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IMAP file switch | ||||||||
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< < | This page discusses moving your IMAP mail files to the Nevis mail server![]() ![]() | |||||||
> > | On this page:
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Note that this is a one-time procedure. After you do this, you'll never have to do it again. | ||||||||
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If you use procmail , it's a good idea to move (not copy!) your procmailrc file (as noted in the page on mail-related files: | ||||||||
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< < | cp $HOME/.procmailrc /a/mail/procmailrc/$user | |||||||
> > | mv $HOME/.procmailrc /a/mail/procmailrc/$user | |||||||
If you have a line like this in your procmailrc file: |
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In the following instructions, $user is the name of your Nevis login account.
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Procedure | ||||||||
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> > | 19-Feb-2009: Edited to reflect what you have to do now that the switch has been made. | |||||||
In the following instructions, $user is the name of your Nevis login account.
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< < | The mail server configuration will be changed on 18-Feb-2009, at about 6:30PM. I'll also copy any ~/.subscriptions file to /a/mail/folders/$user/.subscriptions so you don't have to do it yourself. | |||||||
> > | The mail server configuration was changed on 18-Feb-2009, at about 6:30PM. I also copioed any ~/.subscriptions file to /a/mail/folders/$user/.subscriptions so you didn't have to do it yourself. | |||||||
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< < | The change will be to move the "default mail location" from each user's home directory to /mail/folders/$user . New accounts will automatically have their mail folders and .subscriptions file stored in this directory. | |||||||
> > | The change moved the "default mail location" from each user's home directory to /mail/folders/$user . New accounts will automatically have their mail folders and .subscriptions file stored in this directory. | |||||||
Webmail | ||||||||
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< < | If you use webmail![]() /mail/folders prefix in the "Folder path" field. As noted in the IMAP Mail Files page, webmail![]() /mail/folders/$user , this won't be a problem. Until then, you can use the following as a work-around: In Linux, type
ln -sf /a/mail/folders/$user ~/imap
Then put imap/ in webmail![]() ![]() | |||||||
> > | If your mail files are in /a/mail/folders/$user , then make sure the folder path in webmail is blank. You'll be able to (re-)subscribe to your folders. | |||||||
Background | ||||||||
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Can't you do this for me? | ||||||||
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It turns out that the answer is no. Files like ~/.forward , ~/.procmailrc , and ~/.spamassassin/user_prefs are accessed by the mail server in read-only mode. If the mail server can't find them because your home directory isn't available, there are no significant delays. The only difference is that, if your home directory isn't there, those files can't affect mail processing; e.g., your mail won't be forwarded or filtered as you prefer. | ||||||||
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> > | However, you have the option of moving ~/.forward to /a/mail/forward/$user and ~/.procmailrc to /a/mail/procmailrc/$user , to make sure your mail is handled properly even if your server goes down. See the page on mail-related files. | |||||||
alpineIf you're using alpine![]() | ||||||||
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If you haven't gone through the above procedure, better late than never. | ||||||||
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< < | If you want to keep your mail files in your home directory for some reason, then you'll have to follow the instructions in IMAP mail files but set the directory to the full path of your home directory; e.g., /a/home/amsterdam/jsmith/mail if your account name is jsmith , your home directory is on amsterdam.nevis.columbia.edu , and you keep your mail in ~/mail . You'll still have to edit your ~/.subscriptions file or re-subscribe to your folders. | |||||||
> > | If you want to keep your mail files in your home directory for some reason, then you'll have to follow the instructions in IMAP mail files but set the directory to the full path of your home directory; e.g., /a/home/amsterdam/jsmith/mail if your account name is jsmith , your home directory is on amsterdam.nevis.columbia.edu , and you keep your mail in ~/mail . You'll still have to edit your /a/mail/folders/$user/.subscriptions file or re-subscribe to your folders. | |||||||
Sent and Drafts folders |
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At this point, unless you're going to use webmail in the next couple of days, don't bother to fiddle with its settings. When the IMAP server switch is made, you'd probably have to re-do any webmail settings anyway. | ||||||||
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< < | If you've made the IMAP server switch, the new settings are simple: set your IMAP folder directory (see IMAP mail files for how to do this) to blank; erase any text that's there. After saving the change, to to the "Folders" link at the top of the page; use the panels at the bottom of the page to re-subscribe to your folders. | |||||||
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> > | If you've made the IMAP server switch, the new settings are simple: set your IMAP folder directory (see IMAP mail files for how to do this) to blank; erase any text that's there. After saving the changes, click on the "Folders" link at the top of the page; use the panels at the bottom of the page to re-subscribe to your folders. | |||||||
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remember to change it to the new location of your mail files, as seen by the mail server:
MAILDIR=/mail/folders/$LOGNAME | ||||||||
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> > |
And one last note on webmail:At this point, unless you're going to use webmail in the next couple of days, don't bother to fiddle with its settings. When the IMAP server switch is made, you'd probably have to re-do any webmail settings anyway. If you've made the IMAP server switch, the new settings are simple: set your IMAP folder directory (see IMAP mail files for how to do this) to blank; erase any text that's there. After saving the change, to to the "Folders" link at the top of the page; use the panels at the bottom of the page to re-subscribe to your folders. | |||||||
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< < | -- WilliamSeligman - 29 Dec 2008 | |||||||
> > | Some more notes - Added 17-Feb-2009After the switch, my folders have vanished!Don't panic. Your mail hasn't been lost. it's just that, for some reason, your mail reader has lost track of where they are. If you've gone through the above procedure, and your mail folders have disappeared, then:
/a/home/amsterdam/jsmith/mail if your account name is jsmith , your home directory is on amsterdam.nevis.columbia.edu , and you keep your mail in ~/mail . You'll still have to edit your ~/.subscriptions file or re-subscribe to your folders.
Sent and Drafts foldersIt's possible that even if you've gone through the above procedure, your "Sent" and "Drafts" folders may appear to lose messages. This is because your mail reader may have associated the paths~/Sent and ~/Drafts with the location of those folders, even if your IMAP directory was set to something else. If that happens, don't panic. You haven't lost any messages; they're just in a file that you didn't copy.
There are a couple of things you can do:
If you don't care about whether or not you have duplicate mail messages, quit your mail reader and do:
cat $HOME/Sent >> /a/mail/folders/$user/Sent cat $HOME/Drafts >> /a/mail/folders/$user/Drafts
If you want to use the drag-n-drop features of your mail reader to sort out the messages, do:
cp $HOME/Sent /a/mail/folders/$user/Sent.save cp $HOME/Drafts /a/mail/folders/$user/Drafts.save
Then use File -> Subscribe (in Thunderbird) to subscribe to Sent.save and Drafts.save . When you're done dragging the messages, you can unsubscribe from the files you're not using.
If you use |
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By when do we have to do this? | ||||||||
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< < | As of Dec-2008, I have not scheduled a date to make this switch. I've seen how long it takes me to move my own mail (about ten minutes); I want to see how long it takes for other people to do it. | |||||||
> > | The mail server configuration will be changed on 18-Feb-2009, at about 6:30PM. I'll also copy any ~/.subscriptions file to /a/mail/folders/$user/.subscriptions so you don't have to do it yourself.
The change will be to move the "default mail location" from each user's home directory to /mail/folders/$user . New accounts will automatically have their mail folders and .subscriptions file stored in this directory. | |||||||
Webmail | ||||||||
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One solution to this problem is to tell users, "If your server is down, don't try to read your mail." This is not a practical solution. | ||||||||
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< < | Another solution is to put all our mail files on the mail server, so if a workgroup server goes down, it will affect that group (e.g., they can't log in) but everyone (including members of that group!) can still read their mail. | |||||||
> > | Another solution is to put all our mail files on the mail server, so if a workgroup server goes down, it will affect that group (e.g., they can't log in) but everyone else can still read their mail. | |||||||
The safest way to do this is a two-step procedure: | ||||||||
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What will happen if I don't go through all these instructions? | ||||||||
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< < |
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> > | On the day I change the default IMAP location, your IMAP folders will probably "disappear." Actually, the files won't go anywhere, it's just that your mail reader won't know where to look for them. You can go through the process of re-subscribing to them, but that's equivalent to the procedure described above. | |||||||
What about other mail files? |
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ln -sf /a/mail/folders/$user ~/imap | ||||||||
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< < | Then put "imap" in webmail![]() | |||||||
> > | Then put imap/ in webmail![]() | |||||||
Yes, this means that if the server with your home directory goes down, you won't be able to use webmail![]() |
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If you're using alpine![]() | ||||||||
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-- WilliamSeligman - 29 Dec 2008 |
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IMAP file switchThis page discusses moving your IMAP mail files to the Nevis mail server![]() ![]() | ||||||||
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> > | Note that this is a one-time procedure. After you do this, you'll never have to do it again. | |||||||
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> > | ProcedureIn the following instructions,$user is the name of your Nevis login account.
By when do we have to do this?As of Dec-2008, I have not scheduled a date to make this switch. I've seen how long it takes me to move my own mail (about ten minutes); I want to see how long it takes for other people to do it. Webmail
If you use webmail![]() /mail/folders prefix in the "Folder path" field. As noted in the IMAP Mail Files page, webmail![]() /mail/folders/$user , this won't be a problem. Until then, you can use the following as a work-around: In Linux, type
ln -sf /a/mail/folders/$user ~/imap
Then put "imap" in webmail![]() ![]() | |||||||
BackgroundWhy do we have to make this change? | ||||||||
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< < | Why wasn't it done this way before? | |||||||
> > | Why wasn't it done this way before? | |||||||
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< < | Actually, it was. Before 2003, all of Nevis' computer services were stored on one computer, nevis1 . It was both our central login system and our mail server. Each user's mail files were stored in their home directory. | |||||||
> > | Actually, it was. Before 2002, all of Nevis' computer services were stored on one computer, nevis1 . It was both our central login system and our mail server. Each user's mail files were stored in their home directory. | |||||||
When we de-centralized and moved to the Nevis Linux cluster![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||||
Changed: | ||||||||
< < | What if the mail server goes down? | |||||||
> > | What if the mail server goes down? | |||||||
If it does, then you can't read your mail... but that will always be true, whether we make this change or not.
In the current environment, the mail server becomes unusable if riverside , karthur , kolya , shang , or hogwarts go down; in other words, the mail server depends on at least five other boxes being up. I think it's better to go through the pain of making this switch, have the mail server be independent of the workgroup servers, and having more reliable access to mail. | ||||||||
Deleted: | ||||||||
< < | By when do we have to do this?As of Dec-2008, I have not scheduled a date to make this switch. I've seen how long it takes me to move my own mail (about ten minutes); I want to see how long it takes for other people to do it. | |||||||
Can't you do this automatically, without getting getting each user involved?I wish I could. It would be much simpler for both me and everyone else if I could come up with an automated procedure for moving the files. | ||||||||
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Can't you do this for me? | ||||||||
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< < | I will manually go through the procedure below with those people who do not have the technical skill to login to their Nevis accounts: the administrative staff and the staff who work in the electronics building. | |||||||
> > | I will manually go through the procedure above with those people who do not have the technical skill to login to their Nevis accounts: the administrative staff and the staff who work in the electronics building. | |||||||
If you know how to login, I ask that you make the change yourself.
What will happen if I don't go through all these instructions? | ||||||||
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< < |
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> > |
What about other mail files?If you look at the page on mail-related files, you'll see that there are other files in addition to.subscriptions and your IMAP files that affect the mail server. Do these files have to be moved as well?
It turns out that the answer is no. Files like ~/.forward , ~/.procmailrc , and ~/.spamassassin/user_prefs are accessed by the mail server in read-only mode. If the mail server can't find them because your home directory isn't available, there are no significant delays. The only difference is that, if your home directory isn't there, those files can't affect mail processing; e.g., your mail won't be forwarded or filtered as you prefer. | |||||||
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> > | alpine | |||||||
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< < | What do we have to do? | |||||||
> > |
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-- WilliamSeligman - 29 Dec 2008 |
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> > |
IMAP file switchThis page discusses moving your IMAP mail files to the Nevis mail server![]() ![]()
BackgroundWhy do we have to make this change?We've all seen it happen: one of the Nevis workgroup servers![]() ![]()
Why wasn't it done this way before?Actually, it was. Before 2003, all of Nevis' computer services were stored on one computer,nevis1 . It was both our central login system and our mail server. Each user's mail files were stored in their home directory.
When we de-centralized and moved to the Nevis Linux cluster![]() ![]() ![]() What if the mail server goes down?If it does, then you can't read your mail... but that will always be true, whether we make this change or not. In the current environment, the mail server becomes unusable ifriverside , karthur , kolya , shang , or hogwarts go down; in other words, the mail server depends on at least five other boxes being up. I think it's better to go through the pain of making this switch, have the mail server be independent of the workgroup servers, and having more reliable access to mail.
By when do we have to do this?As of Dec-2008, I have not scheduled a date to make this switch. I've seen how long it takes me to move my own mail (about ten minutes); I want to see how long it takes for other people to do it.Can't you do this automatically, without getting getting each user involved?I wish I could. It would be much simpler for both me and everyone else if I could come up with an automated procedure for moving the files. Unfortunately, there are reasons why an automated solution is too complicated:
Can't you do this for me?I will manually go through the procedure below with those people who do not have the technical skill to login to their Nevis accounts: the administrative staff and the staff who work in the electronics building. If you know how to login, I ask that you make the change yourself.What will happen if I don't go through all these instructions?
What do we have to do?-- WilliamSeligman - 29 Dec 2008 |