Red Hat Linux and poplib.py

[Spicklemire, Jerry]

Hi Python fans,

I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction. 
When I try to use a contributed Zope module that calls 
poplib.py, Python v.2.5.2, I get a couple of error messages. 
The first hangs on:

>   File /l01/Zope/lib/python/Products/POPMailBase/POP.py, 
>   line 132, in
> ListMessages
>     (Object: POPMailAccountBase)
>   File /l01/Zope/lib/python/Products/POPMailBase/POP.py, 
>   line 68, in
> UpdateStatus
>     (Object: POPMailAccountBase)
>   File /l01/Zope/lib/python/Products/POPMailBase/POP.py, 
>   line 42, in 
> Connect
>     (Object: POPMailAccountBase)
>   File /l01/Zope-2.2.1-linux2-x86/lib/python1.5/poplib.py, 
>   line 183, in
> pass_
>   File /l01/Zope-2.2.1-linux2-x86/lib/python1.5/poplib.py, 
>   line 146, in
> _shortcmd
>   File /l01/Zope-2.2.1-linux2-x86/lib/python1.5/poplib.py, 
>   line 125, in
> _getresp
> error_proto: (see above)

with an error message of:

> > Error Type: error_proto
> > Error Value: -ERR Not implemented

This makes me think that poplib.py is trying to interact 
with some PopMail feature that isn't implemented in the 
Red Hat v.5.2 distribution.

My guess is that the second error is the result of the first, 
but it really is just a guess. The error is:

>   File /l01/Zope/lib/python/Products/POPMailBase/POP.py, 
>   line 132, in
> ListMessages
>     (Object: POPMailAccountBase)
>   File /l01/Zope/lib/python/Products/POPMailBase/POP.py, 
>   line 68, in
> UpdateStatus
>     (Object: POPMailAccountBase)
>   File /l01/Zope/lib/python/Products/POPMailBase/POP.py, 
>   line 42, in 
> Connect
>     (Object: POPMailAccountBase)
>   File /l01/Zope-2.2.1-linux2-x86/lib/python1.5/poplib.py, 
>   line 183, in
> pass_
>   File /l01/Zope-2.2.1-linux2-x86/lib/python1.5/poplib.py, 
>   line 146, in
> _shortcmd
>   File /l01/Zope-2.2.1-linux2-x86/lib/python1.5/poplib.py, 
>   line 125, in
> _getresp
> error_proto: (see above)

which is identical to the one above, but with the message:

> > Error Type: error_proto
> > Error Value: -ERR Mailbox in use

It seems like the popmail server isn't updated when the 
client process drops, and keeps the session open. When that 
happens, I can't even connect to the user mailbox from
Eudora, or even directly from the Python prompt.

BTW, I was able to connect to the mailbox via the Python 
prompt once, after the client process was killed manually.
I used some of the examples in the Beazley book, and 
elswhere, to invoke poplib.py, sign on, etc.

I searched the Web for references to Red Hat and PopMail 
problems, and found a short E-Mail thread about this. 
 
 http://plug.skylab.org/200009/msg00187.html

 http://plug.skylab.org/200009/msg00307.html

The recommended solution was to use another PopMail server, 
such as CUCIPOP. Since I'm not the system admin, I don't 
have much access to the host, and such notions aren't often 
warmly received. It was far from painless just to get Python 
and Zope up and running, though we do have one Linux guru on 
staff.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Jerry S.