XPost: comp.os.linux.misc

I'm looking at building a little display for my unread emails
and internet data usage, to be connected to my router running
the OpenWrt firmware. I want to determine the software options
before starting on the electronics.

To this end I've been trying to find a Linux command line
utility (preferably included with, or available in a package
for, OpenWrt) to simply return the number of unread emails
in a specified Email inbox. Even more ideal would be the
inclusion of some obscuration of the password used to access
the Email account (in other words to not have it stored in
plain-text on the router).

The Email server supports IMAP and POP. But I want to read
the emails directly from the server (not download them to the
router and access them locally), so I believe that IMAP
would be the preferred system for remotely accessing a
count of unread messages.

So far I've ruled out "nmh" due to apparant lack of IMAP
support (at least to the degree required here), I'm a
bit confused about "mail" as far as remote server access
goes, and I've noted that writing a custom program or
script to send the few required IMAP commands directly
might not be all that difficult.

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XPost: comp.os.linux.misc

In comp.os.linux.misc Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> wrote:

In comp.mail.misc, Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> wrote:

I'm a bit confused about "mail" as far as remote server access
goes, and I've noted that writing a custom program or
script to send the few required IMAP commands directly
might not be all that difficult.

Looks very straight forward in IMAP.

https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc3501

Look at the "EXAMINE" command.

Thanks, I have had a quick look. "EXAMINE" actually appears only
to return the number of the first unread message. I cheated and
looked in the log for my Email client to find it used the
"STATUS" command which can return "UNSEEN - The number of messages
which do not have the \Seen flag set."

I almost decided to go ahead and do it this way, but figured
I'd check whether I was reinventing the wheel. Especially as
setting up scripts or (cross)compiling software isn't quite
as easy with the limited OpenWrt embedded OS. At least for
someone who isn't used to it.

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XPost: comp.os.linux.misc

In comp.mail.misc, Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> wrote:

To this end I've been trying to find a Linux command line
utility (preferably included with, or available in a package
for, OpenWrt) to simply return the number of unread emails
in a specified Email inbox.

I'll let someone else address this bit.

I'm a bit confused about "mail" as far as remote server access
goes, and I've noted that writing a custom program or
script to send the few required IMAP commands directly
might not be all that difficult.

Looks very straight forward in IMAP.

https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc3501

Look at the "EXAMINE" command.

Elijah
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XPost: comp.os.linux.misc

On Fri, 13 Jan 2017 23:35:21 +0000 (UTC), Computer Nerd Kev wrote:

To this end I've been trying to find a Linux command line
utility (preferably included with, or available in a package
for, OpenWrt) to simply return the number of unread emails
in a specified Email inbox.

Local "Email inbox", or remote (imap)?

Don't laugh, but I use `nfrm` (in a bash script) from the elm
package to count (new/unread in my case) messages in my myriad
of email folders.

https://ts3.easyco.net/easydocs/linux/man/man1/frm.htm

I use _nothing_ else from the elm package.
In fact, I copy nfrm to $HOME/bin/ and uninstall elm. heh...

Ahh.. Reading further I see it's a remote email server.
So, this is probably just more wasted electrons.

Jonesy
--
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XPost: comp.os.linux.misc

On Friday January 13 2017 18:35, in comp.os.linux.misc, "Computer Nerd Kev" <not@telling.you.invalid> wrote:

I'm looking at building a little display for my unread emails
and internet data usage, to be connected to my router running
the OpenWrt firmware. I want to determine the software options
before starting on the electronics.

To this end I've been trying to find a Linux command line
utility (preferably included with, or available in a package
for, OpenWrt) to simply return the number of unread emails
in a specified Email inbox. Even more ideal would be the
inclusion of some obscuration of the password used to access
the Email account (in other words to not have it stored in
plain-text on the router).

The Email server supports IMAP and POP. But I want to read
the emails directly from the server (not download them to the
router and access them locally), so I believe that IMAP
would be the preferred system for remotely accessing a
count of unread messages.

So far I've ruled out "nmh" due to apparant lack of IMAP
support (at least to the degree required here), I'm a
bit confused about "mail" as far as remote server access
goes, and I've noted that writing a custom program or
script to send the few required IMAP commands directly
might not be all that difficult.

A quick Google search finds
http://jpmens.net/2009/04/26/a-bifferent-kind-of-e-mail-notifier/
which is someone else's attempt at finding out if they have pending email.
They use an arduino as their notification mechanism (where you would use whatever it is that you are developing), and a Perl script to connect to the IMAP server and poll it for unread messages. Perhaps you can customize this Perl program, or use it as a model for the code/device you have in mind.

HTH
--
Lew Pitcher
"In Skills, We Trust"
PGP public key available upon request

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