From Sylpheed to gMail (and return)

Hello, this article describe a valid (?) and tested method for migrate your emails from Sylpheed to gMail. It's not an enterprise or official or end-user solution, it's an hack!

You can find more solutions here: http://www.squidoo.com/gmailoptions, but most of this solutions do not preserve original date of emails or work only under Windows or required 3parts software. Other good solution is here: http://www.marklyon.org/gmail/default.htm but do not support date preservation.

My solution preserve original date and, if you are comfortable on command line, it's simple to implement.

Indice dei contenuti

1 Overview
2 Motivations
3 Requirements

3.1 About connection, public IP and NAT

4 HOWTO

4.1 Problems

5 Return to Sylpheed
6 Notes

Overview

gMail allows to import emails from another account through POP3 protocol; you can add 1 to 5 POP accounts from Setting/Accounts. The basic idea of this solution is create a fake POP server on your local machine pointed on your Sylpheed directories tree. When gMail connects your fake POP server, it will receive your old emails.

Motivations

From 2003 I am a Sylpheed user. Recently I moved my domains on DreamHost.com, that it allows to use gMail as mail server. In a short time I loved gMail capabilities and I try to use only one gMail account for manage all my emails, but I need to extend gMail features to my old emails.

Requirements

patience
a gMail account
working Linux box with root password and PHP5
good bash and sysadmin skills (you need to know what you do)
some notions about PHP5
a populated Sylpheed directories tree
broadband connection with a public IP
allow to NAT port 110 from router to your Linux box
more patience

About connection, public IP and NAT

If you cannot use your machine, please consider to buy a virtual machine. For this topic I bought a 1-share VM from Gandi,net. Gandi is currently under beta testing, and you can buy a VM for less 8 EUR/month without automatic renew. It works very well and it's inexpensive! Gandi VM with Debian 4 provided all what you need.

HOWTO

This HOWTO is tested ONLY under Debian 4.

Shutdown Sylpheed and backup (IMPORTANT) all your emails.
Download this script: http://www.openclose.it/source/pop3d/pop3d.php.v0.1.txt
mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/popd
mv pop3.php.VERSION.txt /usr/local/bin/popd/pop3d.php
cd /usr/local/bin/popd/

Create a shell script called `pop3d' as follow:

#!/bin/bash
/usr/bin/php /usr/local/bin/popd/pop3d.php

chmod 777 pop3d
mkdir -p /var/mail/sylpheed
Copy your Sylpheed directories tree into /var/mail/sylpheed
Be sure /var/mail/sylpheed and all its sub directories are writable from nobody user. The quick, brutal and no secure way to do this is chmod -R 777 /var
Now edit /etc/inetd.conf and add the following line:
```
pop3 stream tcp nowait nobody /usr/local/bin/popd/pop3d pop3d
```
Please note, if on your machine is present another pop3 server you must disallow that!
~# inetd /etc/inetd.conf (restart inet)
Edit /usr/local/bin/popd/pop3d.php and modify this line
```
define("DirToPoint","/var/mail/sylpheed/inbox");
```
with the first Sylpheed directory you want import into gMail. You must repeat this step for any directory you want import (you need more patience, remember?).
Now you can test your POP3 server: ~# telnet 127.0.0.1 110 And on prompt digit POP3 commands: http://pages.prodigy.net/michael_santovec/pop3telnet.htm (you can use any user and pass values).\ You can follow your POP activities with ~# tail -f /tmp/pop.log

Now switch into your gMail accounts, and set new account as follow:
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=21288

Your parameters are:
Email address: as you wish
Username: as you wish
Password: as you wish
POP server: your IP 

Please mark:
- Label incoming messages: with as descriptive label (es. imported)
- Archive incoming messages: yes.

From now to when your stop your POP3 server gMail imports your old mails with the original date-time.

Problems

With this method I have imported about 6000 emails in few hours. Only one message has no original date, but it have strange characters onto headers. I have not investigated more.
gMail seems use multiple connections: is a disaster for my fake not full implemented POP3 server. Please, be careful /tmp/pop.lock.
If you want, you can change "descriptive label", but pay attention: gMail seems use a spool (or similar), and it could be generated wrong marks. Wait to see all your emails into gMail before change "descriptive label" and start new import.

Return to Sylpheed

I said I use Sylpheed. And It's true. Now all my emails are on gMail, then Google controls my data. Google is not evil, but it'sn't good in any way. The first step after importing is backup!

gMail allows to use IMAP protocol for manage emails with your preferred client, you can enable IMAP from Settings/Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab. Follow this instructions for setup IMAP account on your Sylpheed client:
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&ctx=mail&answer=75725

Now you can use gMail web mail or Sylpheed and your messages are safe!

Notes

Please note that the method described above is not secure, when it's run anybody can connects your POP3 server and slurp your messages. Please, consider to modify pop3d.php with a basic authentication method.

I used this method with Sylpheed, but potentially it could be used this all mail clients (it will require some pop3d.php modifications).