| = Glossary |
| |
| [[email_client]] |
| Email Client:: |
| Any software application that acts as a POP Client or an IMAP Client. |
| |
| xref:messages/imf.adoc[IMF]:: |
| *Internet Message Format* (IMF) is the base specification that defines the |
| syntax of an email message. |
| |
| [[email_server]] |
| Email Server (or Mail Server):: |
| Any host that contains a sofware application that acts as a POP Server, an |
| IMAP Server, or an MTA. |
| |
| IMAP:: |
| |
| IMAP Client:: |
| One of the main actors in an email system that implements the IMAP protocol. The client |
| acts as a slave, in that it mirrors the state of the IMAP Server. |
| |
| IMAP Server:: |
| One of the main actors in an email system that implements the IMAP protocol. The server |
| acts as the master, in that it dictates the state that will be seen on each of the |
| IMAP Clients. |
| |
| JMAP:: |
| |
| xref:messages/mime.adoc[MIME]:: |
| *Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension* (MIME) is a specification that extends |
| IMF, defining most of the "advanced" features of email. |
| |
| [[mta]] |
| MTA:: |
| A *Mail Transfer Agent* (MTA) is a host that is capable of providing a mail |
| transport service compliant with the SMTP protocol. |
| |
| MUA:: |
| A *Mail User Agent* (MUA) is either an agent that hands over a message to an initial |
| MTA on the originating side of a transmission, or receives the message from the |
| final MTA on the terminating side of a transmission. It is in some respects similar to |
| an MTA, but is local in scope and does not necessarily follow a known specification. |
| |
| xref:protocols/smtp.adoc[SMTP]:: |
| *Simple Mail Transfer Protocol* (SMTP) is a protocol that specifies how to transmit |
| a valid email message from one MTA to another. |
| |
| [[open_relay]] |
| Open Relay:: |
| |
| POP:: |
| |
| POP Client:: |
| One of the main actors in an email system that implements the POP protocol. The client |
| is on the host that is closest to the user from a logical perspective, and is the host |
| to which messages are delivered from the POP Server. |
| |
| POP Server:: |
| One of the main actors in an email system that implements the POP protocol. The server |
| is part of the host that is logically farthest from the user. It is the host on which |
| the messages are initially delivered, and where they temporarily await collection by |
| the POP Client. |
