Re: Combining Icedove data

[David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com>]

On 01/06/13 18:19, Gary Roach wrote:
> I didn't try copy and paste because there must be a ton of files, sub
> directories and the sub-sub directories

Yes.


> none of them easily readable.

You don't need to read them; Icedove does.


> To accurately cut an paste would be a nightmare.

Not if you do it right.


> As an example, the following files and directories are under the .icedove/e7yi94cf.default directory:  ...

You want "Mail".  Don't mess with the others.


> Under the Mail directory are the following directories: ...

You want "Local Folders".  Don't mess with the others.


> Under the incoming.verizon-1.net directory ...

That is an account directory; don't mess with it.


> I need some kind of a tool to merge the messages

You already have the tools:

1.  Icedove.

2.  File manager with ability to make/extract tarballs.  Alternatively, 
shell, tar, and gzip.

3.  Network and file manager with ability to copy/paste across network. 
 Alternatively, USB stick, shell, and scp.


Inside Icedove under "Local Folders", I see the following local folders:

    Drafts
    Sent
    Trash
    Outbox
    dpchrist-2011
    dpchrist-2012
    dpchrist-2013


Here are the corresponding file system assets:

2013-01-06 19:28:28 dpchrist@desktop ~
$ l -w 72 .icedove/yopoi36c.default/Mail/Local\ Folders/
./	    Sent.msf		 dpchrist-2011	     dpchrist-2012.sbd/
../	    Trash		 dpchrist-2011.msf   dpchrist-2013
Drafts	    Trash.msf		 dpchrist-2011.sbd/  dpchrist-2013.msf
Drafts.msf  Unsent Messages	 dpchrist-2012	     dpchrist-2013.sbd/
Sent	    Unsent Messages.msf  dpchrist-2012.msf   msgFilterRules.dat


Observe that each Icedove local folder maps to two (2) files and one (1) 
directory in the file system.  For example, the "dpchrist-2013" Icedove 
local folder corresponds to the following files:

    dpchrist-2013
    dpchrist-2013.msf

and directory:

    dpchrist-2013.sbd/


When I want to move my e-mail:

1.  Make a tarball containing the files and directory for the current 
year. (I already have tarballs for prior years.)  For example:

        dpchrist-2013.tar.gz

2.  Copy the tarballs to the destination machine.

3.  Extract the tarballs under the Icedove profile "Mail/Local Folders" 
directory.

4.  Start Icedove.


It's easy and it works.  :-)


David