mEX9 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

July 20, 2004