1. Requirements :
   • PhP3 :
     Php is a powerful scripting language like perl and java but is embeded within html code itself. It also has database connectivity and many other features. You will want version 3.0.3 or higher.
   • A imap server. + The imap module for php3 :
     Imp uses the imap protocol to retrieve your mail, it leaves all of your user mail on the server so you can roam from machine to machine without loosing your mail. The imap module for php3 is a module that extends php3's core functionality to have imap support. The imap support for php3 is statically linked with versions greater than 3.0.3 and is required for the client to function.
   • A web server :
     Apache or some other webserver that php3 supports is needed to be able to run imp.
   • A database server:
     Currently mysql and postgres are the only supported database backends for imp. This is needed for the addressbook / contact list to work.
   • Imp source tree :
     Gee ya think?
2. Requirements met, let's move on.
   
   • To install imp you will need to undo the tarball with a :
     gunzip imp.version.tar.gz
     tar xvf imp.version.tar
   • Make imp available to the web :
     Move the resultant source tree to somewhere that is available to the webserver. Make sure to note the url that it will be at because you will need that base url for the configuration files. I.E. http://www.mysite.com/imp/ or wherever you placed it.
   • Configuring imp for your local site :
     The easy install :
     Open up a web browser and type in the following url :
     
     ( Your web base url for imp )/configmgr.php3
     
     That will bring up the configuration manager that will help you create the config/defaults.php3 for your site.
     
     The nitty gritty install :
     IMP Install root/config/defaults.php3 - This is the main configuration file for imp within the configuration file is several examples of configured servers and other documentation for that file. You will need to edit this file to configure your server fully. So fire up your favorite text editor vi, pico whatever, just be sure that automatic line wrapping is off ( pico -w ) for those who use it ( not i(zero) though ).
     Within the configuration file you will see a section called Server Specific Configuration, that section is our target. You will need to modify the configuration of the default object that is below that section for your imp instance to work. Please consult the documentation for that file to change those structures. The main configuration items you will probably have to change are :
     

     $default->root_url	=>	The base url to the imp root source tree. I.E. http://www.mysite.com/imp/
     $default->graphics_url	=>	This is the base url to the imp graphics. This should be $deafult->root_url . '/graphics'; if not changing it.
     $default->server	=>	This is the default imap server that imp connects the users to.
     $default->folders	=>	This is the default root folder that the imap connection uses.

     
     There are other options available to configure your imp instance, but those are the base ones to get imp up and running.

• Fatal error: Call to unsported function ...

The best place to get help with IMP is the IMP mailing list. The address is imp@osmos.ml.org, and you can subscribe by sending an empty email to imp-subscribe@osmos.ml.org.

There is a web-based, user editable FAQ for IMP at http://cvs.osmos.ml.org/faq/.

There is also an archive of the IMP list available on the web at http://osmos.ml.org/archive/imp/.