mbox to maildir conversion -- Mail Services

[vtrain]

Originally Posted by slapshotw

If you transfer from a server storing mail one way to one storing mail the other way, you will have problems-- mail will be bounced away from the mailbox. There is a script that HG can run (or for dedis, you can run yourself) that makes the conversion after you restore the backup. Make sure this script is run before switching nameservers.

-Matt

Thanks Matt. I will be careful about that...

The server, eclipse, where I am is still on mailbox format. Just wanted to know since I'm moving accounts in and out my HG resseler plan the last few weeks.

Vtrain

The following servers are done:
gator90-170

This completely compatible with CPanel. Currently, if you restore a mbox backup file, it will be converted to maildir once the backup is restored.

All gator.hostgator.com boxes have been converted. Now to work on the resellers!

[slapshotw]

Originally Posted by GatorDaniel

If you restore a mbox backup file, it will be converted to maildir once the backup is restored.

I don't think this is true, because I, and a few others on this board, have had bounce problems restoring backups. An mbox-->maildir script, run by support, was needed to fix it. Unless the functionality you mentioned is brand new?

-Matt

[vtrain]

Originally Posted by GatorDaniel

[snip]
This completely compatible with CPanel. Currently, if you restore a mbox backup file, it will be converted to maildir once the backup is restored.
[snip]

And the other way, a maildir backup restored on a cpanel mbox server?

Vtrain

BIG mistake!

[kmaw]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

BIG mistake!

????????????

Originally Posted by kmaw

????????????

Well, I really have no idea what that person was talking about either. If you have any problems, please submit a troubleticket to support@hostgator.com for assistance.

Servers astro to cadillac have been converted. We're doing them in alphabetical order. Some other ones may have been converted but not added to the list yet. Check your home directory, then the mail directory to see if yours has been done yet. I don't think we have published a list of our server names and I believe the best idea would just give you the first, then last, out of the batch for our reseller servers. (As it's alphabetical).

If anyone has any issues, please feel free to open a ticket, then send me a PM with the ticket ID. If there's a failed conversion, please let us know so that we can help you.

Originally Posted by vtrain

And the other way, a maildir backup restored on a cpanel mbox server?

Vtrain

I think the current version is one way compatible. I'm not really sure how cpanel has implemented that portion. (Going from maildir to mbox). I know that when a backup that was in mbox format is restored on a server with maildir, it is converted as the restorepkg account is done. I'm not sure about the other way around, but if it really had to be done, as mbox is really just one long file, I think cat'ing the files into one file in mbox format would do the trick. So it should have something -- if it doesn't have something, then they should script something that simple. If not, send me a PM and we'll figure something out.

[gdwoods]

In the interest of peer support:

My phone started ringing off the hook early this morning. It seems that Aztek was updated last night and the conversion broke something with Outlook Express. All of my clients who use OE are getting the username/password box when they try to check their mail.

The solution is to log into cPanel and change the email account passwords to something new, then change them back to the original passwords.

...(can I get my HostGator Support t-shirt now?)

Now doing conversions up to denali on the reseller servers.

[grahamlee]

I'm reseller on celica. All my email addresses returned an error using Thunderbird. Something like incorrect password, no cur directory. I reset passwords with cpanel and accounts seem to function but no mail is being sent or received. Do I have to wait for things to settle down or is there something I have to do?
It's a busy part of the working day here and I need to access my mail.

Please try again now.

That was during the conversion. All mail that was to be delivered was queued for delivery.

We have converted the reseller servers from 350z to denali.

[grahamlee]

Yes, functioning fine now. Thanks.

[ExpiredSoon]

Is Civic currently being worked on? My mail has been screwy for days. At this time my Inbox and Sent items are still intact, but my additional created folders are missing from both IMAP and SquirrelMail. Those folders are still in my mail directory, however, so they aren't totally lost.

[karz10]

Well, here's one I haven't seen anyone post on. What about Windows Mobile devices?

I started submitting tickets early AM (like 1 am or so) on Wed 11/15 regarding Chrysler, got a response that this upgrade was taking place, and it should be done in a few hours, no one said anything about this being an ongoing issue in the forum, I didn't know anything about it.

Wake up 8 am, still not working, send email to support, still no resolution, and never directed me to solutions for IMAP folders using OE as client.

Come back 3 PM, trade more ticket emails, said I needed to 'resubscribe' to the folders, so I 'reset list' on my IMAP folders, saw the new folders and made them visible, but of course, as others have said, sent items wouldn't route to the correct sent items folder, and drafts wouldn't route to the correct drafts folder, sent another email about that update around 4 PM, then sent another email around 5 PM w/ updates about attempts to fix, now at 9 PM, I sent my 3rd unanswered (so far) attempt to assistance, after 5 hours w/ no response.

I had already figured out that I needed to change the 'root' folder field from the default *blank* field, to make it 'Inbox' which then rearranged the appearance of my Sent and Drafts folders in OE, and successfully routed/synched w/ these folders.

So, that should take care of my 2 primary computers, here comes the tricky part for me. What about my Windows Mobile PPC Cell Phone? I had no problem accessing, routing, synching Inbox, Sent, and Drafts folders in either direction w/ the previous server configuation, but I CANNOT (so far) route/synch in either direction now from the mobile device. If I sent an email from the mobile device, or saved a draft on the mobile device, I can only see that sent/draft message from the phone, it does not go to the server (so of course it can't be seen by other devices), and vice versa, I can't see the proper sent/draft folders on the server from the mobile device.

Accessing the same info from all 3 devices is critical to me, if anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it. I've emailed the phone mfg, but so far I can't figure out how to reset the list, much less change the root folder in the mobile device PPC6700: http://www.utstar.com/pcd/view_phone...&bID=30&sAct=0

Only after following up to HG support w/ a phone call, requesting assistance w/ my 3rd email, did someone tell me the upgrade was a known issue in the forum, so I'm finally posting here, granted to to a little venting at the way my request was handled, but also to provide feedback to HG on my experience, as well as PLEAD for help w/ my Windows Mobile issue, to HG, but also to the user community.

Thank you for your time, and any future input.

Regards,

Karz

Please PM me or maybe we can chat on AIM regarding this. I personally have a Windows 2005 mobile device using this configuration and I have no problems with it.

I use IMAP without saving all of my drafts, etc. I only send mail when I need to, and I get mail to my device without incident.

Maybe I can reproduce the errors that you're having and help with it?

Could you create me a test email account on your domain, then send me an email or PM? (I've been using Maildir on my server for years and haven't had problems.)

Originally Posted by ExpiredSoon

Is Civic currently being worked on? My mail has been screwy for days. At this time my Inbox and Sent items are still intact, but my additional created folders are missing from both IMAP and SquirrelMail. Those folders are still in my mail directory, however, so they aren't totally lost.

Yes, Civic was upgraded. I don't believe we're publishing a full list of our servers for security reasons, so I'm doing the reseller servers in alphabetical order. The last one completed was denali.

[karz10]

Hey Daniel,

Thanks for the offer of help and experience. I also just got a reply from Jesse to my open ticket, basically asking what OS I was running, and if I heard anything from the MFG yet (which I haven't), so I sent a reply w/ the phone model, stated it was running WM 5, and some other details...

I have to go get ready for a 6 AM departure for a meeting, I'll have more time to deal w/ this tomorrow afternoon, I'll look for you then, send you a PM or whatever.

Thanks,

Karz

[karz10]

I sent you a PM via the site, referencing my ticket #, and also responded to their ticket a couple hours ago, but I haven't heard anything.

The phone mfg recommended deleting and recreating the accounts, but past experience told me to do one at a time, which I did.

But the first one I did, did not go well. I recreated the account, and it synched fine the first time, at least w/ the inbox, but will not let me send mail, it produces errors from the phone telling me to check my account settings, which are fine or it wouldn't have snched the first time. Only if I remove the outbound message from the outbox of the phone will it allow me to do a successful send/receive again.

So, now I have one account where I can't send messages at all.

Regarding the other accounts, I can send and receive emails fine, but it won't route to the proper sent/draft folders, and I can't view sent/draft items by default. I tried to go into the manage folders option of each account, and add the new folders to be synched w/ the phone w/ mixed results, but it's really weird, it sees some crazy files on the accounts. For example:

On most accounts, in addition to the old Sent/Draft folders in line w/ the Inbox, it sees the new folders under the inbox, like:

inbox.sent
inbox.drafts

But some also have folders like:

inbox.inbox_drafts
inbox.sent items

...while still also having the other seemingly redundant folders mentioned above them, so it's like I have 2 or 3 sent and 2 or 3 draft folders to choose from.

So, a couple of the accounts, I can synch the phone w/ the
"inbox.sent items" folder and see the sent messages on the server, but the phone won't route phone generated sent msgs to that folder, it still puts it in the isolated sent folder on the phone, which can't be seen from the server.

And on the one that has the three sent folders:
Inbox.Sent Items
Inbox.Sent
Inbox.INBOX_Sent
...that one won't show any messages in any of those Sent folders, nor will it route sent messages into them, it also sends sent messages to the phone-only sent folder, unaccessbile to the server

So, now I have 1 account that can't send messages at all, and 3 accounts that can send/receive, but not route messages to the correct sent/draft folders...

I have now also engaged the carrier's data solutions group and am working with Tier 3 support for the phone, they would like to engage the mfg and YOU the email administrator to get on a conference call and try to figure out what to do. I would really like to do this, so your tech guys can talk to their tech guys, so there's no confusion about what the set-up is, so they can hopefully instruct me how to set up the phone, or test one of their phones, and therefore if there is now an equipment issue, that can be identified and replaced, assuming they can successfully set up a phone, if I am not able to.

Can you find a way to set up a time to have you &/or another tech person get on the phone w/ them? The primary tech I'm working w/ at the carrier works Noon-9PM Central Time, maybe we could do this tomorrow?

Regards,

Karz

[karz10]

Hello?????????????????

I cant' get in touch w/ Daniel, someone new responds everytime I respond to a ticket, and things are just going in circles. I can't access any accounts in webmail, and still have the same problems from my handheld, can't route messages to sent/draft folders on the IMAP server.

Is anyone listening? 4 days and counting!

Karz

[slapshotw]

Originally Posted by karz10

Hello?????????????????

I cant' get in touch w/ Daniel, someone new responds everytime I respond to a ticket, and things are just going in circles. I can't access any accounts in webmail, and still have the same problems from my handheld, can't route messages to sent/draft folders on the IMAP server.

Is anyone listening? 4 days and counting!

Karz

Are you sure you've looked in the settings, where you have to set a certain folder on your handheld to be set as drafts, or sent, or trash. The server doesn't specifically say to your handheld, "this is the sent items folder." It says, "here's a folder named sent, and one named drafts, and one named trash. Do as you please."

Every time I get a new mail client or try out a different webmail program, I have to again choose which folders are which. I'm SURE there's a setting in your device to show it which folder is what; if there's not, that's a software issue that needs to be corrected, not a hostgator issue.

I've checked my own personal device, and the manufacturer is correct. The setting is only correctable in the registry and it is not a user configurable setting.

It generally configures which path to use by querying the server for available paths when it first sets up the account.

I've responded to the ticket, but maybe it got taken over by others when I was off shift.

[rmowles]

It looks as though one of my mailboxes has been converted. I use IMAP so all my mail is stored on the server. One thing I immediately noticed is that backing up the mailbox was very fast in the old mbox format as there weren't that many files.

In the maildir format there are thousands of files, so it took forever to backup by ftp. Is there a more efficient way?

You could use the cpbackup which backs up everything and compresses it.

Using separate files for each message is more effecient server side as the server doesn't have to spool the entire contents of a mailbox into memory at once.

[abstraktMedia]

How's "hummer" doing?Is it done yet or?