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find the workaround, and, implement the workaround.

Unfortunately, PINE 4.44 does not have good multitasking. It starts 
downloading, then starts filtering, tries to do both at the same time, 
and, to use the vernacular, it defecates itself, if there are too many 
messages for it. Similarly, when it comes to archiving; it tries to 
download the messages, starts filtering, decides it should be archiving, 
gets confused, and, defecates itself.

I think that PINE needs to have task prioritising; so that, for example, 
on loading, it checks the date, if it is a day for which archiving 
should occur, either downloads and filters all the messages, then 
archives, or, archives then downloads and filters all the messages, not 
commencing one task, until the preceding task is completed. Similarly, 
it should download all of the messages, and then run each of the 
filters, one by one, in succession, not allowing any other action (such 
as downloading new messages, until the pass of filtering (all of the 
filters being run) is completed.

That way, it may be slower, but, it would be more stable, and, more 
robust. At present, it is not robust. Give the modern technology; the 
CPU speeds, the cheapness and speed of RAM, etc, speed should not be so 
much of an issue, and could be sacrificed, to an extent, for the sake of 
robustness.

I have about 80-100 folders, and about the same number of filters (I 
subscribe to about that many mailing lists), and I have multiple filters 
for some tasks; eg, about four different filters for spam , and it is 
more than PINE can cope with. 

I believe that (provided I remember to do it), if I boot up my machine, 
and the server (PINE needs to be logged into the INBOX on the mail 
server, for archiving to occur), then to run PINE, before an 
Internet connection is established, archiving can successfully occur. 
Otherwise I have to cancel archiving, or delete all my filters. Setting 
up the filters, takes a couple of hours, as it is a bit more troublesome 
with PINE 4.44. Also, another problem with PINE, is that I have found 
that I must wait until all the mail is downloaded from the mail 
server, when the Internet connection is established, before I read the 
emails, as, if I try to move a message from one folder to another, while 
filtering is occurring, the filters, and PINE, tell me to get stuffed, 
and they go on strike.

PINE is good, most of the time, but it does have its quirks.

> 

Thanks for the other advice - I will soon be getting a larger monitor, 
so will revisit the advice then.

-- 
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
 you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
  Chapter 28 of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- Douglas Adams, 1988
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