[ILUG] fetchmail with multibyte languages

[Brian Foster]

  | Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2006 14:31:18 +0200
  | From: "Rory Browne" <rory.browne at gmail.com>
  | 
  | Any idea how to get fetchmail or getmail to work with
  | multibyte languages?

 do nothing?  fetchmail(1) works just fine.
 or else provide some evidence that _fetchmail_ is the
 problem; e.g.:

    send yerself known good CJK text, and then check,
   after reception, if the _raw_ text has changed;
   e.g., use diff(1) instead of relying on what yer
   MUA/browser, "helpdesk system", &tc displays.

    if it has not changed, then clearly something else
   is f**ked;  but if it has changed (and esp. if it is
   corrupted, rather than be re-encoded in some other
   charset (but even that would be surprising, AFAIK)),
   then yes, `fetchmail' is a candidate for the culprit
   (albeit this test is not firm proof `fetchmail' is
   the villain).

 and if the text is Ok, I suggest getting it to display
 properly using cat(1), presumably in an xterm(1); only
 then faffle around with GUIs.  note, b.t.w., it'd be a
 good idea to make this work before the above `fetchmail'
 test, for obvious reasons.

  | Our helpdesk system uses fetchmail to grab support
  | messages from our mailserver, and when such messages
  | are from our chinese customers, they come up mostly
  | as question marks.

 this very much smells like one or more the following
 is incorrect (not in any particular order, and assuming
 things are installed correctly):  locale, MUA/browser,
 display fonts, "helpdesk system" (whatever that is),
 whatever I am forgetting ....

cheers!
	-blf-
-- 
Experienced (20+ yrs) kernel/software Eng: | Brian Foster   Montpellier,
 • Unix, embedded, &tc;  • Linux;  • doc;  | blf at utvinternet.ie   FRANCE
 • IDL, automated testing, process, &tc.   |  Stop E$$o (ExxonMobile)!
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