Fetch email and extract photos
Programming Snapshot – Go Mail Client

© Lead Image © Tatiana Venkova, 123RF.com
In this month's column, Mike Schilli writes a special mail client in Go and delves into the depths of the IMAP protocol in order to archive photos from incoming emails.
Popular email clients such as Thunderbird or Microsoft Outlook make it very easy to automatically filter and forward incoming messages. I recently had the idea of sending freshly taken photos to my account by email, from where my desktop computer would automatically retrieve them at regular intervals, extract the photos from the email body, and proceed to archive them (Figure 1). How difficult would it be to fetch emails from the provider with a DIY Go program and extract the photos embedded in MIME format in order to store them on my hard disk? Luckily, Go libraries make quick work of such problems!
Transport Logistics
In order for turnkey email clients to gain access to your choice of provider's mail server, they require three parameters: the IMAP server including the port, the username, and the password. Besides this, you are always asked for the SMTP server and port, possibly along with any other credentials you might have there. The reason for this is that two completely different technologies are used to collect and send email, and they usually run on different servers.
Protocols such as IMAP (or maybe POP3) check whether a user on the mail server has mail. To do this, the email client contacts the server and asks how many messages there are. The client can then either download the messages individually and store them in folders or even delete them.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.