su question

[Linda]

Derek Broughton wrote:
> Gérard BIGOT wrote:
>
>   
>> On Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 5:08 PM, Derek Broughton <news at pointerstop.ca>
>> wrote:
>>     
>>> Linda wrote:
>>>
>>>       
>>>> I have several timeshare employees that I would like to have share the
>>>> same email account but not the same login. I thought I had a solution
>>>> figured out by moving the thunderbird-profile to a directory they could
>>>> all access. However thunderbird ignores umask and on closing sets the
>>>> inbox as user rw no group permissions.
>>>>         
>>> I'd say you're going the wrong way.  Set up an IMAP server (dovecot's
>>> simple).  Create a user with no login (essentially, the shell is set
>>> as /bin/false), and deliver its email to the IMAP server
>>> (usually /var/mail/$USER/ or /home/$USER/Maildir/).  Have the users set
>>> up any email client at all to point to the server's IMAP port,logging in
>>> with the shared username/password.
>>>       
>> That's the correct way to do it. It's the most stable way, also.
>>     
>
> I believe so.  I'll admit, I've simplified the instructions for setting up
> an IMAP server, but not by much - it really is pretty simple.
>   
When I think of IMAP servers I think of web mail which drives me crazy, 
but since everyone suggests it as a stable solution I've spent all night 
reading about setting it up and it does look like it is what I am after. 
I must admit I am a little confused about what all I need to set up.  I 
understand step one is to setup fetchmail. This one is no big deal I 
made my users work with pine until a few years ago and used fetchmail, 
just happened to keep a copy of the fetchmail files.  When I did this it 
looks like procmail placed the mail in /spool/mail I take it postfix 
would be what serves this function? Then dovecot allows the user to view 
and manipulate mail without moving it to the users machine or profile. 
Then the end user will connect with thunderbird but they can all work 
with the same mail and see what each other has done. Do I have all the 
necessary parts?
                                Thanks
                                 Linda