News Archive
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Blue HttpMailProxy 0.5.4 has been released. This release includes a number of new features.
Version 0.5.4 implements two features requests 987457 and 1092444. Respectively, these two features allow a user-configurable list of HTTPMail servers and the ability to automatically mark messages as read on the server when accessing them through the POP proxy. In addition, this version adds IP address subnet masking when specifying which addresses are able to connect to the proxy. Details of how to use these features can be found in the Setup section of the Docs/Install.txt file in the release.
Some performance improvements have been made to the POP proxy, making it much quicker when dealing with large messages. However, there are still some areas which could be better, and work is being done to improve the POP performance further in future releases.
In other news, work is continuing on the configuration tool that I mentioned in the previous news post. This tool will probably be the focus for the next release.
Sorry for the wait, and enjoy the new release!
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Blue HttpMailProxy 0.5.3 has been downloaded 2000 times in two months! Once again, thanks to all the users out there.
It's been a busy few months, so real news has been a bit scarce recently. However, version 0.5.4 is on its way and will include a few new features and some performance improvements for POP users. Also, I'm working on a configuration tool that will hopefully put an end to hand-editing XML files...
Thanks for your patience everyone. I hope it will be worth the wait!
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Blue HttpMailProxy 0.5.3 has passed 1000 downloads!
Ok, so it's not a million... But this is the first of the new releases to be downloaded this many times.
Thanks to everyone who's using it!
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Blue HttpMailProxy 0.5.3 has been released. As with the previous two releases, this release focuses on stability and performance improvements.
Version 0.5.3 fixes several problems with the IMAP implementation, including a nasty bug that caused the wrong messages to be moved or deleted on occasion. The POP implementation also features some improvements to stability, fixing several crashes present in version 0.5.2. Finally, an important (and difficult-to-find) bug that caused authentication failures on all protocols was fixed. (Thanks to gssq for helping uncover that issue.)
This version is a substantial improvement over version 0.5.2 in terms of reliability, especially for IMAP users. However, the POP interface continues to suffer some performance issues, particularly with large messages, which will be investigated during the next release cycle. If you discover any problems, please head over to the forums. Alternatively, if there's a feature you would like to see, feel free to submit it at the SourceForge project page. I can't promise it will be done soon, but having a feature request logged will help me remember when the time comes!
Thanks to everyone who downloaded the last release! We managed to get 500 downloads, which, although not loads, was more than the previous release, so just make sure you tell your friends... :)
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Blue HttpMailProxy 0.5.2 has been released. This release continues to focus on stability and performance improvements.
Version 0.5.2 fixes a bug in the code relating to email attachment handling, which caused problems with large attachments in Mozilla Thunderbird. So if you've ever had trouble with attachments (or even if you haven't, actually), get on over to SourceForge and download it!
As before, this release features crash logging to help track down serious bugs. (This feature is explained in the Readme distributed with the binaries.) If you experience crashes (or any other bugs), don't be shy! I'm happy to get bug reports for the proxy, and the forums have been feeling lonely lately...
Finally, I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who downloaded the previous release! The response was much better than I expected and I hope it continues in the same way. I haven't received any bug reports from the last release, so I'm hoping that means that it's working ok, and not that it went directly in the bin. :)
Monday, August 7, 2006
Blue HttpMailProxy returns! My name is Rob Allen and Josh has kindly allowed me to maintain the project, so I'll be your host from now on.
Blue HttpMailProxy Version 0.5.1.12 has been released. This release focuses on stability and performance improvements. For more information, check the news over on the SourceForge project page or just download it!
Since I'm concentrating on stability and performance, this release features crash logging, which generates information that I can use to track down problems if the application crashes. (More information can be found in the Readme with the binaries.) So, if you experience any instability, get in contact!
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm still alive. It's been a pretty rough month for me, and to be honest, I haven't felt much like working on this project. I'm not saying that I'm abandoning the project. I have every intention to resume work just as soon as I can. I hope that all of you who are waiting for updates to the application are not disappointed and that you can be patient with me. If you've sent me an email and haven't received a response, do not worry, I have read them all and will reply once I get through this slump. If you need more immediate assistance, you may want to try posting in the forums. Like I said, I'm not giving up on this project, I just need a hiatus. Thanks for your patience.
Tuesday, July 6, 2004
I hope everyone in the US had a pleasant holiday, I sure did. Fireworks are fun! I've decided that it's time to reveal a screenshot of the new GUI front-end. Just click on the image below to get a larger version (note: your browser must support PNGs).
This screenshot displays the basic functionality that will be available through the interface. You'll be able to stop/start and configure proxies and you'll be able to kick connected clients. I'm posting this to get feedback. If you have any ideas for the GUI, please visit the forums and let me know! If there's some specific functionality you'd like to see, don't hesitate to ask. Also, if there are any artists out there who wouldn't mind donating some time to create a cool logo, please email me.
Friday, July 2, 2004
Blue HttpMailProxy version 0.5.1 has been released. This is a patch release to fix the bug involving XML fields containing a single, XML-recognized character. This bug shows up if you have an email where the subject contains a single question mark.
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Blue HttpMailProxy version 0.5 has been released. This release introduces SMTP support. Now you can send email messages through your HTTPMail accounts just as well as you can receive them! This release also contains some bug fixes (such as the problem using POP with the Opera M2 client), so if you've been having problems with older versions, please upgrade to this one and see if your problems have been fixed.
Blue HttpMailProxy now offers the three main features that were required when I started this project: POP, IMAP and SMTP. Of course, this does not mean I'm finished with the project. Not by a long shot. What's next? Well, in the immediate future, I hope to get a nice GUI front-end for the service that will allow you to monitor connections and configure the application without resorting to editing the Config.xml file manually. After that, the application will have reached version 1.0 and will include a full installer, full GUI, full functionality. Once the Windows version is complete, then work will begin on the Linux version, which of course will involve porting the Blue General Purpose C++ Library. I hope to make this application the one-stop-shop for all your HTTPMail needs.
Enjoy the new release and be sure to let me know if you have any problems or comments!
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Has everyone seen where Hotmail is increasing storage limits to 250 MB for free accounts and 2 GB (!!!) for their paid accounts? Supposedly this is coming in July, so we'll see. This will be nice because I've been at 98% of my 2 MB limit for quite some time now...
On a different note, I've downloaded wxWidgets to experiment with for the future GUI for Blue HttpMail Proxy. I've been playing with it for the past couple of days and I must say, I'm very impressed. It's easy to use, powerful, and has a great license. Keep your eye out here for screenshots of the new GUI!
Friday, June 18, 2004
Work on the SMTP functionality has begun! I have a test release available, which you can download here. I know that it works with Mozilla Thunderbird. If you give it a try, be sure to visit the forum thread and let me know how it works for you.
Thursday, April 22, 2004
IMAP functionality is official! Blue HttpMailProxy version 0.4 has been released. As far as I know, Blue HttpMailProxy is the only free/open source application that offers IMAP support! I'm breaking new ground here :) Try to keep in mind though, that IMAP is an insanely complex protocol and there will likely be bugs. While the IMAP functionality seems to work fine in Mozilla Mail/Thunderbird and Outlook Express, there may be bugs in other clients. If you encounter any such bug, please post a message in the forums.
I decided to skip from version 0.03 to 0.4, because the application's much closer to version 1.0 now. Now that IMAP support is out the door, an SMTP proxy is next. Once the SMTP proxy is complete, the proxy will be fully functioning and will do everything I set out to do. However, I would like to create a GUI front end and add more functionality in respect to monitoring connections. If you have any suggestions for future enhancements, please join in the forum discussions. I'd love to hear your comments and suggestions.
Monday, April 12, 2004
It's been a while since I've posted any news regarding IMAP functionality. If you've been following the SF forums, you'll know that I, along with several other users, are hard at work on debugging the IMAP functionality. It seems that the majority of the bugs we've found have been fixed and it's close to being ready for a release. If you are interested in checking out the IMAP functionality as it is, you can download the test and try it out. If you decide to try it out, please let me know how it works for you.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
A new version of HttpMailProxy has been released! Version 0.03.1 is a patch that fixes the problem some users were having when logging in using a lycos.co.uk email address. This was a bug in the authentication code in the Blue Http extension. A new compiled executable is available from the SourceForge download page. Please let me know if you continue to experience any problems.
Tuesday, March 2, 2004
Big news today! IMAP functionality has finally been added to CVS. It still needs some work, but it is very functional with the new version of Mozilla Thunderbird. If you don't feel like compiling the code yourself, I've created a test release that you can download here. Please try it out and let me know how it works for you. I haven't actually tried it against any other clients, so it will be interesting to discover how it works.
When setting up an account in Thunderbird, you may want to set the 'When I delete a message' setting to 'Remove it immediately'. This prevents two copies of the email from appearing in your trash when you delete a message. Because of the way the IMAP protocol works, it's not possible to actually move a message from one folder to another. The message is actually copied and then the original is marked as deleted. So if Thunderbird tried to move the message to the trash, it would have to copy it, then mark the original as deleted. Once the messages marked for deleted are actually deleted, there would be two copies of the message. Also, when moving messages between folders, you may notice a copy going to your trash. I'm still trying to come up with a good way of avoiding this. Also, there is still no way yet to send an email from HttpMailProxy. Once the IMAP support is deemed complete and bug-free, I will begin working on SMTP support so that the proxy will be able to send emails!
If you've been waiting for IMAP support for Hotmail (or another HTTPMail server) as long as I have, please download the test and try it out! I think it's fantastic and I hope you will too.
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
I've activated the donation feature on the Sourceforge project. I don't expect it to be used often (if at all), but it's there if anyone wants to show their appreciation of my efforts. I can't honestly say that donations will go directly towards the project, because it's not costing me anything. However, it will show me that my work is appreciated and will inspire me to work harder and quicker!
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
A new version of HttpMailProxy has been released! This version adds support for various Lycos email domains and allows for read messages to be included alongside the unread messages (see the config file). Download HttpMailProxy version 0.03 from the project download page. Also released is version 0.02 of the HttpMail extension, which is mainly a maintenance release due to some changes made in the core Blue library. Download the extension from the project download page.
Thursday, October 16, 2003
The service problems have been fixed! Blue HttpMailProxy will now run fine as a service under Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 installed. I've released version 0.02.1 which you can get on the project download page. Thanks for your patience and enjoy!
Thursday, October 2, 2003
There seems to be a problem with the win32 service code in the proxy. If you are running Windows 2000 SP 4, the application will not run as a service. I've unfortunately had almost no time to research into this over the past couple of weeks due to extreme deadlines at work and moving out of my apartment in what little time I have outside of work. If anyone reading this has experience in the functionality needed for an application to run as a service, I would like to ask you to review my service code and see if you notice something out of place or missing. I'm hoping to get some free time shortly so I'll be able to look into the problem myself, but any help will be greatly appreciated!
One last thing. I've come to the conclusion that "Blue HttpMailProxy" is a really bad name. I have a couple ideas floating around for a new name but I'd like to consult my users to get their input. I've created a thread in the forums where you can post your suggestions. Go there and let me know!
Friday, July 18, 2003
This is just a quick update to let you all know what's going on. Life has really been kicking me in the ass lately, so I have had no time to work on this project at all. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like things are going to be letting up any time soon. Don't give up hope though, as I still fully intend on getting IMAP support in the proxy. It's going to happen, it just might be a while. Thanks for being patient.
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
I'm requesting comments and suggestions for the new Email extension that will be required to complete IMAP support. Please read the forum post and give me your $.02.
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
It seems that most people would rather see IMAP support before SMTP support, so that's what's going to be done next. Real life has been rather hectic with little spare time to spend writing code, so I don't have much of a start on IMAP, but it has begun. I've also added support for MSN email accounts for POP in CVS. Unfortunately, I don't have an MSN account, so I can't test this myself. Could someone who has an MSN account please try the latest CVS and let me know if it works? To indicate that you are using an msn account, provide the entire email address as the user name (user@msn.com).
Monday, May 19, 2003
Now that the proxy runs as a service, I need to decide what to work on next. I had planned on adding SMTP support so that emails can be sent out with your hotmail accounts. However, I personally want to be able to use the IMAP protocol with my hotmail accounts. I couldn't make up my mind, so I've decided to ask you guys what you want to see next. Would you like to see SMTP or IMAP support next? Please reply to this forum message and let me know!
Friday, May 16, 2003
Blue HttpMailProxy version 0.02 has been released! This version includes support for running as a service. Keep in mind that running as a service only works under Windows NT based machines (NT, 2000, XP). The source and binary zip files are available for download from SourceForge. If you want to compile things yourself, you will need the following: Blue v0.07, Xml Extension v0.03, Http Extension v0.02, and HttpMail Extension v0.01. Please try it out and let me know how it works for you! Have a good weekend, and go see The Matrix: Reloaded. It rocks.
Thursday, May 8, 2003
I want to apologize for not getting around to this sooner. My life for the past couple weeks has been rather hectic to say the least. Things are finally starting to settle down a bit, so I can start working on this project again. I still need to review the service code, but other than that version 0.02 is ready to go. Don't give up hope on it yet. I guarantee it will be released!
Friday, April 25, 2003
Well, with what little time I've had this week, I've been trying to get the proxy application to run as a service. I managed to get it working today, but I want to take some time and review the code to make sure I'm doing the service stuff right. As soon as I get the service code finalized, I will release version 0.02 for your enjoyment. Have a great weekend!
Friday, April 18, 2003
The HttpMail Extension version 0.01 has been released along with HttpMailProxy version 0.01. You can download them from the project release page. You will need the following additional packages in order to compile them: Blue v0.06, Xml Extension v0.02, and Http Extension v0.01.
The functionality of both the extension and the application are very minimal. The proxy application is not yet ready for actual full time use, but it's great for testing! I've tried it with both Outlook 2000 and the latest version of Minotaur. Please check it out and notify me of any bugs you may encounter. Thank you!
Thursday, April 17, 2003
I've added the HttpMailProxy application to CVS. If you want to compile it, you need the latest CVS version of Blue, the Blue Xml and Http extensions as well as the HttpMail extension. I've zipped up the executable and the config file so that you can check it out without having to compile it. You can grab that here. The config file should be pretty self explainatory. Just run the executable with the profile names you want to run on the command line.
Getting the POP proxy up and running was actually a lot easier than I expected. Next I want to do the SMTP proxy so that emails can be sent from Hotmail accounts. After that, I'll probably get things running as a service. Once those are finished, I'll get to the IMAP proxy.
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
I've started working on the HTTPMail proxy application using the HttpMail extension. Mozilla and Outlook can both connect and download via POP (I haven't tested anything else yet). I'll be adding the application to source control soon - probably tomorrow. Right now it runs in a console window, but I will make it run as a service soon enough. Check back soon for the first release of the Blue HTTPMail proxy application.
Tuesday, April 8, 2003
I've made the initial code checkin of the HttpMail extension. You will need the latest CVS versions of Blue, the Blue Xml extension and the Blue Http extension in order to compile it. The HttpMail functionality isn't complete, but it supports logging in to a Hotmail account, getting folder and message lists, adding and removing folders and downloading messages. After some more functionality makes it into the HttpMail extension, I will start working on the proxy application.
Check out the source in the CVS repository and let me know what you think!
Tuesday, April 1, 2003
The website has been uploaded. Work is continuing on the HTTPMail library. It makes heavy use of the Blue library and the Xml and Http extensions. If you haven't already done so, be sure to check out Blue. It makes creating C++ applications much easier! And no, I'm not just saying that because I'm developing it. It really does make things easier!