How to test an IMAP server by using telnet
What you need- The host name of the IMAP server (for use in the telnet command)
- The IMAP user name (for use in the LOGIN command)
- The IMAP user’s password (for use in the LOGIN command)
Encryption
For added security, you can encrypt your IMAP connection. This requires that your server supports SSL or TLS and that you have access to an SSL/TLS client program, for example OpenSSL, to use instead of telnet.
As the port-number normally is 993, an example OpenSSL command would be openssl s_client -connect imap.example.com:993 -quiet. (If you would like to see the public key of the server, as well as some other encryption-related information, omit -quiet.) The server should then start an IMAP session, displaying a greeting such as the * OK Dovecot ready example below.
What to do
The initial telnet: > symbolises your shell prompt.telnet: > telnet imap.example.com imap
telnet: Trying 192.0.2.2...
telnet: Connected to imap.example.com.
telnet: Escape character is '^]'.
server: * OK Dovecot ready.
client: a1 LOGIN MyUsername MyPassword
server: a1 OK Logged in.
client: a2 LIST "" "*"
server: * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "INBOX"
server: a2 OK List completed.
client: a3 EXAMINE INBOX
server: * FLAGS (\Answered \Flagged \Deleted \Seen \Draft)
server: * OK [PERMANENTFLAGS ()] Read-only mailbox.
server: * 1 EXISTS
server: * 1 RECENT
server: * OK [UNSEEN 1] First unseen.
server: * OK [UIDVALIDITY 1257842737] UIDs valid
server: * OK [UIDNEXT 2] Predicted next UID
server: a3 OK [READ-ONLY] Select completed.
client: a4 FETCH 1 BODY[]
server: * 1 FETCH (BODY[] {405}
server: Return-Path: sender@example.com
server: Received: from client.example.com ([192.0.2.1])
server: by mx1.example.com with ESMTP
server: id <20040120203404.CCCC18555.mx1.example.com@client.example.com>
server: for <recipient@example.com>; Tue, 20 Jan 2004 22:34:24 +0200
server: From: sender@example.com
server: Subject: Test message
server: To: recipient@example.com
server: Message-Id: <20040120203404.CCCC18555.mx1.example.com@client.example.com>
server:
server: This is a test message.
server: )
server: a4 OK Fetch completed.
client: a5 LOGOUT
server: * BYE Logging out
server: a5 OK Logout completed.
Reference
