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Thunderbird with Subdirectories under IMAP

uw-imap limitations

Notes This documentation assumes we are
  • Using Thunderbird 1.5 or newer client (see Help Menu -> About) to check version
  • We are using uw-imap (That's University of Washington's IMAP)
  • Limitations of uw-imap:
    • uw-imap can only copy messages from one message folder to another (these so called folders are actually files in the Unix sense)
    • There are two types of "folders"
      • "folders that contain folders" - these are actually Unix directories
      • "folders that contain messages" (we'll call "message folders") - these are actually single Unix files that store all of the messages in them
    • Messages can only be copied from one "message folder" to another - and NOT to a directory by itself!
    • Note because uw-imap forces you to keep track of which is which, I suggest using ".dir" suffix on "folders that contain folders" (Unix directories) to make navigation easier

Configuring Thunderbird to allow folders within folders under IMAP

Configuration

  • Open Tools MENU and Open Account Settings
  • Click on Server Settings for your account
  • Pick the Advanced Button to the lower right
  • Turn OFF Server supports folders that contain sub-folders and messages (yes - no kidding!)
Server Advanced Subfolders

Making Folders (True Directories in the Unix sense)

  • Right Click on your IMAP account and pick New Folder
    make newfolder
  • Click on Folders Only and enter a name such as myfolder.dir - Click OK
    * myfolder:
    myfolder
    I strongly suggest using .dir as an extension

Making Message Folders (an object such as a Unix file that stores messages)

  • Right Click on your new folder such as myfolder.dir and Pick New Folder
  • Click on Messages Only and enter a name such as mymessages - Click OK
    mymessages

Making folders within folders True Directories in the Unix sense)

  • Right Click on your new folder (myfolder.dir) and pick New Folder
    make_mysubfolder
  • Click on Folders Only and enter a name such as mysubfolder.dir - Click OK
    I strongly suggest using .dir as an extension
    mysubfolder2

Results

  • Here is what the folder view looks like in Thunderbird for the folders and message folders we created
    results

Important Notes about using Folders and Message Folders

  • You can NOT copy messages to folder (a unix folder) you must make a message folder in the folder first
    (one that ONLY has messages)

Manually Creating Directories on the server

The work around to create directories is "fairly easy" now with the updated Thunderbird

Assumptions

  • I assume your mail directory on your mail server is under your home directory under Mail
    • In Thunderbird you verify this by doing the following steps
      • Tools > Account Settings
      • Pick Server Settings under your account on the left
      • Pick the Advanced Button on lower right
      • Check to See where "IMAP server directory" points to - ideally it should say Mail or some non blank directory (otherwise mail will end under in your home directory!)

Steps

  • Close Thunderbird so it won't get confused by this next steps
  • Log into the machine hosting your email (ie SSH , xterm, telnet ...)
  • Change to your Mail folder (or the folder determined above)
  • Create directories and sub directories (as many levels deep as you wish) in this folder to hold messages by the categories you want - I strongly suggest using a ".dir" suffix - it will help later to distinguish between "real" Unix folders and your mail files.
  • Add all of these directories names (with full path relative to your home directory) to your .mailbox list file in your home directory
  • Open Thunderbird - you can now drag mail folders into the new Unix folders your created - these have the ".dir" suffix I suggested
    • (ie mail folders = a unix file that has your messages in them - but for reasons unknown to the rest of the world are called folders - sigh*)

-- MikeGore - 14 Feb 2006

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Topic revision: r6 - 2006-02-17 - LawrenceFolland
 
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