Re: [Evolution] POP3 mbox performance and auto-expunging?

[Internaut at Large <dkap mailhost haven org>]

On Wed, 2008-08-20 at 17:43 -0400, Jeff wrote:
> Hello,

> So, I've had enough, and want to stop screwing around with that mail
> client that can't handle decently all the
> powerpoint-crap-coming-down-the-pipe, and make her use my beloved
> Evolution for the POP3 account. I guess it would be in mbox format,
> since, reading this mailing list, that there doesn't seem to be an
> easy/official way to use maildir(?).
>
> I'd like to ask a few questions regarding Evolution's performance
> under a theoretical worst-case scenario.
>
> Let's imagine that evolution has a 10 GiB mbox file for the inbox
> (worst case scenario). Has any of you experienced corruption or big
> performance problems with situations like that?

With a mbox file, on an ext2/3 file system, the system doesn't seem to
be able to deal with the file as a mail-type file.  It works perfectly
well as a data or source file, until you try to read it with a mail
program (mutt, mailx, evolution, thunderbird)  If you end up with that,
you can use the formail program from procmail to split the file into
individual files, matter of fact, you can also use procmail to then pour
that into your maildir-style folder, if you wish, eliminating the whole,
2gig problem, unless someone actually sends you a 2-gig email.  In which
case, you are, pretty much sol.  I know, I tested the scenario a month
or two ago.  (It's in the archive, search on 2 gig for poc & my
conversation over it.)