<DKIM> Access mailbox from multiple devices – share offlineimap metadata folder with ownCloud?

[Nicolas Sebrecht]

On Wed, Mar 28, 2018 at 03:19:13PM +0000, Jorge wrote:
> I have still not configured OfflineIMAP on my notebook.  Today I thought of a
> new potential issue.  If I configure the work email account on both my work
> desktop and my personal notebook, what if I forget to shut down OfflineIMAP on
> the work desktop, then go home and switch on OfflineIMAP on the notebook?  Then
> there could be two instances of OfflineIMAP synchronizing the same IMAP server
> to the "same" local maldir (because ownCloud would synchronize the two local
> maildirs).  I fear trouble if OfflineIMAP fails to get locks or if it does get
> them but ownCloud fails to transmit them to the over device.  Since ownCloud has
> limitations – e.g. problems with hardlinks and inaction on symlinks and files
> with problematic names – I fear it could have trouble with locks.
> 
> So maybe I should on my work desktop configure OfflineIMAP exclusively for the
> work account, and on my notebook configure it exclusively for the personal
> (Disroot) account.  I would still share the maildirs over ownCloud, so my mail
> client (notmuch-emacs) would access the already retrieved messages from both
> accounts.  The one downside is that my notebook would be unable to retrieve new
> mail from my work IMAP server to the local maildir, but I could just use the
> webmail on the very rare occasions I need realtime work e-mail from my home.
> 
> What do you think?  Thank you in advance.

Running offlineimap continuously - as a service - changes a lot of
things.

If devices are updated via IMAP then there's no need for owncloud at
all. Using both IMAP and owncloud will be a mess for sure.

If one device is not synced via IMAP then the maildirs for this device
can be synced via owncloud.

IOW, you should choose between IMAP and owncloud but not both. Only one
device can be connected to both IMAP and owncloud so it can update
owncloud. This device is used as a gateway.

I've never heard of somebody running on a setup like that. I'm curious
how workable this can be in your day to day life and how reliable this
proves to be.

-- 
Nicolas Sebrecht