Where fetch mail store read mail

When you use fetchmail to retrieve email from a mail server, it stores the read mail in a local mailbox file on your system. The location of this file depends on the configuration of fetchmail and the mail client you use to access the mailbox.

Here are some common locations where fetchmail might store read mail:

  1. Maildir: If you're using a Maildir-format mailbox, fetchmail will store the read mail in a subdirectory of the Maildir directory, typically named cur or new. For example, if your Maildir directory is /var/mail/user, the read mail might be stored in /var/mail/user/cur.
  2. Mbox: If you're using an Mbox-format mailbox, fetchmail will store the read mail in a single file, usually named inbox or mail. For example, if your Mbox directory is /var/mail/user, the read mail might be stored in /var/mail/user/inbox.
  3. IMAP: If you're using an IMAP client, fetchmail will store the read mail on the IMAP server. In this case, the read mail is stored on the server, and you can access it using your IMAP client.
  4. POP3: If you're using a POP3 client, fetchmail will store the read mail on the POP3 server. In this case, the read mail is stored on the server, and you can access it using your POP3 client.

To find the location of the read mail stored by fetchmail, you can:

  1. Check your fetchmail configuration file (usually ~/.fetchmailrc or /etc/fetchmailrc) for the maildrop or mbox option, which specifies the location of the mailbox file.
  2. Use the fetchmail command with the -v option to verbose mode, which will show you the location of the mailbox file.
  3. Check the documentation for your mail client or mail server to see where it stores read mail.

Keep in mind that the location of the read mail may vary depending on your system configuration and the specific settings used by fetchmail and your mail client.