Internet mail servers are used to receive inward mail from the Internet and store it for every user account until the user is able to retrieve it to his mail software. Several standard method have been developed in order to store this mail efficiently on the server, including the unique mbox format, and the newer maildir format.

The Facts

1. Most mail users don't need to fear themselves with server storage methods; mbox and maildir format are usually only of interest to mail server administrators. However, mail applications which have export mechanisms, allowing for the migration of an entire mail storage space system from one software package to another, may use one of these formats in order for their export files to adhere to an Internet standard.

History

2. Mbox was the first major normal to emerge for various mail servers to write files in an interchangeable format. New mail mail are added to a particular mailbox as a plain text file; the sole Internet mail slogan lines at the start of each message are used to cut off the end of one message and the beginning of the next. Maildir, on the other hand, uses a hard-drive folder structure to replicate the mailbox system in the email client, and food each email message as a single file within the folder.

Significance

3. The primary benefit of mbox is ease of implementation. Every mailbox is representing as a single text file, with new messages concatenated on the end; this allows mail servers to use standard text operation to adapt mailboxes. The mail server must be careful to prevent changes to the mailbox by the user being made simultaneously with change complete by the server. Otherwise, the mailbox file may be corrupted, which may result in the loss of the messages. Maildir, by creating one file per mail message, avoids this problem, but can be inefficient on some because it must manipulate thousands or millions of small files.

Identification

4. Mbox files are often known by an ".mbox" extension on their filenames, but this is not necessary; mail servers will generally recognize any text file which is written as a concatenated stream of mail messages. Maildir folders need not have any extension, but are typically stored in a file pecking order with "Maildir" as the top-level folder.

Considerations

5. Server administrators typically do not need to choose among formats; the server software they choose will have an elusion format which it can use. When a format choice is offered, maildir is preferable when CD storage is not an issue, and when speedy access is an chief concern; mbox may have reward for ease of mailbox portability, and if the administrator wishes to use mbox editing utilities to work on server problems.