Timo, we want to implement SPECIAL-USE in Thunderbird (TB), but we've run into problems. I believe you could help change that.
Here's the problem: By default TB only lists subscribed (LSUB) folders when it accesses an IMAP server. However when I do a LSUB on recent Dovecot 2.1 code from mercurial I don't get to see the SPECIAL-USE flags. Therefore TB fails to identify which folders it should use and map to until someone tells it to list all folders (LIST) manually. Central part of the SPECIAL-USE idea was/is to require as little user interaction as possible to automatically setup a MUA to do the right thing. Speculating that probably most MUAs will do a LSUB by default and never will get to see SPECIAL-USE flags I think it is easier to have the server-side promote the flags. Do you think that would be possible? Just to verify I configured Dovecot as you would expect for SPECIAL-USE: I've set Dovecot 2.1 to autocreate and autosubscribe SPECIAL-USE mailboxes like this: namespace inbox { ... mailbox AltDrafts { special_use = \Drafts auto = subscribe } ... } This is what I get: * OK [CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 LITERAL+ SASL-IR LOGIN-REFERRALS ID ENABLE IDLE AUTH=PLAIN AUTH=LOGIN AUTH=CRAM-MD5] Dovecot 2.1 ready. t1 login al...@example.com secret t1 OK [CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 LITERAL+ SASL-IR LOGIN-REFERRALS ID ENABLE IDLE SORT SORT=DISPLAY THREAD=REFERENCES THREAD=REFS MULTIAPPEND UNSELECT CHILDREN NAMESPACE UIDPLUS LIST-EXTENDED I18NLEVEL=1 CONDSTORE QRESYNC ESEARCH ESORT SEARCHRES WITHIN CONTEXT=SEARCH LIST-STATUS FUZZY SPECIAL-USE] Logged in t2 LSUB "" "%" * LSUB () "." "Trash" * LSUB () "." "AltDrafts" * LSUB () "." "AltSent" * LSUB () "." "Archives" * LSUB () "." "AltTrash" * LSUB () "." "AltJunk" * LSUB () "." "AltArchive" * LSUB () "." "Junk" t2 OK Lsub completed. t3 LIST "" "%" * LIST (\HasNoChildren \Sent) "." "AltSent" * LIST (\HasChildren) "." "Archives" * LIST (\HasNoChildren \Archive) "." "AltArchive" * LIST (\HasNoChildren \Junk) "." "AltJunk" * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "Junk" * LIST (\HasNoChildren \Trash) "." "AltTrash" * LIST (\HasNoChildren \Drafts) "." "AltDrafts" * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "Trash" * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "INBOX" t3 OK List completed. t4 logout * BYE Logging out t4 OK Logout completed. Connection closed by foreign host. Thanks, p@rick -- state of mind () http://www.state-of-mind.de Franziskanerstraße 15 Telefon +49 89 3090 4664 81669 München Telefax +49 89 3090 4666 Amtsgericht München Partnerschaftsregister PR 563