Fetchmail-6.3.26

#### Beyond Linux® From Scratch (systemd Edition) - Version 9.0

### Chapter 19. Mail/News Clients

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# Fetchmail-6.3.26

## Introduction to Fetchmail

The Fetchmail package contains a mail retrieval program. It retrieves mail from remote mail servers and forwards it to the local (client) machine's delivery system, so it can then be read by normal mail user agents.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS-9.0 platform.

### Package Information

- Download (HTTP): https://downloads.sourceforge.net/fetchmail/fetchmail-6.3.26.tar.xz

- Download MD5 sum: 61b66faad044afa26e142bb1791aa2b3

- Download size: 1.2 MB

- Estimated disk space required: 14 MB

- Estimated build time: 0.1 SBU

### Additional Downloads

- Required patch: http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/patches/blfs/9.0/fetchmail-6.3.26-disable_sslv3-1.patch

### Fetchmail Dependencies

#### Recommended

a local MDA (Procmail-3.22)

#### Optional

Python-2.7.16, built after Tk-8.6.9

User Notes: http://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/fetchmail

## Installation of Fetchmail

Install Fetchmail by running the following commands:

    patch -Np1 -i ../fetchmail-6.3.26-disable_sslv3-1.patch &&
    ./configure --prefix=/usr --with-ssl --enable-fallback=procmail &&
    make

This package does not come with a test suite.

Now, as the `root` user:

    make install

## Command Explanations

`--with-ssl`: This enables SSL support, so that you can handle connections to secure POP3 and IMAP servers.

`--enable-fallback=procmail`: This tells Fetchmail to hand incoming mail to Procmail for delivery, if the port 25 mail server is not present or not responding.

## Configuring Fetchmail

### Config Files

`~/.fetchmailrc`

### Configuration Information

    cat > ~/.fetchmailrc << "EOF"
    set logfile /var/log/fetchmail.log
    set no bouncemail
    set postmaster root

    poll SERVERNAME :
        user <username> pass <password>;
        mda "/usr/bin/procmail -f %F -d %T";
    EOF

    chmod -v 0600 ~/.fetchmailrc

This is an example configuration that should suffice for most people. You can add as many users and servers as you need using the same syntax.

man fetchmail: Look for the section near the bottom named CONFIGURATION EXAMPLES. It gives some quick examples. There are countless other configuration options once you get used to it.

## Contents

Installed Programs: fetchmail and fetchmailconf
Installed Libraries: None
Installed Directories: None

### Short Descriptions

fetchmail | when executed as a user, this will source `~/.fetchmailrc` and download the appropriate mail.
fetchmailconf | it will assist you in setting up and editing a `~/.fetchmailrc` configuration file, by using a Tk GUI interface. It requires Python 2 and it must have the Tkinker module available.

Last updated on 2019-08-23 17:57:01 -0700

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