Pegasus Mail & Mercury

Hi all,

I hope I'm posting in the correct forum.  If not, please forgive.

I'm currently running independent incidences of Pegasus on four computers, all XP Home SP2 and networked.  I now have a need to change from this setup so I can share mailboxes between the computers so no matter which computer I'm using, I can access and use the same mailbox with all it's existing folders, etc.   Is this possible?

Though I've read through quite a bit of your documentation, I haven't figured out yet whether Pegasus or Mercury allows this.  Not to say it isn't there; rather I admit the error is most than likely "between the chair and the keyboard" as a friend so aptly says.  I think I'm missing what I need to read.

Say, that would make for a good entry for the documentation wish list:  an itemized "Which solution is right for me?" chart comparing features, kinda like a "if you want it to do A, you want Pegasus, if you want it to do B, use Mercury".   (Idea inspired by this webpage: http://canadacart.ca/info/Products/StoreBuilderAE/WhichSolution.html)

Anyhow, I digress.  Is there anyone who would be willing to please advise me as to which solution (if either) would work for my needs above?

Thanks so much in advance.

WWD:

Hi all,

I hope I'm posting in the correct forum. If not, please forgive.

I'm currently running independent incidences of Pegasus on four computers, all XP Home SP2 and networked. I now have a need to change from this setup so I can share mailboxes between the computers so no matter which computer I'm using, I can access and use the same mailbox with all it's existing folders, etc. Is this possible?

Though I've read through quite a bit of your documentation, I haven't figured out yet whether Pegasus or Mercury allows this. Not to say it isn't there; rather I admit the error is most than likely "between the chair and the keyboard" as a friend so aptly says. I think I'm missing what I need to read.

Say, that would make for a good entry for the documentation wish list: an itemized "Which solution is right for me?" chart comparing features, kinda like a "if you want it to do A, you want Pegasus, if you want it to do B, use Mercury". (Idea inspired by this webpage: http://canadacart.ca/info/Products/StoreBuilderAE/WhichSolution.html)

Anyhow, I digress. Is there anyone who would be willing to please advise me as to which solution (if either) would work for my needs above?

Thanks so much in advance.

 I've provided a complete network setup, the Pegasus mail standalone setup is just the first part.  You'll have to copy the users home and new mail directory data to the network location when WinPMail is NOT running.  Do not copy the pmail.ini file.

 

1.  Install WinPmail in the multiuser mode on the "server".  Use
    c:\pmail for the program; c:\pmail\mail for the mail
    directories.

2.  Run PCONFIG.exe and change the HOME and NEW mail directory
    specification to the \\server\vol\pmail\mail\~8 format.

3.  Go to the remote workstations and install a shortcut to the
    common program.

Ok, now you have the basic mail system setup.  You can send mail to
each other using Pegasus Mail.

4.  Install Mercury/32 on this same server pointing to the Pegasus
    Mail directory structure.  Use MercuryD, MercuryS, MercuryC at
    least. Use \\server\vol\mercury\queue for the mail spool directory.

5.  Point MercuryD at all of your POP3 mailboxes to download the mail
    to your Pegasus Mail user directories.

You now can send and receive Internet mail via Pegasus Mail.  The
mail is delivered to the Pegasus Mail directories automatically.  You
send mail simply but putting the output files into the Mercury/32
mail spool directory.  This is accomplished automatically with a
Pegasus Mail User Defined Gateway.

6.  If you want to use other mail clients point them at the at your
    Mercury/32 host as a POP3 and SMTP host using the Pegasus Mail
    username and password to pickup the mail.

You can do a complete inbound and outbound mail archive with this
setup using a simple Mercury/32 "Always" filter that put a copy in a
users mail directory.


 

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Thomas R. Stephenson
Member of Pegasus Mail Support Team

WWD:

I'm currently running independent incidences of Pegasus on four computers, all XP Home SP2 and networked.  I now have a need to change from this setup so I can share mailboxes between the computers so no matter which computer I'm using, I can access and use the same mailbox with all it's existing folders, etc.   Is this possible?

As Thomas says, yes it is possible. Set up Mercury for centralized inbound and outbound email. Each inbound email is stored in a maildrop, accessible from Pegasus Mail, which is a mail client. If you want to be independent on which computer you access your mailboxes, you need to setup imap - then all mail is centrally stored at Mercury, but accessed from the clients.

---

Kind regards / Peter

Shouldn't that be easily done running IMAP on Mercury?

Thanks for all your feedback.  I've had a family emergency to tend to, so this is going to have to wait for a bit.  But I'll give it a go when I'm back.  I also have some hardware upgrades on thier way, so I'll likely set aside a few days for reconfiguring/installing "mission control" all at the same time.  Thanks!

I appreciate your instructions, thank you.   I've been trying to set this up on my network, and am embarrassed to say I'm already running into problems at just step 2!

1. I've installed the program on the 'server' at C:\PMAIL\MAIL.  'admin' user was automatically created and I could open it fine.

2.  I ran PCONFIG.exe and changed the path to \\SERVERNAME\C:\PMAIL\MAIL\~8 in both places.  Then when I try to run Pegasus as 'admin', I get the "user [admin] does not exist" message.  If I try to run Pegasus not as 'admin', the splash screen just hangs.

When I read the instructions is seemed like a really simple process to set up, but obviously I'm not 'getting' something.  Is anyone able to help?  Thanks in advance.

When you get this sort of error then your UNC string is probably incorrect.  What happens when you go to the command prompt and use

dir  \\SERVERNAME\C:\PMAIL\MAIL

where SERVERNAME is replaced by the actual server name.  Also, verify the share name you are using for this volume.

 

---

Thomas R. Stephenson
Member of Pegasus Mail Support Team

Thanks for your response so quickly!  

The copy of Pegasus on the server computer would only work if I used the static path instead of relative to the network.  I've managed to get it to work on the workstations by modifying config file, shortcut, etc. myself instead of using the executable files listed above.

It's my understanding that it's important to set Public Folders so more than one workstation can access folders without data loss.  Any other tips I should know?

Haven't set up Mercury yet.  (Wanted to get Pegasus running before doing so.)

Thanks a million!

WWD:

Thanks for your response so quickly!

The copy of Pegasus on the server computer would only work if I used the static path instead of relative to the network. I've managed to get it to work on the workstations by modifying config file, shortcut, etc. myself instead of using the executable files listed above.

It's my understanding that it's important to set Public Folders so more than one workstation can access folders without data loss. Any other tips I should know?

Haven't set up Mercury yet. (Wanted to get Pegasus running before doing so.)

Thanks a million!

 

If you are only running one copy of Pegasus mail on the "server" then this is a piece of cake.  The remote systems are simply running shortcuts pointing at this system so you can go to any one of the systems and run the program and access your account and the public folders.  The public folders themselves are designed to be accessed by multiple users at the same time so that's not really a problem.  The only thing you would be running into would be a rights problems to the directories that are the public folders.

 

---

Thomas R. Stephenson
Member of Pegasus Mail Support Team

Hi there,

 I have read the above because I have a similar request. I have a laptop which I use as my main computer and my desktop is networked to it through a broadband router. When I or my husband are on the desktop, we want to be able to access the Peg Mail programme on the laptop, so we can read existing mail on it and send mail. I tried to do this a few years ago but was unsuccessful, however, I think the problem lay in a networking error, which is now all working smoothly. I have a couple of queries re the above instructions:

I already have Peg Mail on this laptop, with lots of folders and mail. If I re-install using the steps above, will it retain all the folders and mail?

Do I only need to do steps 1 - 3?

 

Many thanks

Jane 

 

Yes, the laptop will only be running a shortcut to the desktop unit so this is all that is required.  This will mean yuo will have WinPMail running standalone and networked via two different shortcuts.  If you want both to be running at once make sure you are using the -MS commandline option.

 

 

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Thomas R. Stephenson
Member of Pegasus Mail Support Team

Hello

Sorry if ive posted this in the wrong place, but i think it has relevance to the previous posts...

I am a student doing a works placement at a local primary school, one of the projects i have to do whilst there involves me setting up an email server for the pupils of the school to use internally (so, no in/out access to/from outside networks).  After trying a few email server platforms out i found mercury...I have installed it on the schools server (ms server 03 standard) on a 60 day evaluation license and i believe its running pop/smtp style email..

I have made the school aware of the need to purchase a license at the end of this period and i have been allocated the money for this.

I am able to sit at PC1 and send and receive emails to myself and other users ive added to the system, i can do this using pegasus, outlook03, outlook express, incredimail etc etc and it works great, that is until i move over to PC2...sitting at pc2 i login onto the domain using the same account as before and when i start off the email program i am asked each time to input my mail server settings, name, email address etc etc

the problem is i have 300 pupils and they all use the 30 pc's at different times, i need them to be able to sit at any pc and see their email folder, which will remember their configuration settings...and their previous emails..

which way would you recommend i setup mercury to do this?  i think the school would rather use incredimail for their clients as its more user friendly for the children (who are aged 6-11) however no definate decision has been made on a client yet.

if anyone replys, i thank you in advance for doing so.

Thanks

DJ

 

Sounds like a path problem where you are using drive letters instead of UNC paths.  When you have a c:\ specified then the remote users will be trying to access their local drive rather than the server.

The other thing that could be the problem is that the clients do not have full rights to their mail directories.  The users need full rights to their own mail directories for the system to work.

 FWIW, you could run Pegasus Mail on it's own without Mercury/32 if you just want to setup local mail.  WinPMail can deliver mail to the other WinPMail users just using the USERNAME for an email address.  This setup will allow you to turn off the winsock support and ensure that the users are not sending mail via the built-in mailer to the outside world.

In addition, I think that in using the  incred(ibly bad)mail client in training the students to use email it's going to be teaching the wrong lessons.

 

 

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Thomas R. Stephenson
Member of Pegasus Mail Support Team

thanks for the reply thomas

i setup roaming profiles with \\server\profiles\%username% and still when i moved between computers it would ask me...im not sure about the access rights on the folders, i will look into it tomorrow when i return to the school..

i agree with the incredimail comments, but i also agree with the school in that the youngest users will find most email clients complex.. the older pupils not so much...

Thomas R. Stephenson:

Sounds like a path problem where you are using drive letters instead of UNC paths.  When you have a c:\ specified then the remote users will be trying to access their local drive rather than the server.

The other thing that could be the problem is that the clients do not have full rights to their mail directories.  The users need full rights to their own mail directories for the system to work.

 FWIW, you could run Pegasus Mail on it's own without Mercury/32 if you just want to setup local mail.  WinPMail can deliver mail to the other WinPMail users just using the USERNAME for an email address.  This setup will allow you to turn off the winsock support and ensure that the users are not sending mail via the built-in mailer to the outside world.

In addition, I think that in using the  incred(ibly bad)mail client in training the students to use email it's going to be teaching the wrong lessons.