mail file retention/enforcement

[Shannon Petry]

Problem: I need a method of ensuring that mail files do not hold messages over 90 days in age. This must be enforcable and preferably configurable (max age of message). POP/IMAP settings can not apply, as we can not prove enforcement.

Anyone know how, or know of a product, which can handle the task?

This does not have to be freeware, but of course free is always better than pay for.

Thanks in advance for responses!

[Dennis Handly]

By "mail files" do you mean the files in /var/mail/?

[Shannon Petry]

correct, the files in /var/mail

I would think that there would be a way to pragmatically do this, but trying not to re-invent the wheel (and learn the formats for mail files)

[Bill Hassell · Accepted solution]

Since the mail in /var/mail is just a simple set of files, managing the content is quite complicated. Each mail message starts with mail headers, followed by a blank line and then the mail message which can be quite complex to decode. The only package that might be a starting point is procmail and qmail:

http://procmail.org
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/qmail/chapter/ch08.pdf

[Shannon Petry]

Thanks Bill! I agree, it's not as easy as it looks, but Procmail does seem like it would fit the requirements.

[Shannon Petry]

Procmail, please see previous comment.