Categories
Internet Standards

Proof Gmail IMAP (Gimap) supports IMAP IDLE

So for those of you with capable mail clients (like OS X Mail.app), here’s proof that IMAP IDLE works for delivering push mail:

$ openssl s_client -connect imap.gmail.com:993 -crlf
* OK Gimap ready for requests from 1.2.3.4 0123456789abcdef
. capability
* CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 UNSELECT IDLE NAMESPACE QUOTA XLIST CHILDREN XYZZY
. OK Thats all she wrote! 0123456789abcdef
. login samj@samj.net letmein
. OK samj@samj.net authenticated (Success)
. examine inbox
* FLAGS (\Answered \Flagged \Draft \Deleted \Seen)
* OK [PERMANENTFLAGS ()]
* OK [UIDVALIDITY 2]
* 4498 EXISTS
* 0 RECENT
* OK [UNSEEN 1431]
* OK [UIDNEXT 25141]
. OK [READ-ONLY] inbox selected. (Success)
. idle
+ idling
---mail sent and deleted here---
* 4499 EXISTS
* 4499 EXPUNGE
* 4498 EXISTS

This is invariably why some clients ‘feel’ more responsive than others, and why you should find an IMAP IDLE capable client.

By Sam Johnston

Sam Johnston CMgr FIML GAICD MACS Snr CP is an Australian technology executive and serial entrepreneur with over 20 years experience founding and advising startups, and in leadership roles at top global technology companies including Citrix, Google, and Equinix.

Sam is currently the director of labs at DXC Technology, whose mission is to ensure the company is fully equipped with the emerging digital technologies it needs to lead clients through accelerating change, including drones, robotics & humanoids, 3D printing, computer vision & voice, augmented & virtual reality, artificial intelligence & machine learning, blockchain, chatbots, and quantum computing.

Sam has a bachelor of computer science degree from the University of New South Wales, and is based in Singapore, having worked in Australia, Asia, Europe, and the USA.