- Fetchmail
Infobox Software
name = fetchmail
logo =
caption =
author =Eric S. Raymond
developer =
released =
latest release version = 6.3.8
latest release date =April 6 ,2007
latest preview version =
latest preview date =
operating system =Unix-like
platform =
language =
genre =E-mail
license =GNU General Public License
website = [http://www.fetchmail.info/ www.fetchmail.info]fetchmail is an open-source software utility for
POSIX -compliant operating systems which is used to retrievee-mail from a remote POP3, IMAP,ETRN or ODMR mail server to the user's local system. It was developed from the popclient program, written by Carl Harris. [cite web|url=http://www.fetchmail.info/esrs-design-notes.html|title='Eric S. Raymond's former Design Notes On Fetchmail'|author=Raymond, Eric|accessdate=2007-04-03]Its chief significance is perhaps that its author,
Eric S. Raymond , used it as a model to discuss his theories ofopen source software development in a widely-read and influential essay on software development methodologies, "The Cathedral and the Bazaar ".Some programmers, including
Dan Bernstein ,getmail creator Charles Cazabon and FreeBSD developer Terry Lambert, have criticized fetchmail's design [cite web |url=http://docs.freebsd.org/cgi/getmsg.cgi?fetch=585008+0+archive/2001/freebsd-arch/20010218.freebsd-arch |title='UUCP must stay; fetchmail sucks (was list 'o things)' |accessdate=2007-04-05 |author=Lambert, Terry ] , its number of security holes [cite web|title='getmail frequently asked questions'|url=http://pyropus.ca/software/getmail/faq.html#faq-about-why|accessdate = 2007-04-05|author=Cazabon, Charles ] , and that it was prematurely put into "maintenance mode". In 2004, a new team of maintainers took over fetchmail development [cite web|title='Developer History'|url=http://www.fetchmail.info/|accessdate = 2007-04-05 ] , and laid out development plans that in some cases broke with design decisions that Eric Raymond had made in earlier versions. [cite web | title = 'Design Notes On Fetchmail' | url=http://www.fetchmail.info/design-notes.html | accessdate = 2007-04-05]See also
*
getmail
*fdm (e-mail utility) References
External links
* [http://fetchmail.berlios.de The fetchmail homepage]
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