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@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ NAME
VERSION
This documentation refers to Imapsync $Revision: 1.882 $
This documentation refers to Imapsync $Revision: 1.945 $
USAGE
@ -41,44 +41,59 @@ DESCRIPTION
another.
Imapsync command is a tool allowing incremental and recursive imap
transfers from one mailbox to another.
transfers from one mailbox to another. If you don't understand the
previous sentence, it's normal, it's pedantic computer oriented jargon.
By default all folders are transferred, recursively, meaning the whole
folder hierarchy is taken, all messages in them, and all messages flags
(\Seen \Answered \Flagged etc.) are synced too.
All folders are transferred, recursively, meaning the whole folder
hierarchy is taken, all messages in them, and all messages flags (\Seen
\Answered \Flagged etc.) are synced too.
Imapsync reduces the amount of data transferred by not transferring a
given message if it resides already on both sides.
given message if it already resides on the destination side. Messages
that are on the destination side but not on the source side stay as they
are (see the --delete2 option to have a strict sync).
Same specific headers and the transfer is done only once. By default,
the identification headers are "Message-Id:" and "Received:" lines but
this choice can be changed with the --useheader option.
How imapsync knows a message is already on both sides? Same specific
headers and the transfer is done only once. By default, the
identification headers are "Message-Id:" and "Received:" lines but this
choice can be changed with the --useheader option.
All flags are preserved, unread messages will stay unread, read ones
will stay read, deleted will stay deleted.
You can stop the transfer at any time and restart it later, imapsync
works well with bad connections and interruptions, by design.
You can abort the transfer at any time and restart it later, imapsync
works well with bad connections and interruptions, by design. On a
terminal hit Ctr-c twice within two seconds in order to abort the
program. Hit Ctr-c just once makes imapsync reconnect to both imap
servers.
You can decide to delete the messages from the source mailbox after a
successful transfer, it can be a good feature when migrating live
mailboxes since messages will be only on one side.
In that case, use the --delete1 option. Option --delete1 implies also
option --expunge1 so all messages marked deleted on host1 will be really
deleted.
You can also decide to remove empty folders once all of their messages
have been transferred. Add --delete1emptyfolders to obtain this
behavior.
A different scenario is synchronizing a mailbox B from another mailbox A
in case you just want to keep a "live" copy of A in B.
A classical scenario is synchronizing a mailbox B from another mailbox A
in case you just want to keep a strict copy of A in B. Strict meaning
all messages in A will be in B but no more.
For this, option --delete2 has to be used, it deletes messages in host2
folder B that are not in host1 folder A. If you also need to destroy
host2 folders that are not in host1 then use --delete2folders. See also
--delete2foldersonly and --delete2foldersbutnot.
--delete2foldersonly and --delete2foldersbutnot to set up exceptions on
folders to destroy (INBOX will never be destroy, it's a mandatory folder
in IMAP).
A different scenario is to delete the messages from the source mailbox
after a successful transfer, it can be a good feature when migrating
mailboxes since messages will be only on one side. The source account
will only have messages that are not on the destination yet, ie,
messages that arrived after a sync or that failed to be copied.
In that case, use the --delete1 option. Option --delete1 implies also
option --expunge1 so all messages marked deleted on host1 will be really
deleted. In IMAP protocol deleting a message does not really delete it,
it marks it with the flag \Deleted, allowing an undelete. Expunging a
folder removes, definitively, all the messages marked as \Deleted in
this folder.
You can also decide to remove empty folders once all of their messages
have been transferred. Add --delete1emptyfolders to obtain this
behavior.
Imapsync is not adequate for maintaining two active imap accounts in
synchronization when the user plays independently on both sides. Use
@ -89,9 +104,9 @@ OPTIONS
usage: imapsync [options]
Mandatory options are the six values, three on each sides, needed to log
in into the IMAP servers, ie, a host, a username, and a password, two
times.
Standard options are the six values forming the credentials, three on
each sides, needed to log in into the IMAP servers, ie, a host, a
username, and a password, two times.
Conventions used:
@ -100,31 +115,36 @@ OPTIONS
reg means regular expression
cmd means command
--dry : Makes imapsync doing nothing for real, just print what
--dry : Makes imapsync doing nothing for real, just print what
would be done without --dry.
OPTIONS/credentials
--host1 str : Source or "from" imap server. Mandatory.
--port1 int : Port to connect on host1.
Optional since default port is 143 or 993 if --ssl1
--user1 str : User to login on host1. Mandatory.
--host1 str : Source or "from" imap server.
--port1 int : Port to connect on host1.
Optional since default ports are the
well known ports 143 or 993.
--user1 str : User to login on host1.
--password1 str : Password for the user1.
--host2 str : "destination" imap server. Mandatory.
--port2 int : Port to connect on host2.
Optional since default port is 143 or 993 if --ssl2
--user2 str : User to login on host2. Mandatory.
--host2 str : "destination" imap server.
--port2 int : Port to connect on host2. Optional
--user2 str : User to login on host2.
--password2 str : Password for the user2.
--showpasswords : Shows passwords on output instead of "MASKED".
Useful to restart a complete run by just reading the log,
or to debug passwords. It's not a secure practice.
Useful to restart a complete run by just reading
the command line used in the log,
or to debug passwords.
It's not a secure practice.
--passfile1 str : Password file for the user1. It must contain the
password on the first line. This option avoids to show
password on the first line. This option avoids showing
the password on the command line like --password1 does.
--passfile2 str : Password file for the user2. Contains the password.
--passfile2 str : Password file for the user2.
You can also pass the passwords in the environment variables
IMAPSYNC_PASSWORD1 and IMAPSYNC_PASSWORD2
OPTIONS/encryption
@ -187,8 +207,9 @@ OPTIONS
--nomixfolders : Do not merge folders when host1 is case-sensitive
while host2 is not (like Exchange). Only the first
similar folder is synced (ex: with Sent SENT sent
on host1 only Sent will be synced to host2).
similar folder is synced (example: with folders
"Sent", "SENT" and "sent"
on host1 only "Sent" will be synced to host2).
--skipemptyfolders : Empty host1 folders are not created on host2.
@ -207,10 +228,22 @@ OPTIONS
--f1f2 str1=str2 : Force folder str1 to be synced to str2,
--f1f2 overrides --automap and --regextrans2.
--subfolder2 str : Move whole host1 folders hierarchy under this
host2 folder str .
It does it by adding two --regextrans2 options before
all others. Add --debug to see what's really going on.
--subfolder2 str : Syncs the whole host1 folders hierarchy under the
host2 folder named str.
It does it internally by adding three
--regextrans2 options before all others.
Add --debug to see what's really going on.
--subfolder1 str : Syncs the host1 folders hierarchy under str
to the root hierarchy of host2.
It's the couterpart of a sync done by --subfolder2
when doing it in the reverse order.
Backup/Restore scenario:
Use --subfolder2 str for a backup to the folder str
on host2. Then use --subfolder1 str for restoring
from the folder str, after inverting
host1/host2 user1/user2 values.
--subscribed : Transfers subscribed folders.
--subscribe : Subscribe to the folders transferred on the
@ -219,28 +252,36 @@ OPTIONS
host2 even if they are not subscribed on host1.
--prefix1 str : Remove prefix str to all destination folders,
usually INBOX. or INBOX/ or an empty string "".
usually "INBOX." or "INBOX/" or an empty string "".
imapsync guesses the prefix if host1 imap server
does not have NAMESPACE capability. This option
does not have NAMESPACE capability. So this option
should not be used, most of the time.
--prefix2 str : Add prefix to all host2 folders. See --prefix1
--sep1 str : Host1 separator in case NAMESPACE is not supported.
--sep2 str : Host2 separator in case NAMESPACE is not supported.
--sep1 str : Host1 separator. This option should not be used,
most of the time.
Imapsync gets the separator from the server itself,
by using NAMESPACE, or it tries to guess it
from the folders listing (it counts
characters / . \\ \ in folder names and choose the
more frequent, or finally / if nothing is found.
--sep2 str : Host2 separator.
--regextrans2 reg : Apply the whole regex to each destination folders.
--regextrans2 reg : and this one. etc.
When you play with the --regextrans2 option, first
add also the safe options --dry --justfolders
Then, when happy, remove --dry, remove --justfolders.
Have in mind that --regextrans2 is applied after prefix
and separator inversion. For examples see
Have in mind that --regextrans2 is applied after
the automatic prefix and separator inversion.
For examples see:
https://imapsync.lamiral.info/FAQ.d/FAQ.Folders_Mapping.txt
OPTIONS/folders sizes
--nofoldersizes : Do not calculate the size of each folder at the
beginning of the sync. Default is to calculate them.
--nofoldersizesatend: Do not calculate the size of each folder at the
--nofoldersizesatend: Do not calculate the size of each folder at the
end of the sync. Default is to calculate them.
--justfoldersizes : Exit after having printed the initial folder sizes.
@ -272,7 +313,14 @@ OPTIONS
--pipemess cmd : Apply this cmd command to each message content
before the copy.
--pipemess cmd : and this one, etc.
--pipemess cmd : and this one, etc.
With several --pipemess, the output of each cmd
command (STDOUT) is given to the input (STDIN)
of the next command.
For example,
--pipemess cmd1 --pipemess cmd2 --pipemess cmd3
is like a Unix pipe:
"cat message | cmd1 | cmd2 | cmd3"
--disarmreadreceipts : Disarms read receipts (host2 Exchange issue)
@ -282,6 +330,9 @@ OPTIONS
OPTIONS/flags
If you encounter flag problems see also:
https://imapsync.lamiral.info/FAQ.d/FAQ.Flags.txt
--regexflag reg : Apply the whole regex to each flags list.
Example: 's/"Junk"//g' # to remove "Junk" flag.
--regexflag reg : then this one, etc.
@ -289,7 +340,7 @@ OPTIONS
--resyncflags : Resync flags for already transferred messages.
On by default.
--noresyncflags : Do not resync flags for already transferred messages.
May be useful when a user has already started to play
May be useful when a user has already started to play
with its host2 account.
OPTIONS/deletions
@ -300,19 +351,26 @@ OPTIONS
\Deleted, then messages are really deleted with an
EXPUNGE IMAP command. If expunging after each message
slows down too much the sync then use
--noexpungeaftereach to speed up.
--noexpungeaftereach to speed up, expunging will then be
done only twice per folder, one at the beginning and
one at the end of a folder sync.
--expunge1 : Expunge messages on host1 just before syncing a folder.
Expunge is done per folder.
Expunge aims is to really delete messages marked deleted.
An expunge is also done after each message copied
if option --delete1 is set.
if option --delete1 is set (unless --noexpungeaftereach).
--noexpunge1 : Do not expunge messages on host1.
--delete1emptyfolders : Deletes empty folders on host1, INBOX excepted.
Useful with --delete1 since what remains on host1
is only what failed to be synced.
--delete2 : Delete messages in host2 that are not in
host1 server. Useful for backup or pre-sync.
--delete2 implies --uidexpunge2
--delete2duplicates : Delete messages in host2 that are duplicates.
Works only without --useuid since duplicates are
detected with an header part of each message.
@ -320,30 +378,33 @@ OPTIONS
--delete2folders : Delete folders in host2 that are not in host1 server.
For safety, first try it like this (it is safe):
--delete2folders --dry --justfolders --nofoldersizes
--delete2foldersonly reg : Deleted only folders matching regex.
Example: --delete2foldersonly "/^Junk$|^INBOX.Junk$/"
--delete2foldersbutnot reg : Do not delete folders matching regex.
Example: --delete2foldersbutnot "/Tasks$|Contacts$|Foo$/"
--expunge2 : Expunge messages on host2 after messages transfer.
--uidexpunge2 : uidexpunge messages on the host2 account
that are not on the host1 account, requires --delete2
--noexpunge2 : Do not expunge messages on host2.
--nouidexpunge2 : Do not uidexpunge messages on the host2 account
that are not on the host1 account.
OPTIONS/dates
If you encounter problems with dates, see also:
https://imapsync.lamiral.info/FAQ.d/FAQ.Dates.txt
--syncinternaldates : Sets the internal dates on host2 same as host1.
Turned on by default. Internal date is the date
a message arrived on a host (mtime).
a message arrived on a host (Unix mtime).
--idatefromheader : Sets the internal dates on host2 same as the
"Date:" headers.
If you encounter problems with dates see also
https://imapsync.lamiral.info/FAQ.d/FAQ.Dates.txt
ones in "Date:" headers.
OPTIONS/message selection
--maxsize int : Skip messages larger (or equal) than int bytes
--minsize int : Skip messages smaller (or equal) than int bytes
--maxage int : Skip messages older than int days.
--maxage int : Skip messages older than int days.
final stats (skipped) don't count older messages
see also --minage
--minage int : Skip messages newer than int days.
@ -358,7 +419,7 @@ OPTIONS
command. Applied on both sides.
For a complete of what can be search see
https://imapsync.lamiral.info/FAQ.d/FAQ.Messages_Selection.txt
--search1 str : Same as --search but for selecting host1 messages only.
--search2 str : Same as --search but for selecting host2 messages only.
--search CRIT equals --search1 CRIT --search2 CRIT
@ -374,7 +435,7 @@ OPTIONS
--usecache : Use cache to speed up the sync.
--nousecache : Do not use cache. Caveat: --useuid --nousecache creates
duplicates on multiple runs.
--useuid : Use UIDs instead of headers as a criterium to recognize
--useuid : Use UIDs instead of headers as a criterion to recognize
messages. Option --usecache is then implied unless
--nousecache is used.
@ -382,7 +443,14 @@ OPTIONS
--syncacls : Synchronizes acls (Access Control Lists).
--nosyncacls : Does not synchronize acls. This is the default.
Acls in IMAP are not standardized, be careful.
Acls in IMAP are not standardized, be careful
since one acl code on one side may signify something
else on the other one.
--addheader : When a message has no headers to be identified,
--addheader adds a "Message-Id" header,
like "Message-Id: 12345@imapsync", where 12345
is the imap UID of the message on the host1 folder.
OPTIONS/debugging
@ -407,40 +475,49 @@ OPTIONS
--gmail1 : sets --host1 to Gmail and options from FAQ.Gmail.txt
--gmail2 : sets --host2 to Gmail and options from FAQ.Gmail.txt
--office1 : sets --host1 to Office365 options from FAQ.Exchange.txt
--office2 : sets --host2 to Office365 options from FAQ.Exchange.txt
--exchange1 : sets options from FAQ.Exchange.txt, account1 part
--exchange2 : sets options from FAQ.Exchange.txt, account2 part
--domino1 : sets options from FAQ.Domino.txt, account1 part
--domino2 : sets options from FAQ.Domino.txt, account2 part
OPTIONS/behavior
--maxmessagespersecond int : limits the number of messages transferred per second.
--maxbytespersecond int : limits the average transfer rate per second.
--maxbytesafter int : starts --maxbytespersecond limitation only after
--maxbytesafter int : starts --maxbytespersecond limitation only after
--maxbytesafter amount of data transferred.
--maxsleep int : do not sleep more than int seconds.
On by default, 2 seconds max, like --maxsleep 2
--abort : terminates a previous call still running.
--abort : terminates a previous call still running.
It uses the pidfile to know what process to abort.
--exitwhenover int : Stop syncing when total bytes transferred reached.
--exitwhenover int : Stop syncing and exits when int total bytes
transferred is reached.
--version : Print only software version.
--noreleasecheck : Do not check for new imapsync release (a http request).
--releasecheck : Check for new imapsync release (a http request).
--noreleasecheck : Do not check for new imapsync release
--releasecheck : Check for new imapsync release.
it's an http request to
http://imapsync.lamiral.info/prj/imapsync/VERSION
--noid : Do not send/receive ID command to imap servers.
--justconnect : Just connect to both servers and print useful
information. Need only --host1 and --host2 options.
Obsolete since "imapsync --host1 imaphost" alone
implies --justconnect
--justlogin : Just login to both host1 and host2 with users
credentials, then exit.
--justfolders : Do only things about folders (ignore messages).
--help : print this help.
@ -457,18 +534,21 @@ OPTIONS
SECURITY
You can use --passfile1 instead of --password1 to give the password
since it is safer. With --password1 option, any user on your host can
see the password by using the 'ps auxwwww' command. Using a variable
(like $PASSWORD1) is also dangerous because of the 'ps auxwwwwe'
command. So, saving the password in a well protected file (600 or
rw-------) is the best solution.
since it is safer. With --password1 option, on Linux, any user on your
host can see the password by using the 'ps auxwwww' command. Using a
variable (like IMAPSYNC_PASSWORD1) is also dangerous because of the 'ps
auxwwwwe' command. So, saving the password in a well protected file (600
or rw-------) is the best solution.
Imapsync activates ssl or tls encryption by default, if possible. What
detailed behavior is under this "if possible"? Imapsync activates ssl if
the well known port imaps port (993) is open on the imap servers. If the
imaps port is closed then it open a normal (clear) connection on port
143 but it looks for TLS support in the CAPABILITY list of the servers.
If TLS is supported then imapsync goes to encryption.
Imapsync activates ssl or tls encryption by default, if possible.
What detailed behavior is under this "if possible"?
Imapsync activates ssl if the well known port imaps port (993) is open
on the imap servers. If the imaps port is closed then it open a normal
(clear) connection on port 143 but it looks for TLS support in the
CAPABILITY list of the servers. If TLS is supported then imapsync goes
to encryption.
If the automatic ssl/tls detection fails then imapsync will not protect
against sniffing activities on the network, especially for passwords.
@ -481,7 +561,25 @@ SECURITY
EXIT STATUS
Imapsync will exit with a 0 status (return code) if everything went
good. Otherwise, it exits with a non-zero status.
good. Otherwise, it exits with a non-zero status. Here is the list of
the exit code values (an integer between 0 and 255), the names reflects
their meaning:
EX_OK => 0 ; #/* successful termination */
EX_USAGE => 64 ; #/* command line usage error */
EX_NOINPUT => 66 ; #/* cannot open input */
EX_UNAVAILABLE => 69 ; #/* service unavailable */
EX_SOFTWARE => 70 ; #/* internal software error */
EXIT_CATCH_ALL => 1 ; # Any other error
EXIT_BY_SIGNAL => 6 ; # Should be 128+n where n is the sig_num
EXIT_PID_FILE_ERROR => 8 ;
EXIT_CONNECTION_FAILURE => 10 ;
EXIT_TLS_FAILURE => 12 ;
EXIT_AUTHENTICATION_FAILURE => 16 ;
EXIT_SUBFOLDER1_NO_EXISTS => 21 ;
EXIT_WITH_ERRORS => 111 ;
EXIT_WITH_ERRORS_MAX => 112 ;
EXIT_TESTS_FAILED => 254 ; # Like Test::More API
LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT
@ -496,13 +594,14 @@ LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT
"No limits to do anything with this work and this license."
https://imapsync.lamiral.info/LICENSE
Look at https://imapsync.lamiral.info/LICENSE
AUTHOR
Gilles LAMIRAL <gilles@lamiral.info>
Feedback good or bad is very often welcome.
Good feedback good is always welcome. Bad feedback is very often
welcome.
Gilles LAMIRAL earns his living by writing, installing, configuring and
teaching free, open and often gratis software. Imapsync used to be
@ -520,10 +619,6 @@ IMAP SERVERS supported
HUGE MIGRATION
Pay special attention to options --subscribed --subscribe --delete1
--delete1emptyfolders --delete2 --delete2folders --maxage --minage
--maxsize --useuid --usecache
If you have many mailboxes to migrate think about a little shell
program. Write a file called file.txt (for example) containing users and
passwords. The separator used in this example is ';'
@ -557,14 +652,14 @@ HUGE MIGRATION
INSTALL
Imapsync works under any Unix with perl.
Imapsync works under any Unix with Perl.
Imapsync works under most Windows (2000, XP, Vista, Seven, Eight, Ten
and all Server releases 2000, 2003, 2008 and R2, 2012 and R2)
and all Server releases 2000, 2003, 2008 and R2, 2012 and R2, 2016)
as a standalone binary software called imapsync.exe,
usually launched from a batch file in order to avoid always typing
usually launched from a batch file in order to avoid always typing
the options.
Imapsync works under OS X as a standalone binary
software called imapsync_bin_Darwin
@ -598,38 +693,54 @@ SIMILAR SOFTWARE
See also https://imapsync.lamiral.info/S/external.shtml
for a better up to date list.
imap_tools : https://github.com/andrewnimmo/rick-sanders-imap-tools
offlineimap : https://github.com/nicolas33/offlineimap
Doveadm-Sync : http://wiki2.dovecot.org/Tools/Doveadm/Sync
( Dovecot sync tool )
mbsync : http://isync.sourceforge.net/
mailsync : http://mailsync.sourceforge.net/
mailutil : http://www.washington.edu/imap/
part of the UW IMAP tookit.
imaprepl : http://www.bl0rg.net/software/
http://freecode.com/projects/imap-repl/
imapcopy : http://www.ardiehl.de/imapcopy/
migrationtool : http://sourceforge.net/projects/migrationtool/
imapmigrate : http://sourceforge.net/projects/cyrus-utils/
wonko_imapsync: http://wonko.com/article/554
see also file W/tools/wonko_ruby_imapsync
exchange-away : http://exchange-away.sourceforge.net/
pop2imap : http://www.linux-france.org/prj/pop2imap/
Last updated and verified on Thu Apr 11, 2019.
Feedback (good or bad) will often be welcome.
imapsync : https://github.com/imapsync/imapsync
(this is an imapsync copy, sometimes delayed,
with --noreleasecheck by default since release 1.592, 2014/05/22)
imap_tools : https://web.archive.org/web/20161228145952/http://www.athensfbc.com/imap_tools/
The imap_tools code is now at
https://github.com/andrewnimmo/rick-sanders-imap-tools
imaputils : https://github.com/mtsatsenko/imaputils (very old imap_tools fork)
Doveadm-Sync : https://wiki2.dovecot.org/Tools/Doveadm/Sync ( Dovecot sync tool )
davmail : http://davmail.sourceforge.net/
offlineimap : http://offlineimap.org/
mbsync : http://isync.sourceforge.net/
mailsync : http://mailsync.sourceforge.net/
mailutil : http://www.washington.edu/imap/ part of the UW IMAP tookit.
imaprepl : https://bl0rg.net/software/ http://freecode.com/projects/imap-repl/
imapcopy (Pascal): http://www.ardiehl.de/imapcopy/
imapcopy (Java) : https://code.google.com/archive/p/imapcopy/
imapsize : http://www.broobles.com/imapsize/
migrationtool : http://sourceforge.net/projects/migrationtool/
imapmigrate : http://sourceforge.net/projects/cyrus-utils/
larch : https://github.com/rgrove/larch (derived from wonko_imapsync, good at Gmail)
wonko_imapsync : http://wonko.com/article/554 (superseded by larch)
pop2imap : http://www.linux-france.org/prj/pop2imap/ (I wrote that too)
exchange-away : http://exchange-away.sourceforge.net/
SyncBackPro : http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/sbpro.html
ImapSyncClient : https://github.com/ridaamirini/ImapSyncClient
MailStore : https://www.mailstore.com/en/products/mailstore-home/
mnIMAPSync : https://github.com/manusa/mnIMAPSync
imap-upload : http://imap-upload.sourceforge.net/
(a tool for uploading a local mbox file to IMAP4 server)
HISTORY
I wrote imapsync because an enterprise (basystemes) paid me to install a
new imap server without losing huge old mailboxes located in a far away
remote imap server, accessible by a low-bandwidth often broken link. The
tool imapcp (written in python) could not help me because I had to
verify every mailbox was well transferred, and then delete it after a
good transfer. Imapsync started its life as a patch of the
copy_folder.pl script. The script copy_folder.pl comes from the
Mail-IMAPClient-2.1.3 perl module tarball source (more precisely in the
examples/ directory of the Mail-IMAPClient tarball). So many happened
since then that I wonder if it remains any lines of the original
copy_folder.pl in imapsync source code.
I initially wrote imapsync in July 2001 because an enterprise,
basystemes, paid me to install a new imap server without losing huge old
mailboxes located in a far away remote imap server, accessible by an
often broken low-bandwidth ISDN link.
I had to verify every mailbox was well transferred, all folders, all
messages, without wasting bandwidth or creating duplicates upon resyncs.
The design was made with the beautiful rsync command in mind.
Imapsync started its life as a patch of the copy_folder.pl script. The
script copy_folder.pl comes from the Mail-IMAPClient-2.1.3 perl module
tarball source (more precisely in the examples/ directory of the
Mail-IMAPClient tarball).
So many happened since then that I wonder if it remains any lines of the
original copy_folder.pl in imapsync source code.
````