# File lib/vmail.rb, line 11
  def start
    puts "starting vmail #{Vmail::VERSION}"

    vim = ENV['VMAIL_VIM'] || 'vim'
    ENV['VMAIL_BROWSER'] ||= if RUBY_PLATFORM.downcase.include?('linux') 
                               tools = ['gnome-open', 'kfmclient-exec', 'konqueror']
                               tool = tools.detect { |tool|
                                 `which #{tool}`.size > 0
                               }
                               if tool.nil?
                                 puts "Can't find a VMAIL_BROWSER tool on your system. Please report this issue."
                               else
                                 tool
                               end
                             else
                               'open'
                             end

    puts "setting VMAIL_BROWSER to '#{ENV['VMAIL_BROWSER']}'"
    check_lynx

    opts = Vmail::Options.new(ARGV)
    opts.config
    config = opts.config

    contacts_file = opts.contacts_file

    logfile = (vim == 'mvim') ? STDERR : 'vmail.log'
    config.merge! 'logfile' => logfile

    puts "starting vmail imap client for #{config['username']}"

    drb_uri = begin 
                Vmail::ImapClient.daemon config
              rescue 
                puts "Failure:", $!
                exit(1)
              end

    server = DRbObject.new_with_uri drb_uri

    mailbox, query = parse_query
    query_string = Vmail::Query.args2string query
    server.select_mailbox mailbox

    STDERR.puts "mailbox: #{mailbox}"
    STDERR.puts "query: #{query.inspect} => #{query_string}"
    
    buffer_file = "vmailbuffer"
    # invoke vim
    vimscript = File.expand_path("../vmail.vim", __FILE__)
    vim_command = "DRB_URI=#{drb_uri} VMAIL_CONTACTS_FILE=#{contacts_file} VMAIL_MAILBOX=#{String.shellescape(mailbox)} VMAIL_QUERY=#{String.shellescape(query_string)} #{vim} -S #{vimscript} #{buffer_file}"
    STDERR.puts vim_command

    STDERR.puts "using buffer file: #{buffer_file}"
    File.open(buffer_file, "w") do |file|
      file.puts "vmail starting with values:"
      file.puts "- drb uri: #{drb_uri}"
      file.puts "- mailbox: #{mailbox}"
      file.puts "- query: #{query_string}"
      file.puts
      file.puts "fetching messages. please wait..."  
    end

    system(vim_command)

    if vim == 'mvim'
      DRb.thread.join
    end

    File.delete(buffer_file)

    STDERR.puts "closing imap connection"  
    begin
      Timeout::timeout(10) do 
        $gmail.close
      end
    rescue Timeout::Error
      puts "close connection attempt timed out"
    end
    puts "bye"
    exit
  end