Page updated 24 August 2009
nPOPuk Manual
- Is there an nPOPuk Manual?
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No! This is why the nPOPuk support site was created. It is possible that a PDF or HTML Help version of this site will be produced at some point in the future. but don't hold your breath. If you can't find an answer to your problem, then Contact Us or consider joining the npopsupport Mail List.
The Mail List is particularly useful for PPC and other hand-held computer users as there are many subscribers who can offer advice about using nPOPuk on these computers.
Updating the Server
- Why can't I just read, send and delete mail? What's this updating business?
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One of the reasons that nPOPuk is such a small program is that it does nothing to dress up what it does in the way that conventional e-mail programs do.
Most programs communicate with the servers sending and retrieving mail entirely in the background. They delete all incoming mail from the server and keep copies of everything in a comprehensive database on your own local hard disk. The user of the program only communicates with this local database whilst, behind the scenes, almost invisibly, the program "talks" with the server when it needs to.
nPOPuk works in a different way. It cuts out the local database and simply hides the commands and responses sent to and received from the POP3 and SMTP servers behind a simple Windows program interface. It doesn't even hide these commands completely. If you watch the status line of the program while it is communicating with the server, you will see the key commands and responses displayed there.
A POP3 server has three distinct "states". The first is AUTHENTICATION, in which a greeting is offered and your computer identifies and authenticates itself. The second, TRANSACTION state, is when your computer sends a list of instructions, concerning how the mail drop is to be processed. Finally, the communication moves to the UPDATE state, when the commands specified in the Transaction state are actioned. An SMTP server has a similar set of states. nPOPuk simply echoes this sequence of activities.
The only shortcut that nPOPuk takes for the user is when "checking" mail. After authentication, by default, the program checks how many new messages are present, then issues a set of "TOP" commands to retrieve the first few lines of each of these, and then moves directly to the Update state to action these commands.
When issuing commands to the SMTP server to send mail or the POP3 server to request that messages be fully retrieved or deleted, you will need to specify the move to the Update state, by using nPOPuk's Update function. Just think of it as the equivalent of an "Are you sure?" dialogue.
Mail Links in a Browser
- How can I get nPOPuk to open when I click a mail link in my browser?
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This requires an adjustment to the Windows registry. Making incorrect alterations to the registry can cause serious loss of data and corruption of Window itself. Only those completely confident in their abilities should attempt the solution offered below and only after backing up their data.
The following solution assumes that you have installed your copy of nPOPuk in the "C:\Program Files\nPOPuk" folder and may not work on other systems. (In fact, all that was done was to export the registry settings for the program FoxMail, edit them to refer to nPOPuk and the folder which contained it, and reimport them. The exact nature and function of some of these settings is not known. You have been warned! But it has worked for some!)
Save the text contents of the nPOPuk.reg page as "nPOPuk.reg". If your copy of nPOPuk is not installed in "C:\Program Files\nPOPuk" edit the file to show the correct folder, where ever the folder name appears. Open "My Computer" and navigate to the file and double-click on its icon. This installs the contents of the file in the Windows Registry. Open CONTROL PANEL. Double -click the INTERNET OPTIONS icon and select the PROGRAMS tab at the top of the dialogue. In the E-mail field, select nPOPuk as your e-mail client.
Licence
- What are the terms and conditions for the use of nPOPuk?
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There is no mention of licence conditions on the English language parts of the Tomoaki Nakashima's web site, so there is no definitive answer available, as nPOPuk is based upon much of nPOPuk's code. What can be said is that when he was e-mailed, he responded, "I can hardly understand English, support is difficult" and in response to a direct question about licences, he responded with the one word "Freeware". nPOPuk is distributed on the same basis!
In an upcoming version, it is expected that the SSL encryption and authentication code will be built into nPOPuk. The licence agreement for OpenSSL is available; also, on hand held platforms (WindowsCE/Windows Mobile), the "wcecompat" library (originally from http://www.essemer.com.au/windowsce but no longer available from that site) is needed to fill holes in the WindowsCE environment, and it has a separate licence agreement.