[plug] Mail questions

[Bernd Felsche]

On Fri, 13 Mar 2015 19:26:48 Richard Meyer wrote:
> For about 4 centuries (conservatively estimated), I have been using
> Evolution as my mail agent.
> 
> Since I am a KDE fan, I have been wondering why I have been doing so,
> and came to the conclusion that I really don't need this heavy-duty
> (de Icaza inspired) agent.
> 
> I set up an experimental machine so that I could try other email
> agents and check out importing evolution data into them ...

> Seems a bit disappointing that I am having huge problems with both
> Kmail and Thunderbird.
> Kmail import is just not able to do what I want - or maybe I'm using
> it wrong.

Later KMails are dependent upon heave back-end stuff like Akonadi.
I lost an important mail folder because Akonadi "synchonised" mail
folders in the wrong direction overnight after KMail was first used.
Quite *why* it would do that is still a mystery.

> Thunderbird doesn't seem to have ANY ability to import previous
> emails ....
> 
> So, to recap - I would like to import evolution email and address
> books into a more non-gnome, non-heavyweight client, preferably
> Thunderbird.

First thing you should do is to EXport your emails into an IMAP
server's store.  It saves a lot of headaches when moving from client
to client. I've run a local Cyrus-IMAP since 1288 BC. It doesn't
care if it's on the same host and keeps your emails client-agnostic.
Any email client worth using supports IMAP. Enable the appropriate
security for your network.

Other swear by Courier IMAP. Do what fits your mind best.

Contacts can, in theory also be transported. CSV is very risky for
that purpose. JSON or XML would be better but whatever you use, has
to suit the addressbook format. Setting up LDAP just for that
purpose is probably over-kill; unless you need the exercise.

-- 
/"\ Bernd Felsche - Somewhere in Western Australia
\ /  ASCII ribbon campaign | For every complex problem there is an
 X   against HTML mail     | answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.
/ \  and postings          |  --HL Mencken