Linux Desktop Hacks

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Chapter 8, Desktop Programs

#59 Convert Your Mailbox

HACK

Other potential uses for procmail include sending all mail through Spam-

assassin to root out all the junk and prevent it from entering your mailboxes.

See Also

• procmailex manpage

• procmailrc manpage

• egrep manpage

—Adam Garside

HACK

#59

Convert Your Mailbox Hack #59

Don’t let your old email become stranded in a format that your new mail

program can’t read.

Switching email clients, MTAs, or mail servers can be a traumatic process.

And getting used to the different interface of an email client and its way of

working can be awkward. Aside from the cosmetic changes, you might have

a far more serious problem if the new client stores its mail differently.

This hack takes you through the steps of converting between the two most

popular formats on Linux: mbox and maildir. This can often be a daunting

and confusing process, but with this hack by your side, you will be convert-

ing your mail in no time.

The most common reasons to switch mailbox formats are as follows:

Switching email clients

Not all email clients support both mailbox formats. If you really want to

use a client that doesn’t support your current format, you need to covert

your old mail to a format that is supported.

Switching your local delivery agent

Many Linux users run an MTA on their desktops to handle mail deliv-

ery to local users. Like email clients, not all email servers support ...