--- name: "public-inbox-glossary" section: "7" platform: "linux" package: "public-inbox" version: "1.9.0-1" release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/public-inbox-glossary" --- # public-inbox-glossary(7) glossary for public-inbox ## NAME public-inbox-glossary - glossary for public-inbox ## DESCRIPTION public-inbox combines several independently-developed protocols and data formats with overlapping concepts. This document is intended as a guide to identify and clarify overlapping concepts with different names. This is mainly intended for hackers of public-inbox, but may be useful for administrators of public-facing services and/or users building tools. ## TERMS - IMAP UID, NNTP article number, on-disk Xapian docid A sequentially-assigned positive integer. These integers are per-inbox, or per-extindex. This is the `"num"` column of the `"over"` table in `"over.sqlite3"` - tid, THREADID A sequentially-assigned positive integer. These integers are per-inbox or per-extindex. In the future, this may be prefixed with `"T"` for JMAP (RFC 8621) and RFC 8474. This may not be strictly compliant with RFC 8621 since inboxes and extindices are considered independent entities from each other. This is the `"tid"` column of the `"over"` table in `"over.sqlite3"` - blob For email, this is the git blob object ID (SHA-(1\|256)) of an RFC-(822\|2822\|5322) email message. - IMAP EMAILID, JMAP Email Id To-be-decided. This will likely be the git blob ID prefixed with `"g"` rather than the numeric UID to accommodate the same blob showing up in both an extindex and inbox (or multiple extindices). - newsgroup The name of the NNTP newsgroup, see [**public-inbox-config**(5)](/public-inbox-config/5.md). - IMAP (folder\|mailbox) slice A 50K slice of a newsgroup to accommodate the limitations of IMAP clients with [**public-inbox-imapd**(1)](/public-inbox-imapd/1.md). This is the `"newsgroup"` name with a `".$INTEGER_SUFFIX"`, e.g. a newsgroup named `"inbox.test"` would have its first slice named `"inbox.test.0"`, and second slice named `"inbox.test.1"` and so forth. If implemented, the RFC 8474 MAILBOXID of an IMAP slice will NOT have the same Mailbox Id as the public-facing full JMAP mailbox. - inbox name, public JMAP mailbox name The HTTP(S) name of the public-inbox (`"publicinbox..*"`). JMAP will use this name rather than the newsgroup name since public-facing JMAP will be part of the PSGI code and not need a separate daemon like [**public-inbox-nntpd**(1)](/public-inbox-nntpd/1.md) or [**public-inbox-imapd**(1)](/public-inbox-imapd/1.md) - epoch A git repository used for blob storage. See "GIT EPOCHS" in [**public-inbox-v2-format**(5)](/public-inbox-v2-format/5.md). - keywords, (IMAP\|Maildir) flags, mbox Status + X-Status Private, per-message keywords or flags as described in RFC 8621 section 10.4. These are conveyed in the `"Status:"` and `"X-Status:"` headers for [**mbox**(5)](/mbox/5.md), as system IMAP FLAGS (RFC 3501 section 2.3.2), or Maildir info flags. [**public-inbox-watch**(1)](/public-inbox-watch/1.md) ignores drafts and trashed (deleted) messages. [**lei-import**(1)](/lei-import/1.md) ignores trashed (deleted) messages, but it imports drafts. - labels, private JMAP mailboxes For [**lei**(1)](/lei/1.md) users only. This will allow lei users to place the same email into one or more virtual folders for ease-of-filtering. This is NOT tied to public-inbox names, as messages stored by lei may not be public. These are similar in spirit to arbitrary freeform "tags" in mail software such as [**notmuch**(1)](/notmuch/1.md) and non-system IMAP FLAGS. - volatile metadata (VMD) For [**lei**(1)](/lei/1.md) users only, this refers to the combination of keywords and labels which are subject to frequent change independently of immutable message content. - IMAP INTERNALDATE, JMAP receivedAt, rt: search prefix The first valid timestamp value of Received: headers (top first). If no Received: header exists, the Date: header is used, and the current time if neither header(s) exist. When mirroring via git, this is the git commit time. - IMAP SENT\*, JMAP sentAt, dt: and d: search prefixes The first valid timestamp value of the Date: header(s). If no Date: header exists, the time from the Received: header is used, and then the current time if neither header exists. When mirroring via git, this is the git author time. ## COPYRIGHT Copyright 2021 all contributors \ License: AGPL-3.0+ \ ## SEE ALSO [**public-inbox-v2-format**(5)](/public-inbox-v2-format/5.md), [**public-inbox-v1-format**(5)](/public-inbox-v1-format/5.md), [**public-inbox-extindex-format**(5)](/public-inbox-extindex-format/5.md), [**gitglossary**(7)](/gitglossary/7.md)