Currently there is a POP before SMTP authentication option for outgoing
mail in the account editor. However, some ISPs (mine, for instance)
allow IMAP before SMTP authentication as well, but POP before SMTP won't
work if using an IMAP account. POP before SMTP should either allow IMAP
accounts to be used as well, or create a seperate authentication option
for IMAP accounts.

This request should probably be sent upstream.

The upstream bug is http://bugzilla.ximian.com/show_bug.cgi?id=24606
The upstream bug is RESOLVED, WONTFIX.

I think this bug could be closed because I agree with upstream:

    with POP-before-SMTP - as long as the POP connection is open, you
    are supposed to be able to send mail.

    if IMAP-before-SMTP is anything like POP-before-SMTP - then there's
    no need for any authentication since IMAP would already be connected
    presumably.

Some POP-before-SMTP implementations work differently, ie. they record
the POP login time somewhere, and allow SMTP for a specified amount of
time after that.

The logic still holds; if you have a network connection, Evolution will
connect to your IMAP server on startup, and keep the connection open for
the duration of your Evolution session. Thus, no special tricks are
needed to enable IMAP-before-SMTP.

(And if you don't have a network connection, then you can't send mail
either.)

So this bug could be closed.

Cheers,
Fabian