Converting from mbox to maildir

converting from mbox to maildir for imap

problem: mbox format doesn't allow subfolders in imap.

mbox is a mailfile in /var/mail/ and maildir is 1 file per email in the users homedir/Maildir

Steps:

• replace popa3d with dovecot-pop3d

change protocols in dovecot

http://www.debiantutorials.com/installing-dovecot-imap-and-pop-daemon-with-mysql-backend/

• Get postfix to deliver in maildir format

postconf -e "home_mailbox = Maildir/"

postconf -e "mailbox_command ="

http://wiki.debian.org/Postfix#Maildir

• change the way procmail delivers mail

DEFAULT="$HOME/Maildir/"

MAILDIR="$HOME/Maildir/"

http://wiki.dovecot.org/procmail (with more options for faster delivery)

• change the way dovecot-pop3d picks up mail

• convert the mbox mailboxes to maildir format:

This converts mboxes to maildirs per user

http://wiki.dovecot.org/Migration/MailFormat

dsync -u red mirror mbox:~/mail:INBOX=/var/mail/red

If you get dotlock time errors, make sure all the machines are running ntp.

It could be that the existing user allready has folders in their setup because they've been using squirrelmail. This will give errors during the conversion of the type INBOX_2krj2lalf can't overwrite INBOX.

http://batleth.sapienti-sat.org/projects/mb2md/

But Dovecot1 has its' own system, which Dovecot2 doesn't:

http://wiki.dovecot.org/Plugins/Convert <- NB also see alternative formats underneath page