Fix to use `.Sent` folder to be default sent mail directory

[jcameron]

Won't this break the sent folder for existing users who haven't set a custom folder name?

[iliajie]

That actually would, you're tight!

Then probably better to do it with the config change, so it would only affect a new installs?

[jcameron]

Yes, I would agree. Also, what's the motivation behind this change?

[iliajie]

The motivation is to keep things consistent with what's generally expected by mail clients and by IMAP, i.e. Dovecot by default is configure to use .Sent folder.

[jcameron]

Is this something Dovecot controls, or the mail client?

[iliajie]

Is this something Dovecot controls, or the mail client?

I think both, actually. But if I remember correctly off hand Dovecot is configured to decide where to store outgoing mail by default.

[jcameron]

How does Dovecot even access outgoing email though? I'd expect it goes via SMTP to Postfix ..

[iliajie]

I'd expect it goes via SMTP to Postfix

It is.

However, an email client (i.e. Thunderbird) later decides where to save a sent message using IMAP. Dovecot has a default special_uses defined in 15-mailboxes.conf for different kind of mailboxes including Sent, which are actually based on a Special-Use Mailboxes standard described in RFC 6154. Therefore, Dovecot can signal a contemporary email client about server configuration, and which mailbox should be used and when. Although, an email client can technically save it in whatever or multiple mailboxes.