# maildrop - mail delivery agent with filtering abilities

Current development version is 3.2.1.

Copyright 1998-2008, Double Precision Inc.

This program is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License. See `COPYING` for additional information.

## Where to find maildrop

Join the maildrop mailing list - `http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/courier-maildrop`.

I've started a list of "tips and tricks" for writing mail filters with maildrop.

The HTML version of the maildrop README is located at `https://www.courier-mta.org/maildrop/`. Although the following files may also be found there, please check your favorite archive for any local copies:

The RPMs are signed with my GnuPG key: `https://www.courier-mta.org/KEYS.bin`.

maildrop includes documentation in HTML, as well as traditional man pages. The HTML versions may also be found at `https://www.courier-mta.org/maildrop/maildrop.html.`

## Introduction

maildrop is a replacement for your local mail delivery agent. maildrop reads a mail message from standard input, then delivers the message to your mailbox. maildrop knows how to deliver mail to mbox-style mailboxes, and maildirs.

maildrop will optionally read instructions from a file, which describes how to filter incoming mail. Instructions can be provided having mail delivered to alternate mailboxes, or forwarded somewhere else. Unlike procmail, maildrop uses a structured filtering language.

maildrop is written in C++, and is significantly larger than procmail in compiled form. However, it uses resources much more efficiently. Unlike procmail, maildrop will not read a 10 megabyte mail message into memory. Large messages are saved in a temporary file, and are filtered from the temporary file. Temporary files are saved in the user's home directory. If the standard input to maildrop is a file, and not a pipe, a temporary file will not be necessary.

maildrop checks the syntax of the mail delivery instructions the filter file, before attempting to deliver a message. Unlike procmail, if the filter file contains syntax errors, maildrop terminates without delivering the message. The user can fix the typo without causing any mail to be lost.

## Installation

See `INSTALL` for installation information. If you are using an RPM-based GNU/Linux distribution, you can install the binary RPM (see above), or rebuild the source RPM.

## Maildrop mailing list

Subscribe to the maildrop mailing list at http://lists.sourceforge.net/mailman/listinfo/courier-maildrop, or send a message to `<courier-maildrop-request``@lists.sourceforge.net>` and put "subscribe" in the subject line. Search the list archives at http://markmail.org/browse/net.sourceforge.lists.courier-maildrop.