Background is that I have been using Evolution for my MUA for a number of years. Migrated to Evolution from Mozilla Mail. I only use Evolution for email and contacts. Getting bored with the issues (frequently not being able to exit and needing to kill it; Bug Buddy popping up in GNOME, etc) that Mark (MHR) and I and I'm sure others have experienced.
About 24 hours ago, I installed Thunderbird (on CentOS 5.2 32 bit) and am testing it with this mailing list. So far, Thunderbird doesn't seem to have any issues, based on this very quick trial.
The Thunderbird documentation says that it uses mbox files, but if so, where_are_they? Here's what it says:
http://www.mozilla.org/support/thunderbird/faq#import
Thunderbird's mail files are in the standard plain text "mbox" format, which almost all mail programs can use or import. Many proprietary mail programs have a function to import from Eudora, which also uses the "mbox" format; this function should read your Mozilla mail files properly.
Your mail files are inside your profile (see the Profile Folder), in the Mail and (if you use IMAP) ImapMail folders. Each mail folder (Inbox, Sent, etc.) is stored as two files — one with no extension (e.g. INBOX), which is the mail file itself (in "mbox" format), and one with an .msf extension (e.g. INBOX.msf), which is the index (Mail Summary File) to the mail file. Tell the other program to import mail from the file with no extension.
However, in the imap.gmail.com folder INBOX.msf file properties, Type is shown as C source code and MIME type is shown as text/x-csrc
and I cannot find the mbox files....
In Evolution: Inbox has type: Mailbox file and is shown as MIME type: application/mbox
If someone on the list can point me to where the mbox files for Thunderbird on Linux are located, that will be much appreciated. I do not want to migrate from Evolution to Thunderbird, unless my email will continue to be in the mbox format, in case I eventually decide to migrate from Thunderbird, to another MUA. TIA!
Lanny Marcus wrote:
Background is that I have been using Evolution for my MUA for a number of years. Migrated to Evolution from Mozilla Mail. I only use Evolution for email and contacts. Getting bored with the issues (frequently not being able to exit and needing to kill it; Bug Buddy popping up in GNOME, etc) that Mark (MHR) and I and I'm sure others have experienced.
About 24 hours ago, I installed Thunderbird (on CentOS 5.2 32 bit) and am testing it with this mailing list. So far, Thunderbird doesn't seem to have any issues, based on this very quick trial.
The Thunderbird documentation says that it uses mbox files, but if so, where_are_they? Here's what it says:
http://www.mozilla.org/support/thunderbird/faq#import
Thunderbird's mail files are in the standard plain text "mbox" format, which almost all mail programs can use or import. Many proprietary mail programs have a function to import from Eudora, which also uses the "mbox" format; this function should read your Mozilla mail files properly.
Your mail files are inside your profile (see the Profile Folder), in the Mail and (if you use IMAP) ImapMail folders. Each mail folder (Inbox, Sent, etc.) is stored as two files — one with no extension (e.g. INBOX), which is the mail file itself (in "mbox" format), and one with an .msf extension (e.g. INBOX.msf), which is the index (Mail Summary File) to the mail file. Tell the other program to import mail from the file with no extension.
However, in the imap.gmail.com folder INBOX.msf file properties, Type is shown as C source code and MIME type is shown as text/x-csrc
and I cannot find the mbox files....
In Evolution: Inbox has type: Mailbox file and is shown as MIME type: application/mbox
If someone on the list can point me to where the mbox files for Thunderbird on Linux are located, that will be much appreciated. I do not want to migrate from Evolution to Thunderbird, unless my email will continue to be in the mbox format, in case I eventually decide to migrate from Thunderbird, to another MUA. TIA!
look under $HOME/.mozilla* (if you see a funny dirname, that name is a profile id. chdir to ...).
The simplest way to migrate is to setup a local IMAP server, create an account on both evolution and TB. then copy your old mail to the imap server from one mailer, and get it from imap to the second mailer. may take time if you have a large mailbox, but this way you don't have to convert files (or even find them).
mouss wrote:
Lanny Marcus wrote:
<snip>
The Thunderbird documentation says that it uses mbox files, but if so, where_are_they? Here's what it says:
<snip>
(Inbox, Sent, etc.) is stored as two files — one with no extension (e.g. INBOX), which is the mail file itself (in "mbox" format), and one with an .msf extension (e.g. INBOX.msf), which is the index (Mail Summary File) to the mail file. Tell the other program to import mail from the file with no extension.
<snip>
and I cannot find the mbox files....
<snip>
If someone on the list can point me to where the mbox files for Thunderbird on Linux are located, that will be much appreciated. I do not want to migrate from Evolution to Thunderbird, unless my email will continue to be in the mbox format, in case I eventually decide to migrate from Thunderbird, to another MUA. TIA!
look under $HOME/.mozilla* (if you see a funny dirname, that name is a profile id. chdir to ...).
The data for Firefox is located in .mozilla The mbox files for Thunderbird are supposed to be in .thunderbird but I cannot find them there.
The simplest way to migrate is to setup a local IMAP server, create an account on both evolution and TB. then copy your old mail to the imap server from one mailer, and get it from imap to the second mailer. may take time if you have a large mailbox, but this way you don't have to convert files (or even find them).
My email is on gmail.com IMAP and yes, I could start over with Thunderbird by downloading everything into Thunderbird from the IMAP server.
The problem is that if I ever want to migrate from Thunderbird, I want to be sure that I know where the mbox files are located and at this time, I cannot find the mbox files.
The documentation on the Thunderbird support site is not showing what I am seeing on my Desktop box. Possibly I should post this on a Thunderbird mailing list, because their documentation shows something that is not correct?
Lanny Marcus wrote:
My email is on gmail.com IMAP and yes,
If it's on imap, then forget about TB mbox files. the messages are on the server (TB can cache messages, but you are not supposed to know how it exactly does. so don't play this game).
I could start over with Thunderbird by downloading everything into Thunderbird from the IMAP server.
The problem is that if I ever want to migrate from Thunderbird, I want to be sure that I know where the mbox files are located and at this time, I cannot find the mbox files.
just leave all mail on the server and use whatever client you want. that's one of the benefits of imap.
The documentation on the Thunderbird support site is not showing what I am seeing on my Desktop box.
most people use POP3, in which case messages are downloaded and stored locally. Things are different with imap. the copies that the client holds are only for performances and you are not supposed to use them.
Possibly I should post this on a Thunderbird mailing list, because their documentation shows something that is not correct?
mouss wrote:
Lanny Marcus wrote: If it's on imap, then forget about TB mbox files. the messages are on the server (TB can cache messages, but you are not supposed to know how it exactly does. so don't play this game).
I now have the mbox files on my hard drive. I think that is the default with Evolution. I assume google backs up their gmail servers, but having a local copy, my own backup, is a plus.
just leave all mail on the server and use whatever client you want. that's one of the benefits of imap.
IMAP is what gmail recommends.
most people use POP3, in which case messages are downloaded and stored locally. Things are different with imap. the copies that the client holds are only for performances and you are not supposed to use them.
So far, Thunderbird seems to be stable and solid, no issues like with Evolution, so I will probably migrate my primary email account to Thunderbird, within the next few days.
Thanks you for your help!
Lanny Marcus ha scritto:
I now have the mbox files on my hard drive. I think that is the default with Evolution. I assume google backs up their gmail servers, but having a local copy, my own backup, is a plus.
Lanny, if you are concerned about data loss, you could install a local imap server (over wich you'll can do all the backups that you like) and keep it in sync with google with imapsync (rpmforge repository). Looks simple and straightforward to do:
http://nivox.blogspot.com/2008/02/gmail-imap-backup.html
Hope this helps.
-- Regards Lorenzo Quatrini
Lorenzo Quatrini wrote:
Lanny Marcus ha scritto:
I now have the mbox files on my hard drive. I think that is the default with Evolution. I assume google backs up their gmail servers, but having a local copy, my own backup, is a plus.
Lanny, if you are concerned about data loss, you could install a local imap server (over wich you'll can do all the backups that you like) and keep it in sync with google with imapsync (rpmforge repository). Looks simple and straightforward to do:
http://nivox.blogspot.com/2008/02/gmail-imap-backup.html
Hope this helps.
Lorenzo: Thank you for the above. I will read up on that. I'm sure google backs up their gmail servers, but, having a local backup seems like a good idea to me. So far, Thunderbird seems to be very stable and is running without any issues. That's not the case with Evolution. Lanny
Lorenzo Quatrini wrote: <snip>
Lanny, if you are concerned about data loss, you could install a local imap server (over wich you'll can do all the backups that you like) and keep it in sync with google with imapsync (rpmforge repository). Looks simple and straightforward to do:
I just discovered that the mbox files are *not* the problem! Exporting my Address book from Evolution is not intuitively obvious. I found a web page from May 2006, that says: "Export the evolution address book with the evolution-addressbook-export utility in csv format" and it said to use this command: /usr/lib/evolution/2.X/evolution-addressbook-export --format=csv > contacts.csv but I cannot find evolution-addressbook-export there. I have been using Evolution for years, because Upstream defaults to it, but YUK..... I am moving to Thunderbird and I am not going to look back. I will keep searching, for a hopefully simple way to Export my contacts from Evolution, so I can Import them into Thunderbird..... :-)
On Fri, 2008-09-05 at 21:38 -0500, Lanny Marcus wrote:
Lorenzo Quatrini wrote:
<snip> > Lanny, if you are concerned about data loss, you could install a local imap > server (over wich you'll can do all the backups that you like) and keep it in > sync with google with imapsync (rpmforge repository). > Looks simple and straightforward to do: > > http://nivox.blogspot.com/2008/02/gmail-imap-backup.html
I just discovered that the mbox files are *not* the problem! Exporting my Address book from Evolution is not intuitively obvious. I found a web page from May 2006, that says: "Export the evolution address book with the evolution-addressbook-export utility in csv format" and it said to use this command: /usr/lib/evolution/2.X/evolution-addressbook-export --format=csv > contacts.csv but I cannot find evolution-addressbook-export there. I have been using Evolution for years, because Upstream defaults to it, but YUK..... I am moving to Thunderbird and I am not going to look back. I will keep searching, for a hopefully simple way to Export my contacts from Evolution, so I can Import them into Thunderbird..... :-)
---- /usr/libexec/evolution/2.8/evolution-addressbook-export
Craig
Craig White wrote: <snip>
I just discovered that the mbox files are *not* the problem! Exporting my Address book from Evolution is not intuitively obvious. I found a web page from May 2006, that says: "Export the evolution address book with the evolution-addressbook-export utility in csv format" and it said to use this command: /usr/lib/evolution/2.X/evolution-addressbook-export --format=csv > contacts.csv but I cannot find evolution-addressbook-export there. I have been using Evolution for years, because Upstream defaults to it, but YUK..... I am moving to Thunderbird and I am not going to look back. I will keep searching, for a hopefully simple way to Export my contacts from Evolution, so I can Import them into Thunderbird..... :-)
/usr/libexec/evolution/2.8/evolution-addressbook-export
Craig: Cool. I just posted that I found a way around it (exporting .vcf and then using a converter on the web to .ldif and .csv formats) but you are correct, I did find evolution-addressbook-export in /usr/libexec/evolution/2.12/ It wasn't where I was looking for it, from the post I'd read. Had I not found a way around it, you would have saved the day.... Thanks! Lanny
On Fri, 2008-09-05 at 22:28 -0500, Lanny Marcus wrote:
Craig White wrote:
<snip> >> I just discovered that the mbox files are *not* the problem! Exporting >> my Address book from Evolution is not intuitively obvious. I found a web >> page from May 2006, that says: >> "Export the evolution address book with the evolution-addressbook-export >> utility in csv format" and it said to use this command: >> /usr/lib/evolution/2.X/evolution-addressbook-export --format=csv > >> contacts.csv >> but I cannot find evolution-addressbook-export there. >> I have been using Evolution for years, because Upstream defaults to it, >> but YUK..... I am moving to Thunderbird and I am not going to look back. >> I will keep searching, for a hopefully simple way to Export my contacts >> from Evolution, so I can Import them into Thunderbird..... :-) > ---- > /usr/libexec/evolution/2.8/evolution-addressbook-export
Craig: Cool. I just posted that I found a way around it (exporting .vcf and then using a converter on the web to .ldif and .csv formats) but you are correct, I did find evolution-addressbook-export in /usr/libexec/evolution/2.12/ It wasn't where I was looking for it, from the post I'd read. Had I not found a way around it, you would have saved the day.... Thanks! Lanny
---- you must be using CentOS-4 and that version of Evolution is really, really old.
I'm not sure that ancient version of evolution-addressbook-export can export directly to csv but if so, that would be more usable for importing into thunderbird.
Craig
On Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 11:03 PM, Craig White craigwhite@azapple.com wrote:
On Fri, 2008-09-05 at 22:28 -0500, Lanny Marcus wrote:
Craig White wrote:
<snip> >> I just discovered that the mbox files are *not* the problem! Exporting >> my Address book from Evolution is not intuitively obvious. I found a web >> page from May 2006, that says: >> "Export the evolution address book with the evolution-addressbook-export >> utility in csv format" and it said to use this command: >> /usr/lib/evolution/2.X/evolution-addressbook-export --format=csv > >> contacts.csv >> but I cannot find evolution-addressbook-export there. >> I have been using Evolution for years, because Upstream defaults to it, >> but YUK..... I am moving to Thunderbird and I am not going to look back. >> I will keep searching, for a hopefully simple way to Export my contacts >> from Evolution, so I can Import them into Thunderbird..... :-) > ---- > /usr/libexec/evolution/2.8/evolution-addressbook-export
Craig: Cool. I just posted that I found a way around it (exporting .vcf and then using a converter on the web to .ldif and .csv formats) but you are correct, I did find evolution-addressbook-export in /usr/libexec/evolution/2.12/ It wasn't where I was looking for it, from the post I'd read. Had I not found a way around it, you would have saved the day.... Thanks! Lanny
you must be using CentOS-4 and that version of Evolution is really, really old.
I'm not sure that ancient version of evolution-addressbook-export can export directly to csv but if so, that would be more usable for importing into thunderbird.
No. This is CentOS 5.2 (32 bit) and fully updated. I noticed last night that you have Evolution 2.8.
[lanny@dell2400 ~]$ uname -a Linux dell2400.homelan 2.6.18-92.1.10.el5 #1 SMP Tue Aug 5 07:41:53 EDT 2008 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
I did the migration from Evolution to Thunderbird, for my main email account today and and am up and running. :-) I imported the contacts as .ldif and it worked very well. :-) I suspect much better than if I had imported the contacts as .csv
Lanny Marcus wrote: <snip>
but I cannot find evolution-addressbook-export
/usr/libexec/evolution/2.8/evolution-addressbook-export
Craig: Cool. I just posted that I found a way around it (exporting .vcf and then using a converter on the web to .ldif and .csv formats) but you are correct, I did find evolution-addressbook-export in /usr/libexec/evolution/2.12/ It wasn't where I was looking for it, from the post I'd read.
Lanny: 'locate' is your friend! (install mlocate if you don't have it)
On Sat, Sep 6, 2008 at 5:15 AM, Nicolas Thierry-Mieg Nicolas.Thierry-Mieg@imag.fr wrote:
Lanny Marcus wrote:
<snip> >>> >>> but I cannot find evolution-addressbook-export >> >> ---- >> /usr/libexec/evolution/2.8/evolution-addressbook-export > > Craig: Cool. I just posted that I found a way around it (exporting .vcf > and then using a converter on the web to .ldif and .csv formats) but you are > correct, I did find evolution-addressbook-export > in /usr/libexec/evolution/2.12/ > It wasn't where I was looking for it, from the post I'd read.
Lanny: 'locate' is your friend! (install mlocate if you don't have it)
Nicholas: Thanks! One of the problems newbies have is which command to use. Locate will help, when I'm trying to find something! Lanny
On Sat, 2008-09-06 at 15:48 -0500, Lanny Marcus wrote:
Nicholas: Thanks! One of the problems newbies have is which command to use. Locate will help, when I'm trying to find something! Lanny
Make sure you do 'updatedb' after you install it. It'll whirr the harddrive a bit, to locate everthing, and after that you'll be able to find anything. Yup, this is one of the better Linux apps! Ric
Lanny Marcus wrote: <snip>
I just discovered that the mbox files are *not* the problem! Exporting my Address book from Evolution is not intuitively obvious. I found a web page from May 2006, that says: "Export the evolution address book with the evolution-addressbook-export utility in csv format" and it said to use this command: /usr/lib/evolution/2.X/evolution-addressbook-export --format=csv > contacts.csv but I cannot find evolution-addressbook-export there. I have been using Evolution for years, because Upstream defaults to it, but YUK..... I am moving to Thunderbird and I am not going to look back. I will keep searching, for a hopefully simple way to Export my contacts from Evolution, so I can Import them into Thunderbird..... :-)
Replying to myself, in case anyone else wants to escape from Evolution. It's possible to Export the Evolution Contacts in .vcf format. I did that and then I used a converter at this URL: http://labs.brotherli.ch/vcfconvert/ and I converted the .vcf file to both .ldif (which I suspect will give me a better result, when I Import the data) and to .csv When I have time, I will back up this box and then I will do the Migration from Evolution to Thunderbird. :-)
Lanny Marcus wrote: <snip>
However, in the imap.gmail.com folder INBOX.msf file properties, Type is shown as C source code and MIME type is shown as text/x-csrc
This is irrelevant, whatever tool you are using to see the "type" of that file is wrong.
If someone on the list can point me to where the mbox files for Thunderbird on Linux are located, that will be much appreciated.
You didn't tell us where you're looking, so I can't be sure... But I suspect you're looking in the right place. However with IMAP the mail can stay on the server, so unless you tell your MUA to download a copy locally you only see index files.
Nicolas Thierry-Mieg ha scritto:
Lanny Marcus wrote:
<snip> > However, in the imap.gmail.com folder > INBOX.msf file properties, > Type is shown as C source code > and MIME type is shown as text/x-csrc
This is irrelevant, whatever tool you are using to see the "type" of that file is wrong.
If someone on the list can point me to where the mbox files for Thunderbird on Linux are located, that will be much appreciated.
You didn't tell us where you're looking, so I can't be sure... But I suspect you're looking in the right place. However with IMAP the mail can stay on the server, so unless you tell your MUA to download a copy locally you only see index files.
I can confirm that: if you select the folder for offline use you'll find on the imap.gmak.com folder an INBOX which looks like an mbox file.
-- Regards Lorenzo Quatrini
Lorenzo Quatrini wrote:
Nicolas Thierry-Mieg ha scritto:
Lanny Marcus wrote:
<snip>
If someone on the list can point me to where the mbox files for Thunderbird on Linux are located, that will be much appreciated.
You didn't tell us where you're looking, so I can't be sure... But I suspect you're looking in the right place. However with IMAP the mail can stay on the server, so unless you tell your MUA to download a copy locally you only see index files.
I can confirm that: if you select the folder for offline use you'll find on the imap.gmak.com folder an INBOX which looks like an mbox file.
Progress! A few hours ago, I changed a configuration setting in Thunderbird and I now have the mbox file for INBOX on my hard drive. :-) Hoping I can now do whatever I did for INBOX for Sent Mail!
-
Craig White -
Lanny Marcus -
Lorenzo Quatrini -
mouss -
Nicolas Thierry-Mieg -
Ric Moore