What you need
- The host name of the IMAP server (for use in the telnet command)
- The IMAP user name (for use in the LOGIN command)
- The IMAP user’s password (for use in the LOGIN command)
Encryption
For added security, you can encrypt your IMAP connection. This requires that your server supports SSL or TLS and that you have access to an SSL/TLS client program, for example OpenSSL, to use instead of telnet.
As the port-number normally is 993, an example OpenSSL command would be openssl s_client -connect imap.example.com:993 -quiet. (If you would like to see the public key of the server, as well as some other encryption-related information, omit -quiet.) The server should then start an IMAP session, displaying a greeting such as the* OK Dovecot readyexample below.
What to do
The initial telnet: > symbolises your shell prompt.
telnet:> telnet imap.example.com imaptelnet:Trying 192.0.2.2...telnet:Connected to imap.example.com.telnet:Escape character is '^]'.server:* OK Dovecot ready.
client: a1 LOGIN MyUsername MyPasswordserver:a1 OK Logged in.
client: a2 LIST "" "*"server:* LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "INBOX"server:a2 OK List completed.
client: a3 EXAMINE INBOXserver:* FLAGS (\Answered \Flagged \Deleted \Seen \Draft)server:* OK [PERMANENTFLAGS ()] Read-only mailbox.server:* 1 EXISTSserver:* 1 RECENTserver:* OK [UNSEEN 1] First unseen.server:* OK [UIDVALIDITY 1257842737] UIDs validserver:* OK [UIDNEXT 2] Predicted next UIDserver:a3 OK [READ-ONLY] Select completed.
client: a4 FETCH 1 BODY[]server:* 1 FETCH (BODY[] {405}server:Return-Path: sender@example.comserver:Received: from client.example.com ([192.0.2.1])server:by mx1.example.com with ESMTPserver:id <20040120203404.CCCC18555.mx1.example.com@client.example.com>server:for <recipient@example.com>; Tue, 20 Jan 2004 22:34:24 +0200server:From: sender@example.comserver:Subject: Test messageserver:To: recipient@example.comserver:Message-Id: <20040120203404.CCCC18555.mx1.example.com@client.example.com>server:
server:This is a test message.server:)server:a4 OK Fetch completed.
client: a5 LOGOUTserver:* BYE Logging outserver:a5 OK Logout completed.
