Fast way of copying IMAP to IMAP on CentOS

Question

I'm trying to copy of IMAP emails from one server to my new server but after Googling for hours and trying several tools, nothing is working. Is there a tool that actually works?

I am copying hundreds of thousands of emails so using a email client is out of the question, I tried it, and at the rate of a email per 2 seconds, it would take a few weeks or months!

www.linux-france.org/prj/imapsync/ is commonly mentioned, however, the tool is no longer available.

I tried www.athensfbc.com/imap_tools/ which just hangs and does nothing.

Any migration tools that work?

score 6 · Answer 1 · edited Oct 05 '13 at 11:10

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You can use IMAPSync - http://imapsync.lamiral.info/

It works wonderfully for batch migrations...

edited Oct 05 '13 at 11:10

Marco Demaio

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answered Apr 14 '11 at 21:23

ewwhite

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score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 15 '11 at 12:16

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I think I might have gotten it to work [...] used the imapsync.pl tool instead

I see what the problem is. There is a bug in imapcopy.pl that comes into play when the source and destination mailbox hierarchy prefixes are both "Inbox.". I have fixed it and posted the new version at http://www.athensfbc.com/imap-tools.

imapsync.pl does not have that problem.

-Rick

answered Apr 15 '11 at 12:16

Rick Sanders

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This linked content is offline – Jakob Alexander Eichler May 03 '17 at 06:04
This happens with old links. I'd also like an updated link, or if someone has found another method of migrating a mail server to another mail server using an IMAP to IMAP data transfer. – Bill Jun 06 '18 at 20:32

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 14 '11 at 21:18

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I have heard good things about offline IMAP (http://offlineimap.org/) Not personally used it, but I know someone that has and he was very pleased with it

answered Apr 14 '11 at 21:18

Jon Reeves

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score 1 · Answer 4 · edited Apr 15 '11 at 07:55

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I tried www.athensfbc.com/imap_tools/ which just hangs and does nothing.

I'm the author of those tools. I assume you ran imapcopy.pl?

Try running it in debug mode with the -d and -I arguments and please update your original question with the results. That will hopefully give an indication of why it is hanging.

edited Apr 15 '11 at 07:55

Ben Pilbrow

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answered Apr 15 '11 at 04:59

Rick Sanders

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Hey Rick, I used the imapcopy.pl first, however, it generates error messages and nothing is copied: http://snipt.org/xggO, I tried to use the imapsync.pl tool, but it freezes and takes 100% of the CPU and produces no debug messages. – cappuccino Apr 15 '11 at 06:44
I think I might have gotten it to work, i deleted my destination IMAP account, recreated it, created all the folders from source manually and used the imapsync.pl tool instead – cappuccino Apr 15 '11 at 07:01

score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 15 '11 at 08:58

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If you are using Maildir, theres no reason why you cant just scp them.

HTH

answered Apr 15 '11 at 08:58

Brent

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More to the point, if you are not changing mailbox formats, scp will be much faster for all file based formats. – Jeff Strunk Apr 15 '11 at 21:26

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Apr 18 '11 at 17:34

if you are using the same imap backend, and rsync with compression (-avzr) maintaining permisions/dates is your best option.

if you are copying using the imap protocol because are changing imap backend:

my strategy:

i use Imapcopy (http://home.arcor.de/armin.diehl/imapcopy/imapcopy.html) for this process, with this tool i need a text file with user/passwords and folders to exclude from copy

i generate 10 files for imapcopy, to paralelize the copy operation via IMAP, and launch the files.

i did migrate from/to ms-exchange/dovecot/courier/cyrus for years with this procedure without problems (btw my preferable destination imap backend, cyrus)

i only did have problems with older Lotus Domino versions, this one serialize their IMAP operations and the procedure don't work.

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered May 31 '16 at 09:52

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I used Java program imapcopy. And it beats all other ways off.

answered May 31 '16 at 09:52

George Gaál

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Fast way of copying IMAP to IMAP on CentOS

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