Re: Gnus and multiple Email servers

[David Masterson]

Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net> writes:

> David Masterson <dsmasterson92630@outlook.com> writes:
>
>>> Michael Heerdegen wrote:
>>>
>>>>> [...] see (info "(gnus) Mail Source Specifiers")
>>>>
>>>> Also (info "(gnus) Select Methods"), and in particular
>>>> `gnus-secondary-select-methods'.
>>
>> What is the relationship (or difference?) between a select-method and a
>> mail-source?  Can you use a mail-source without setting up a
>> select-method?  Are split-methods the equivalent "select method" to
>> mail-source?
>>
>> The manual is not clear (to me) on this.
>
> A mail source is an external "place" that mail comes from. Gnus doesn't
> own or manage that source, it simply fetches the mail from there, then
> stores it in a select method. As Gnus is storing the mail, it might also
> split it.

I didn't know a select-method was storage!  I thought it defined a place
to get mail from.

> So no, you can't use a mail source without a select method, because once
> Gnus has got mail from the source, it has to put it somewhere.
>
> A mail source is most often a POP server, or a mail spool.
>
> It's confusing because some select methods essentially act as their own
> mail sources, most notably IMAP and NNTP servers. An nnmaildir select
> method can also be configured to find new mail "in place", if it's being
> delivered there by some other process. In these cases, you won't be
> using mail sources at all (I don't have any mail sources).

I take it then that mail-source is not used with an IMAP select method,
right? So, let me repeat the original question -- how do you setup Gnus
to get mail from multiple IMAP servers (so I can read all of my families
email accounts, but leave their email in their IMAP server for them to
read also).

-- 
David Masterson