Dumb ass question about networking and Mail

[Paul Fuchs]

I'm trying to set up two computers running 10.2.6 connected by an
ethernet cable. I have the file sharing thing set up ok in as much as I
can get the hard drive directory of either one from the other. What I
don't know how to do and want to do is:

1) Get a remote computer to go on line from the other computer.

2) Get the remote computer to open it's mail application with the
remote's mailbox history, collect it's mail, and be able to read it.
When I go into the remote's hard drive, and open the mail program, I get
the mailbox contents of the computer I working from.I want all the
incoming and outgoing mail on a single database.

All help or pointers are welcome.

TIA

--
Paul Fuchs
paulfuchs-at-attglobal-dot-net
Sitting on a small rock (St. John) in the Caribbean

[Elden Fenison]

In article <1fy9661.ugpk5maavbeoN%paulfuchs@porkaintkosher.oi nk>,
[email]paulfuchs@porkaintkosher.oink[/email] (Paul Fuchs) wrote:

> 1) Get a remote computer to go on line from the other computer.

I'm not clear here. To me "remote computer" means not the one you're
on... and so does "other computer".

> 2) Get the remote computer to open it's mail application with the
> remote's mailbox history, collect it's mail, and be able to read it.
> When I go into the remote's hard drive, and open the mail program, I get
> the mailbox contents of the computer I working from.I want all the
> incoming and outgoing mail on a single database.

You could run your own imap server on the machine where you want the
data to be. And you can access that from anywhere using imap... and all
your mail will be stored on the machine where the imap server is
running. To get your mail there from your various mail accounts, you
could run fetchmail to pull it in. Fetchmail is included with OS X and
imap-uw can be installed via fink or darwinports.

I think imap is really the solution you're seeking... whether you run
imap on your own machine, or use the imap that your ISP provides (if
they do).

--

-=Elden=-
[url]http://www.moondog.org[/url]

[Paul Fuchs]

EIn article <1fy9661.ugpk5maavbeoN%paulfuchs@porkaintkosher.oi nk>,
[email]paulfuchs@porkaintkosher.oink[/email] (Paul Fuchs) wrote:

> 1) Get a remote computer to go on line from the other computer.

I'm not clear here. To me "remote computer" means not the one you're
on... and so does "other computer".

> 2) Get the remote computer to open it's mail application with the
> remote's mailbox history, collect it's mail, and be able to read it.
> When I go into the remote's hard drive, and open the mail program, I get
> the mailbox contents of the computer I working from.I want all the
> incoming and outgoing mail on a single database.

You could run your own imap server on the machine where you want the
data to be. And you can access that from anywhere using imap... and all
your mail will be stored on the machine where the imap server is
running. To get your mail there from your various mail accounts, you
could run fetchmail to pull it in. Fetchmail is included with OS X and
imap-uw can be installed via fink or darwinports.

I think imap is really the solution you're seeking... whether you run
imap on your own machine, or use the imap that your ISP provides (if
they do).
_______________

OK. Let me try again. We have an office with Julie and her boss, both
running G4's with 10.2.6 and connected by an Ethernet cable. They want
general filing sharing which has been set up and seems to work OK.

They also want to use Mail for their email, and they want one email data
base history which either one can reference and use. They have one
account and one email address. When I opened Julie's mail app (ie on
Julie's hard drive volume icon) from the boss's computer, the mail
history of the boss came up, not Julie's. Does anyone know how to get
around this? I looked up the imap suggestion, but the brief reference
that Pogue has to this is that it only works on line. This office only
has a dialup connection, as DSL and cable modem is not available on our
little rock yet.

The other question is can the boss go on line through Julie's computer,
and if yes, how? I assume it's possible since I'm always reading on
these groups about laptops in the garden going online through desktops
via airport. However, I suspect a router might be necessary.

TIA


--
Paul Fuchs
paulfuchs-at-attglobal-dot-net
Sitting on a small rock (St. John) in the Caribbean

[Elden Fenison]

* Paul Fuchs [07/18/2003 20:39 GMT]:

> They also want to use Mail for their email, and they want one email
> data base history which either one can reference and use. They have
> one account and one email address. When I opened Julie's mail app (ie
> on Julie's hard drive volume icon) from the boss's computer, the mail
> history of the boss came up, not Julie's. Does anyone know how to get
> around this? I looked up the imap suggestion, but the brief reference
> that Pogue has to this is that it only works on line.

You certainly do not need a full-time connection to the net to run an
imap server, unless of course you need to access it from a remote
location (over the internet). In your case you'd only be accessing the
imap server from your local network.

But it's possible that imap will not solve the problem, as you would
likely run into troubles with two different mail clients accessing the
same account simultaneously. (file locking issues and such)

> The other question is can the boss go on line through Julie's
> computer, and if yes, how? I assume it's possible since I'm always
> reading on these groups about laptops in the garden going online
> through desktops via airport. However, I suspect a router might be
> necessary.

This sounds like standard internet connection sharing to me. OS X has
this functionality built in. The boss' computer is connected to Julie's
via ethernet, and Julie's connects to the net with a modem... and
share's that connection. Just turn on connection sharing on Julie's
computer. System Preferences > Sharing > Internet.

--

-=Elden=-
[url]http://www.moondog.org[/url]