backdown mail

backdown mail [OPTIONS] <COMMAND>

backdown mail merge#

Merge copies of the same mailbox taken at different times (Maildir, mbox files, a Thunderbird folder, or whole mail stores, mailbox by mailbox) into one Maildir: every message once by Message-ID, in the folder the newest copy has it in, flags combined. The sources are only read.

backdown mail merge [OPTIONS] --to <TO> <SOURCES>...

Arguments#

<SOURCES>...

The copies of the mailbox: Maildirs, mbox files, Thunderbird account folders, or whole mail stores (folders of Maildirs), in any order. They are only read.

Options#

--to <TO>

The merged Maildir: a new folder (running again carries on where it stopped).

--dry-run

Read everything and show what the merge would be, writing nothing.

--json

Print it as JSON, for scripts.

backdown mail export#

Export one Maildir folder (its own messages, not its subfolders) as an mbox file (mboxrd)

backdown mail export [OPTIONS] --mbox <MBOX> <MAILDIR>

Arguments#

<MAILDIR>

The Maildir folder to export (its own messages, not its subfolders).

Options#

--mbox <MBOX>

The mbox file to write (never overwritten).

All of them also take the global options --db and --local.

Good to know#

Messages are matched by Message-ID and body (or, without a Message-ID, by headers and body); each lands in the folder the newest copy has it in, with read, replied and flagged marks combined. The destination must be new or empty; it becomes a Maildir++ mailbox. Every message is written, read back and journaled; an interrupted merge carries on when run again. Dovecot mdbox and sdbox aren't read yet. export never overwrites the mbox file. merge exits 2 when some messages failed.

Examples#

# what the merge would be (writes nothing)
backdown mail merge /media/old-drive/Mail/Inbox /media/laptop-2012/Mail/Inbox --to /media/archive/Mail/merged --dry-run
backdown mail merge /media/old-drive/Mail/Inbox /media/laptop-2012/Mail/Inbox --to /media/archive/Mail/merged
backdown mail export /media/archive/Mail/merged --mbox /media/archive/Mail/inbox.mbox

See also#

• Merge mailboxes