Chapter 11. Pull Mail Protocols: POP and IMAP

E-mail is one of the most important network functions in use today. Whether it's used to send a memo to a co-worker across the hall or a correspondent across the globe, e-mail has come to be something we rely upon on a daily basis. Linux includes extensive support for several different e-mail protocols. This chapter covers one class of e-mail protocols that are known as pull protocols, because the mail recipient initiates the transfers. These protocols contrast with push protocols, in which the sender initiates the transfer. (Chapter 19, Push Mail Protocol: SMTP, covers the most common push mail protocol.) Because e-mail originates with a sender, push protocols are always involved in e-mail delivery. ...

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