Re: backup and synchronize to fastmail

[Alejandro Jakubi <jakubi@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 17 May 2008, John Goerzen wrote:

> Each release includes its documentation.  Why don't you download it and open
> it up?

That is the pointer that I needed. Thank you. I have downloaded
offlineimap_4.0.16.tar.gz and found that in effect there is a difference in
regards to the option '-l':

===
manual.txt

SYNOPSIS
        offlineimap [ -1 ] [ -P profiledir ] [ -a accountlist ] [ -c configfile
        ] [ -d debugtype[,...] ] [ -l filename ] [ -o ] [ -u interface ]

===
$ offlineimap -h

        offlineimap [ -1 ] [ -P profiledir ] [ -a accountlist ]  [
        -c configfile  ] [ -d debugtype[,debugtype...]  ] [ -o ] [
        -u interface ]

===

So, now that I know that I can save a logfile, I have thought that I would
follow the scheme suggested by Asheesh: launch offlineimap from within screen
setting ui = TTY.TTYUI in the configuration file, so that I do not have to
store the passwords in this file, but using instead the option '-l' to save
logging to a file.

Alas, screen is not working in the departmental cluster because of a permission
problem (apparently a bug). I hope that the system manager will want to
correct that. Otherwise I will have to bother you a little bit more to find
another solution :)

> As others have said, TRY IT.  If it works, send a bug report asking to add it
> to the manpage.  If it doesn't work, you'll get an error.  Why are you so
> insistent on others telling you every last detail of the program in advance,
> when you could learn it trivially by trying it yourself?

May be that all these issues are a triviality for you because you have been
involved with offlineimap for seven years, and apparently this kind of
programming activities is a basic part of your life.

But my background and points of view are rather different, you see things as
a developer and I see them as an ordinary user. I am not much interested in
reporting bugs about offlineimap or experimenting with it, but in making work
something very specific (as described in my previous postings).

Do not worry, once I get it work, you will no longer get any other message
from me...

> Incidentally, if you have shell access on that Fedora cluster, there's
> nothing stopping you from running the latest versions out of your home
> directory.

Because my experience with the compilation of applications in Linux has been
mostly negative for many years. And say that I was root on my own systems.
In this system I am a plain user, and I would not been able to do much in case
of compilation problems. So, I prefer to avoid it as far as possible.

Also, following distribution builders, it is recommended to install package
versions of the applications. Presumably they are better integrated to the
rest of the system. And no doubt they are much easier to install.

Regards, Alejandro Jakubi