mbox vs. maildir

[cdhgold]

I run a IMAPS server and I have one user who keeps getting his mailbox corrupted. I currently use a MBOX format and it has been suggested that i go to maildir for more robust mailboxes.. thoughts?

also if i convert I could use some help on how to do so on live box with no loss of mail but some downtime is doable.

config = RHEL4 / DOVECOT / POSTFIX

this is a dedicated server with full shell access

[Void Main]

How does the mailbox get corrupted? This happens on the server? What client program is he using? Interesting, I have never heard of such a thing.

[cdhgold]

after more investigation i have found that mail gets to var/spool/mail/<user> but not into /home/<user>/mail/Inbox

any ideas?

[Void Main]

I don't understand, that's the way it's supposed to work. The /var/spool/mail/$USER is the Inbox for that user. The ~/mail directory would be where any user created mail folders (mbox files) end up that would contain messages that get moved to from the Inbox either manually or by filters in the mail client program (Evolution etc). But yes, your "Inbox" in your mail program would equate to /var/spool/mail/$USER.

[cdhgold]

but yet there is mail in /var/spool/mail/$USER that does not show in T-bird and in squirrelmail is listed but can't be read

[Void Main]

Ahh, you didn't mention that before. That is again something I have never seen before. How do you know there is mail in the Inbox that isn't being displayed in Thunderbird, are you editing the file directly with VIM or some other editor? Would the Inbox be something I would be able to take a look at, or at least pinpoint a message that isn't being displayed and copy it out of the mail file using a text editor?

Actually the first thing would probably to check the logs and turn up debugging on both dovecot and your email client and see if there are any errors being generated. I think you would at least want to turn on "mail_debug" in your /etc/dovecot.conf and restart dovecot. Are you sure it's not a client issue?

[cdhgold]

Q1) How do you know there is mail in the Inbox that isn't being displayed in Thunderbird, are you editing the file directly with VIM or some other editor?

A1) yes i can open up the /var/spool/mail/$USER in vi and see the mail is there

Q2) Would the Inbox be something I would be able to take a look at, or at least pinpoint a message that isn't being displayed and copy it out of the mail file using a text editor?

A2) yes i can copy out a mail and send it to you in a PM

Q3) yes because it is happening to 2 different users (including mine)

[cdhgold]

also in squirelmail i can read email in other folders than inbox or mail that came before this stared on the 2nd with no problems

[Void Main]

Is this a Thunderbird issue for the both of you who are not seeing these messages? If you are seeing them in squirrelmail and not in Thunderbird I would think that means it is a Thunderbird issue because squirrelmail uses an IMAP connection too right? The messages are definitely in the spool inbox and nothing jumps out at me in the message you gave me. I would definitely turn on debugging in dovecot and in Thunderbird and see if there are any errors retrieving message and try and determine if dovecot is offering the message in question and it's just a case of Thunderbird not accepting them or filtering them automatically. Have you tried another client like Evolution to see if it sees the missing messages? If all the clients see the messages except for Thunderbird then to me that points to a Thunderbird issue and not a dovecot issue. Can you create a separate mbox file (folder) manually that contains at least one message that Thunderbird will not display and one that it will and where Squirrelmail can see both of them and gzip that file up and upload it to me?

[cdhgold]

i setup kmail for the same account and see everything .. but tbird still shows empty inbox .. even new different copy of tbird .. very weird

[Void Main]

That would seem to indicate something with Thunderbird. Did you turn on the debugging for dovecot? I would compare the debug output differences between kmail and Thunderbird. I'm thinking there is some sort of spam/junk filter turned on in Thunderbird.