Pegasus/Mercury Install Procedure Issues

[b***@hotmail.com]

OK, I'm a bit frustrated trying to set up a Mercury server/Pegasus
client based mail system on a Windows XP Pro based peer-to-peer network
with all firewalls disabled. I imagine most of the problems I'm
experiencing are user errors on my part due to my unfamiliarity with
the programs so I'll tell you what I've done and you can tell me what
I'm doing wrong.

-First, I install Mercury on the server. I then go to
Configuration>Manage Local Users... and add a number of users. (The
walkthrough on the Pegasus web site starts instead with the Pegasus
client being used to create the mailboxes, but the client won't allow
me to add any usernames with more than 8 characters even if I run
pconfig.exe and change the ~8 to ~N; so I use Mercury for this
instead.)

This test network isn't connected to the internet, so I configure dummy
settings in Mercury for the POP3 and SMTP clients. I'm now just
basically testing the function of Mercury/Pegasus in an internal
network.

-On the Mercury server I share out two folders: c:\mercury\mail as
"Mail" and c:\mercury\queue as "Queue"

-I then go to a client PC and install Pegasus, unchecking on the
installation options screen "Pre-configure a user mailbox" (because I
want to use the mailbox on the Mercury server) and "Roaming Mode"
(since I don't want this configuration).

-On the Pegasus client computer, I share out the C:\PMAIL\Programs
folder as "Pegasus"

-In Mercury, I then go to Configuration>Pegasus Mail... and in the
"Directory for Pegasus Mail .EXE file:" I enter \\[Client PC
Name]\Pegasus and in the "Mail Submission (queue) directory" I enter
\\[Server Name]\Queue. I check to make sure a PMGATE.SYS file has been
created in the C:\PMAIL\Programs folder on the client computer.

-When I run Pegasus for the first time, instead of asking me to log in,
it brings up a dialogue box entitled "Setting up mailboxes" and gives
me three choices for how I will use the mail system: "only one person",
"more than one person", or "multiple people on the network".

--If I choose "only one person" it gives me a "Setup Information"
dialogue box with "Welcome to Pegasus Mail!" asking me where my mail
store is. If I point it to Mercury's Mail folder it says "Your home
mailbox directory does not exist. Would you like Pegasus Mail to
create it for you? You should answer 'Yes' is you have never run
Pegasus mail before." Here, if I answer Yes or No, it prompts me for a
user name (I give it one), it dumps about twenty files directly into
the root of the Mercury Mail folder, and then brings up the Pegasus
Mail Internet Setup Wizard.

--If I instead choose "more than one person" it brings up the
"Multi-user setup - mailbox directory" dialogue box and asks me where
to create and find the mailboxes for my users. I tell it Mercury's Mail
directory and it brings up the "Create initial Pegasus Mail users
dialogue box" showing all the user mailboxes there except for the ones
over 8 characters long. I then hit Close (since it already sees the
other users) and it prompts me for a user name. I enter a username and
it opens the mailbox (never prompts me for a password) and then brings
up the Pegasus Mail Internet Setup Wizard. If I hit cancel on the
internet setup wizard, I can then use the mail and successfully send
mail between users. (If I close Pegasus, run pconfig.exe and change
the ~8 to a ~N, I can log on with a username of more than 8 characters)
Pegasus will prompt me with the Pegasus Mail Internet Setup Wizard the
first time I log in with each username, but when cancelled will never
prompt me again with it for that username.

--If I choose the "multiple people on the network" option, it behaves
the same as when I choose the "more than one person" option, but also
gives me a dialogue box entitled "Network Configuration Notice - READ
CAREFULLY!".

So, my first issue is that the Pegasus client still isn't prompting me
for a password to open a mailbox even though passwords are set in
Mercury's Configuration>Manage Local Users... dialogue box, in the
pmail.usr file in Mercury's Mail directory, and in the PASSWD.PM file
in each user's mail directory. And my second issue is that Pegasus is
initially prompting me with the Pegasus Mail Internet Setup Wizard (but
if I cancel it, it never comes back).

How can I make Pegasus or Mercury prompt for a password for a user to
log into a mailbox in a peer to peer environment (since I can't protect
the user's mail directory using domain-based user rights and
permissions)? And is it normal for Pegasus to prompt me with the
Pegasus Mail Internet Setup Wizard even though I have Mercury running
and a PMGATE.SYS file successfully installed in Pegasus' Programs
folder? Have I done something wrong here?

Thank You for Your Time,

Brian Wilcox

[Rob]

Post by b***@hotmail.com
-When I run Pegasus for the first time, instead of asking me to log in,
it brings up a dialogue box entitled "Setting up mailboxes" and gives
me three choices for how I will use the mail system: "only one person",
"more than one person", or "multiple people on the network".

That's normal. This is supposed to happen the first time you run it.

Post by b***@hotmail.com
--If I choose "only one person" it gives me a "Setup Information"
dialogue box with "Welcome to Pegasus Mail!" asking me where my mail
store is. If I point it to Mercury's Mail folder it says "Your home
mailbox directory does not exist. Would you like Pegasus Mail to
create it for you? You should answer 'Yes' is you have never run
Pegasus mail before." Here, if I answer Yes or No, it prompts me for a
user name (I give it one), it dumps about twenty files directly into
the root of the Mercury Mail folder, and then brings up the Pegasus
Mail Internet Setup Wizard.
--If I instead choose "more than one person" it brings up the
"Multi-user setup - mailbox directory" dialogue box and asks me where
to create and find the mailboxes for my users. I tell it Mercury's Mail
directory and it brings up the "Create initial Pegasus Mail users
dialogue box" showing all the user mailboxes there except for the ones
over 8 characters long. I then hit Close (since it already sees the
other users) and it prompts me for a user name. I enter a username and
it opens the mailbox (never prompts me for a password) and then brings
up the Pegasus Mail Internet Setup Wizard. If I hit cancel on the
internet setup wizard, I can then use the mail and successfully send
mail between users. (If I close Pegasus, run pconfig.exe and change
the ~8 to a ~N, I can log on with a username of more than 8 characters)
Pegasus will prompt me with the Pegasus Mail Internet Setup Wizard the
first time I log in with each username, but when cancelled will never
prompt me again with it for that username.

...

This is normal. By default, Pegasus Mail will use the ~8 for the mailbox
name. After a new installation, you will need to change it to ~N if you
want long usernames.

Post by b***@hotmail.com
--If I choose the "multiple people on the network" option, it behaves
the same as when I choose the "more than one person" option, but also
gives me a dialogue box entitled "Network Configuration Notice - READ
CAREFULLY!".
So, my first issue is that the Pegasus client still isn't prompting me
for a password to open a mailbox even though passwords are set in
Mercury's Configuration>Manage Local Users... dialogue box, in the
pmail.usr file in Mercury's Mail directory, and in the PASSWD.PM file
in each user's mail directory.

...

Pegasus Mail is not password protected in any way. The password you are
specifying in Mercury/32 is for the POP3/IMAP password for that user.
Mercury/32 cannot provide password protection for the mailbox when
Pegasus Mail is using direct file access. Not only that, but Pegasus Mail
itself offers no form of password protection or encryption for user
mailboxes at all. The mail files are stored as plain ASCII text files.

If you want to provide restricted access, you have a couple choices.
1. Use the operating system's file access permission features to restrict
access to the user mailbox directories. If the user logged on to the
computer cannot access the mailbox, then Pegasus Mail cannot, either.

2. Remove the share on the \MAIL directory and use IMAP for mailbox
access. Do not enter the password in the IMAP profile. You will be
prompted for the password when you start the IMAP connection. I *think*
that if you get the password wrong, you will need to restart Pegasus Mail
to enter a new one.

Post by b***@hotmail.com
And my second issue is that Pegasus is
initially prompting me with the Pegasus Mail Internet Setup Wizard (but
if I cancel it, it never comes back).
How can I make Pegasus or Mercury prompt for a password for a user to
log into a mailbox in a peer to peer environment (since I can't protect
the user's mail directory using domain-based user rights and
permissions)?

You can't. See above.

Post by b***@hotmail.com
And is it normal for Pegasus to prompt me with the
Pegasus Mail Internet Setup Wizard even though I have Mercury running
and a PMGATE.SYS file successfully installed in Pegasus' Programs
folder?

Yes. This will happen the first time any new user starts Pegasus Mail for
the first time.

Post by b***@hotmail.com
Have I done something wrong here?

Not as far as I can see.