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====== 0.21.0 (March 9, 2004) ====== | ====== 0.21.0 (March 9, 2004) ====== | ||
- | + | < | |
- | < | + | Welcome to POPFile v0.21.0 |
- | < | + | This version consists of a major update to v0.20.1 with many improvements |
- | and bug fixes:</ | + | and bug fixes: |
- | < | + | 1. Multi-user phase 1 |
- | < | + | POPFile now recognizes two environment variables (POPFILE_ROOT and |
- | POPFILE_USER) which can be used to customize the location of POPFile | + | |
- | and the location of its per-user data. POPFile *no longer* has to be | + | and the location of its per-user data. POPFile *no longer* has to be |
- | run with the current working directory set to where popfile.pl is | + | run with the current working directory set to where popfile.pl is |
- | installed. | + | |
- | < | + | POPFILE_ROOT: |
- | set you can run POPFile from any directory and it will find its | + | set you can run POPFile from any directory and it will find its |
- | modules using POPFILE_ROOT</ | + | |
- | < | + | POPFILE_USER: |
- | the database and history). | + | the database and history). |
- | of POPFile can be used with multiple users. | + | of POPFile can be used with multiple users. |
- | directory in POPFILE_USER for each user and run POPFile once per user.</ | + | |
- | < | + | In a future release POPFile will support a single instance of POPFile |
- | with multiple users sharing the same database (this is known as | + | with multiple users sharing the same database (this is known as |
- | Multi-user Phase 2 and you can read more in the POPFile Roadmap---see | + | |
- | below for link)</ | + | below for link) |
- | < | + | 2. Switch to SQL database |
- | < | + | In v0.20.0 POPFile switched from storing all its information in flat |
- | files to using < | + | files to using BerkeleyDB. |
- | enough on Windows 98 in certain cases, for that reason and to | + | |
- | prepare for Multi-user Phase 2, the underlying data has been moved | + | |
- | into an SQL database. | + | into an SQL database. |
- | can be successfully used with other SQL databases like MySQL.</ | + | can be successfully used with other SQL databases like MySQL. |
- | < | + | (SQLite can be found on the web at http:// |
- | | + | public domain software.) |
- | < | + | The schema for POPFile can be found in Classifier/ |
- | those that want to load it into their own SQL database. | + | those that want to load it into their own SQL database. |
- | using POPFile with a database we don't currently support please let | + | using POPFile with a database we don't currently support please let |
- | me know (e.g. anyone want to try Oracle? | + | me know (e.g. anyone want to try Oracle? |
- | with any SQL database supported by Perl's DBI mechanism.</ | + | with any SQL database supported by Perl's DBI mechanism. |
- | < | + | 3. UI improvements |
- | < | + | The global options for Subject Modification, |
- | insertion and X-POPFile-Link insertion have been removed and replaced | + | |
- | with individual options on a per bucket basis to give greater choice | + | with individual options on a per bucket basis to give greater choice |
- | in configuring POPFile.</ | + | in configuring POPFile. |
- | < | + | IMPORTANT NOTE: Because of the elimination of the global parameters |
- | you will need to check and set/unset the individual bucket parameters | + | you will need to check and set/unset the individual bucket parameters |
- | for Subject Modification, | + | for Subject Modification, |
- | Visit the Buckets page to configure each bucket to your liking.</ | + | Visit the Buckets page to configure each bucket to your liking. |
- | < | + | The ' |
- | how many messages were unclassified, | + | how many messages were unclassified, |
- | This also means that unclassified messages are counted in the accuracy | + | This also means that unclassified messages are counted in the accuracy |
- | statistics; previously they were not counted which could have skewed | + | |
- | the accuracy statistics if there were unclassified messages.</ | + | the accuracy statistics if there were unclassified messages. |
- | < | + | The history " |
- | amount of screen space, while making navigation easy. | + | |
- | searches on the history are now persistent, for example you can click | + | |
- | on the Buckets page and return to the History page without losing your | + | on the Buckets page and return to the History page without losing your |
- | filter or search settings.</ | + | |
- | < | + | The UI password is now stored as a one-way hash and is no longer ever |
- | displayed or stored in plain text.</ | + | |
- | < | + | The Buckets page has been modified to only show the ' |
- | count per bucket and to (finally :-) show the total number of distinct | + | count per bucket and to (finally :-) show the total number of distinct |
- | words in the database. | + | words in the database. |
- | titles: now we show the true number of words in the database, not the | + | |
- | "word counts" | + | " |
- | < | + | Another language has been added to the list of interface localizations: |
- | POPFile is now available in our second right-to-left language, Arabic.</ | + | |
- | < | + | 4. Change to command line |
- | < | + | If you are using the command line to configure POPFile there has been |
- | a major change in the way it is parsed. | + | a major change in the way it is parsed. |
- | perl popfile.pl -pop3_port 110) has been deprecated and replaced with | + | perl popfile.pl -pop3_port 110) has been deprecated and replaced with |
- | a proper getopt style command line. We now have a single -- parameter: | + | a proper getopt style command line. We now have a single -- parameter: |
- | --set which is used to set POPFile configuration options on the command | + | --set which is used to set POPFile configuration options on the command |
- | line. For example 'perl popfile.pl -pop3_port 110' would be replaced | + | |
- | with 'perl popfile.pl --set pop3_port=110' | + | with 'perl popfile.pl --set pop3_port=110' |
- | will continue to work since the old style is merely deprecated, but they | + | will continue to work since the old style is merely deprecated, but they |
- | should be upgraded as support for the old style is not guaranteed for | + | |
- | all future versions.</ | + | all future versions. |
- | < | + | 5. Enable/ |
- | < | + | Each POPFile module can now be disabled or enabled with command line |
- | options: for example if you don't need the optional XMLRPC module loaded | + | |
- | it's possible to specify --set xmlrpc_enabled=0 and it will be unloaded.</ | + | |
- | < | + | 6. Anti-spam improvements |
- | < | + | We've recently seen spam start to use CSS to obscure messages and fool |
- | filters like POPFile; in response, this version of POPFile does analysis | + | |
- | of CSS in HTML encoded messages. | + | of CSS in HTML encoded messages. |
- | SpamAssassin headers to make POPFile more efficient when used in | + | |
- | conjunction with SpamAssassin. | + | |
- | Domains) and store them as pseudowords (most useful for TLDs like .biz).</ | + | |
- | < | + | It's possible that you might see a drop in accuracy as your corpus gets |
- | trained up on the new anti-spam features. | + | |
- | be corrected once you've retrained POPFile a little.</ | + | be corrected once you've retrained POPFile a little. |
- | < | + | 7. POPFile Documentation Project |
- | < | + | In addition since v0.20.1 a lot of work has gone into a set of web pages |
- | called the ' | + | |
- | etc., please visit:</ | + | etc., please visit: |
- | < | + | http:// |
- | < | + | ESSENTIAL READING IF YOU ARE UPGRADING TO v0.21.0 |
- | < | + | 1. BACK UP YOUR OLD INSTALLATION: |
- | the entire POPFile directory somewhere. You can then safely install | + | the entire POPFile directory somewhere. You can then safely install |
- | POPFile v0.21.0 on top of your current installation. | + | |
- | automatically create a backup of your existing corpus and configuration file; | + | |
- | I just think a full back up is a sensible precaution.</ | + | I just think a full back up is a sensible precaution. |
- | < | + | 2. IF YOU ARE RUNNING WINDOWS: Please read the section below I AM RUNNING |
- | WINDOWS AND NEED TO CHECK MULTIPLE EMAIL ACCOUNTS SIMULTANEOUSLY</ | + | |
- | < | + | 3. ON WINDOWS POPFILE IS AN EXE. Windows users will now be able to see |
- | POPFile running in the Task Manager with an executable called popfileXX.exe | + | |
- | where the XX is one of f, if, b, ib depending on configuration. POPFile | + | where the XX is one of f, if, b, ib depending on configuration. POPFile |
- | is started by running runpopfile.exe which chooses the appropriate popfileXX.exe</ | + | is started by running runpopfile.exe which chooses the appropriate popfileXX.exe |
- | < | + | This might cause your firewall to ask about giving popfileXX.exe permissions, |
- | in addition if you had allowed Perl permissions in your firewall they are | + | in addition if you had allowed Perl permissions in your firewall they are |
- | NO LONGER needed.</ | + | NO LONGER needed. |
- | < | + | I AM RUNNING WINDOWS AND NEED TO CHECK MULTIPLE EMAIL ACCOUNTS SIMULTANEOUSLY |
- | < | + | Because the time taken to start a new process on Windows is long under Perl |
- | there is an optimization for Windows that is active by default: when a new | + | there is an optimization for Windows that is active by default: when a new |
- | connection is made between your email program and POPFile, POPFile handles it | + | |
- | in the ' | + | in the ' |
- | starts downloading very quickly, but is means that you can only downloaded | + | |
- | messages from one server at a time (up to 6 other connections will be queued | + | |
- | up and dealt with in the order they arrive) and the UI is unavailable while | + | up and dealt with in the order they arrive) and the UI is unavailable while |
- | downloading email.</ | + | |
- | < | + | You can turn this behavior off (and get simultaneous UI/email access and as |
- | many email connections as you like) by going to the Configuration panel in | + | many email connections as you like) by going to the Configuration panel in |
- | the UI and making sure that "Allow concurrent POP3 connections:" | + | the UI and making sure that "Allow concurrent POP3 connections:" |
- | Yes, or by specifying --set pop3_force_fork=1 on the command line.</ | + | Yes, or by specifying --set pop3_force_fork=1 on the command line. |
- | < | + | SPECIAL NOTES FOR WINDOWS USERS |
- | < | + | POPFile works best if the POPFILE_ROOT and POPFILE_USER environment variables |
- | use lowercase short file name format. For example, instead of using | + | use lowercase short file name format. For example, instead of using |
- | C:\Program Files\POPFile you should use c: | + | |
- | case is *very important* if an existing flat file or < | + | case is *very important* if an existing flat file or BerkeleyDB corpus is to |
- | be converted.</ | + | be converted. |
- | < | + | The short file name format is not very user friendly, so the Windows installer |
- | makes it easy to create suitable environment variables. The Windows installer | + | makes it easy to create suitable environment variables. The Windows installer |
- | assumes that each POPFile user will have different POPFILE_USER settings, and | + | |
- | provides some simple utilities to make it easy to to create these new | + | |
- | environment variables.</ | + | |
- | < | + | When the installer is run, it automatically creates the necessary lowercase |
- | short file name format environment variables for the user running the | + | short file name format environment variables for the user running the |
- | installer. This data is stored in a user-specific part of the registry.</ | + | |
- | < | + | The "Run POPFile" |
- | optionally, in the StartUp folder) start the ' | + | |
- | is responsible for ensuring that POPFILE_ROOT and POPFILE_USER have the correct | + | is responsible for ensuring that POPFILE_ROOT and POPFILE_USER have the correct |
- | values before calling the ' | + | |
- | < | + | If ' |
- | settings in the registry, the 'Add POPFile User' wizard will be started if it | + | |
- | is available. [This wizard is only available if POPFile was installed by a | + | is available. [This wizard is only available if POPFile was installed by a |
- | user with ' | + | user with ' |
- | < | + | This wizard lets the user choose a location for their POPFile data and offers |
- | to reconfigure any suitable Outlook Express, Outlook or Eudora email accounts | + | to reconfigure any suitable Outlook Express, Outlook or Eudora email accounts |
- | for use with POPFile. If any email settings are changed, the wizard will save | + | for use with POPFile. If any email settings are changed, the wizard will save |
- | the data needed to restore the original settings. After this, the wizard will | + | the data needed to restore the original settings. After this, the wizard will |
- | start POPFile by calling ' | + | start POPFile by calling ' |
- | < | + | Windows 9x supports system-wide environment variables which are defined in |
- | AUTOEXEC.BAT. Normally to change the value of these environment variables | + | |
- | AUTOEXEC.BAT has to be updated and the computer rebooted. The | + | |
- | ' | + | ' |
- | order to switch between different sets of user data (users just need to log | + | order to switch between different sets of user data (users just need to log |
- | on and log off as normal).</ | + | on and log off as normal). |
- | < | + | The 'Add POPFile User' wizard only offers some simple features at present, |
- | as it is still under development. For example there is very little error | + | as it is still under development. For example there is very little error |
- | checking in the current version.</ | + | |
- | < | + | I AM USING THE CROSS PLATFORM VERSION |
- | < | + | POPFile requires a number of Perl modules that are available from CPAN. New |
- | in v0.21.0 are the need for the following:</ | + | in v0.21.0 are the need for the following: |
- | < | + | DBI |
- | DBD:: | + | |
- | Digest:: | + | |
- | Digest:: | + | |
- | HTML:: | + | |
- | < | + | You may also need: |
- | < | + | BerkeleyDB (if you are upgrading from v0.20.x) |
- | Text:: | + | |
- | Encode (if you want Japanese language support)</ | + | |
- | < | + | Notes on installing the cross platform version can be found here: |
- | < | + | http:// |
- | < | + | I LIKE TO LIVE DANGEROUSLY |
- | < | + | In a future version POPFile will add official support for message |
- | classification through the SMTP and NNTP (Usenet news) protocols. There are | + | |
- | currently proxy modules for these protocols that work with v0.21.0, but | + | |
- | they have not been fully tested. If you are interested in getting them get | + | they have not been fully tested. If you are interested in getting them get |
- | them here:</ | + | them here: |
- | < | + | http:// |
- | http:// | + | |
- | < | + | and place them in POPFile' |
- | < | + | DOWNLOADING |
- | < | + | You can obtain the latest releases of POPFile by visiting |
- | < | + | http:// |
- | < | + | UPGRADING |
- | < | + | Just install POPFile on top of the currently installed version. But did you |
- | read the ESSENTIAL READING above first.</ | + | read the ESSENTIAL READING above first. |
- | < | + | DONATIONS |
- | < | + | Thank you to everyone who has clicked the Donate! button and donated their |
- | hard earned cash to me in support of POPFile. Thank you also to the people | + | hard earned cash to me in support of POPFile. Thank you also to the people |
- | who have contributed patches, feature requests, bug reports and translations.</ | + | who have contributed patches, feature requests, bug reports and translations. |
- | < | + | http:// |
- | < | + | As well as the usual donations we have a specific " |
- | that you can read about here:</ | + | that you can read about here: |
- | < | + | http:// |
- | < | + | PRAISE |
- | < | + | This release sees an enormous improvement in the Windows installer which |
- | been the exclusive playground of Brian Smith. | + | been the exclusive playground of Brian Smith. |
- | make the Windows installer robust, clear and easy. Nice work, Brian!</ | + | make the Windows installer robust, clear and easy. Nice work, Brian! |
- | < | + | Sam continues to make contributions to POPFile' |
- | his addition of the CSS parser.</ | + | his addition of the CSS parser. |
- | < | + | Naoki Iimura has done a huge amount of work converting the FAQ from English |
- | to Japanese for the benefit of the many users of POPFile in Japan.</ | + | to Japanese for the benefit of the many users of POPFile in Japan. |
- | < | + | THE FUTURE |
- | < | + | The rough plan for the future of POPFile is the as follows: |
- | < | + | v0.22.0 Theme: Protocols/ |
- | < | + | Add support for SMTP, NNTP, IMAP(?) |
- | New skinning system | + | |
- | Support SSL and SOCKS for all proxies | + | |
- | Move history into database</ | + | |
- | < | + | v0.23.0 Theme: Multi-user Phase 2 |
- | < | + | Support for multiple users with logins |
- | Scalable to large organizations/ | + | |
- | History encryption</ | + | |
- | < | + | v1.00.0 Theme: Stable Release |
- | + | | |
- | First non v0.X release of POPFile</ | + | |
- | < | + | The full roadmap can be found here: |
- | < | + | http:// |
- | < | + | CONCLUSION |
- | < | + | Keep the ideas and bug reports coming. If you are interested in knowing |
- | more about what's planned for future POPFile versions (or just learning | + | more about what's planned for future POPFile versions (or just learning |
- | about POPFile' | + | about POPFile' |
- | < | + | http:// |
- | < | + | John. |
+ | </ |
Should you find anything in the documentation that is incomplete, unclear, outdated or just plain wrong, please let us know and leave a note in the Documentation Forum.