Having an Evolution and Mail notification Problem?

[Robin Laing]

Les Mikesell wrote:
> Robin Laing wrote:
> 
>>> Great Minds! That's exactly what I thought. Now I have to figure out how
>>> to import my evolution mail box and folders to Thunderbird. Wondering if
>>> just a copy would do it?? Couldn't get import to cut it and couldn't
>>> find an extension that would. I've got a pile of emails stored that I
>>> would rather keep.
>>> I just linked /opt/thunderbird/thunderbird to /usr/bin/thunderbird and
>>> it fires up like a champ. Thanks again, Ed. 
>>
>> Having gone through the mess I will try to help.
>>
>> Evolution does export mail in a TB usable mail box.  Select all the 
>> messages in a folder, right click and save as to a local mail box.
>>
>> As an example, I have to use Evolution to access our Exchange server. 
>> Before people start saying use Imap or Pop, our IT staff are not 
>> allowed to enable these features.
>>
>> I take my mail from the Inbox and move it to and Export folder.  I 
>> then select all the mail in the Export server.  I then right click and 
>> use "save as" and put the messages in
>> ~/.Thunderbird/{default}/Mail/Local/Import.
> 
> Why not fire up an imap server (on your own box if you don't need access 
> from multiple places or don't have anything else available).
> 

I would still need to use the OWA part of evolution.  There is hope 
though for Openchange.
http://wiki.openchange.org/index.php/OPENCHANGE-MAPI-FETCHMAIL

>> Take note, in Evolution, you have to mouse click on your home 
>> directory before if you don't want it to crash.  Then type in the rest 
>> of the path.
>>
>> I then use Thunderbird's filters to sort the mail.
>>
>> I tried Evolutions filters but I was shocked at how slow it was.  
>> Hours to get mail filtered that takes seconds on TB.  This could be 
>> due to the OWA interface.
> 
> I'd blame OWA here.  I haven't used evolution for a while but the 
> filters seemed OK when I did, using imap or local mailboxes.
> 
>> When I moved to Evolution for work, I moved all my mail to Evolution 
>> and then setup filters to do what I did in TB.  It was to slow to be 
>> useful so I moved everything back by saving all the messages in 
>> folders that were named the same as the original Evolution folders.  I 
>> then imported them as described above.
> 
> If you have an imap server available (and running fedora you obviously 
> could...), you can have an evolution rule copy your exchange mail over 
> to folders there and subsequently access it with TB or any other 
> imap-aware mailer - even while evolution is still running.
> 

It is just as easy to just save the mail.

In a simple example, I ran a rule to move all the mail from my inbox to 
my local "Export" folder and it took ages.  Again, it was OWA and 
possibly spamassasin taking the time.  I have timed it at over 2 hours 
on a Monday Morning.  When Evolution quit running filters automatically 
(some update) I tried the drag and drop to the Export folder.  It was 
much faster, a minute or two in comparison to 30 or 40 minutes.  At that 
time I found it was just easier for me to just move the mail.

My biggest complaint about Evolution is I cannot automatically control 
the times it checks my mail.  I don't want instant notification and I 
want my mail sorted when I get my mail.  Both of these took to long in 
Evo.  TB can sort 500+ messages in a few seconds into multiple mail 
boxes.  I cannot even get the mail from the server in under a few 
minutes.  TB used to get the same amount of mail before the change to 
Exchange in less than a minute.  And that was TB 1.x which is slower 
than 2.x.

I am watching Openchange and the progress of their MAPI lib to see if it 
can be used regularly.  I have also submitted the info the the TB site 
to see if they could start using it.

If IT would only give IMAP or POP access to the Exchange Server, all 
would be good.

-- 
Due to the move to M$ Exchange Server,
    anything that is a priority, please phone.
Robin Laing