[leafnode-list] Re: corrupted base64 list message (was: User authentication)

Whiskers catwheezel at operamail.com
Wed Sep 17 19:09:29 CEST 2008


On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:09:12 +0200 "Matthias Andree"
<matthias.andree at gmx.de>   wrote:
> Whiskers schrieb:
> 
> > So if the email left the sender as Base 64, how did it change to plain 
> > text before getting to me?  I think the answer is that this list gets
> > to me at a webmail 'inbox' (Operamail) which I read locally in Claws
> > Mail via "FreePops" - a program which scrapes the webmail pages and
> > presents the emails in a local POP server which Claws Mail gets them
> > from.  It looks as though Operamail's web server decodes the Base 64
> > but of course the encoding header is still present, so Claws Mail gets
> > a conflict it can't handle.
> 
> I'd word a bit harsher: FreePops when downloading from Operamail corrupts
> the message. The Webmail interface sort of decodes for human-readable
> display, and the FreePops somehow also obtains the MIME headers - which
> is no longer a proper reflection when the mail lands in your actual
> "for-Claws" POP3 mailbox. What FreePops gets for a full or extended
> header view may not match what is presented as message body on a
> separate web page.

Any 'corruption' takes place on the webmail server; the full headers are 
presented along with the message body, all as plain text and in one page 
(or tab, to use Firefox terminology), and it's that which FreePops
delivers.

> Your best bet probably is to either get POP3 access (costs some money
> with Operamail) 

I used to have a 'Premium' account with Operamail, but shortage of funds 
forced me to revert to the free HTTP-only interface.  This is the only 
problem I've encountered with the arrangement.  My Operamail address has 
been part of my usenet 'identity' since I first started posting, so I'm 
reluctant to part with it entirely.

> or find a freemailer with reasonable POP3 access - not
> necessarily Google Mail though, which has some not-so-subtle deviations
> from the standards...

I have no intention of touching Google Mail (or Hotmail).  I am currently 
trying out a free account with GMX (currently in beta) which offers IMAP 
and POP as well as webmail.  I've already migrated one mailing list to 
that, and if it works reliably I may well migrate this one next.  Claws 
Mail seeems to work well with GMX's IMAP.  (One day I'll get my head 
around using Mutt; I've been using slrn for a long time so I should be 
able to cope).

One serious drawback with GMX's web site is that it currently refuses to
work with any browser but IE Safari or Firefox, but they do seem to be 
responding to user pressure that at least Opera be allowed in too; I 
daresay that Chrome will also be demanded by other users.  (I doubt if 
Lynx will ever be accommodated though).

-- 
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
--  Whiskers 
-- ~~~~~~~~~~



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