Folders config file

[Pete Holsberg]

How does TB maintain the set of folders you have defined? That is, is
there an editable configuration file somewhere?

[goodwin]

On 02/05/2010 01:28 PM Pete Holsberg scribbled:

> How does TB maintain the set of folders you have defined? That is, is
> there an editable configuration file somewhere?

look into prefs.js, but figuring out which is which can be a bear until
you get used to what you are looking at.
you will see mail.accounts with numbers and an identity related to each
then each identity has related folders.

not for the faint of heart but sometimes useful to get rid of "phantom"
folders which show up now and again (usually created by clicking on a
link to a newsgroup you haven't subscribed to).

[Bob Jamieson]

Pete Holsberg wrote, On 02/05/2010 02:28 PM:
> How does TB maintain the set of folders you have defined? That is, is
> there an editable configuration file somewhere?

This is for newsgroup folders only:
http://www-archive.mozilla.org/start/1.5/faq/mail-news.html#rearrange-news
. . . goodwin's solution seems to be for mail folders.

In any case, the NG folders are easier to identify (plain English in
addition to numbers).

BJ

--
Bob Jamieson
Remove the "no spam" before replying via email

[Pete Holsberg]

goodwin has written on 2/5/2010 6:36 PM:

> On 02/05/2010 01:28 PM Pete Holsberg scribbled:
>
> > How does TB maintain the set of folders you have defined? That is, is
> > there an editable configuration file somewhere?
>
> look into prefs.js, but figuring out which is which can be a bear until
> you get used to what you are looking at.
> you will see mail.accounts with numbers and an identity related to each
> then each identity has related folders.
>

I see Windows folders but not TB folders.

For example, in one account I have folders marked SAVE, OOo, 4SAM, MG
and WTV, I see none of these in prefs.js. Is it my eyes?

[Pete Holsberg]

Bob Jamieson has written on 2/6/2010 12:05 AM:

> Pete Holsberg wrote, On 02/05/2010 02:28 PM:
> > How does TB maintain the set of folders you have defined? That is, is
> > there an editable configuration file somewhere?
>
> This is for newsgroup folders only:
> http://www-archive.mozilla.org/start/1.5/faq/mail-news.html#rearrange-news
> . . . goodwin's solution seems to be for mail folders.
>

My question was about mail folders. I'm looking for the email equivalent
of news.rc.

[Ken Whiton]

*-* On Sat, 06 Feb 2010, at 03:48:41 -0500,
*-* In Article
<mailman.4047.1265446124....@lists.mozilla.org>,
*-* Pete Holsberg wrote
*-* About Re: Folders config file

There isn't one. TB deals directly with the files that comprise
each of its folders, i.e., Inbox and Inbox.msf for the Inbox, Drafts
and Drafts.msf for the Drafts folder, Sent and Sent.msf for the Sent
folder, etc.

Ken Whiton
--
FIDO: 1:132/152
InterNet: kenw...@surfglobal.net.INVAL (remove the obvious to reply)

[Nir]

On Saturday 06 February 2010 02:56 PM, Ken Whiton wrote:
> *-* On Sat, 06 Feb 2010, at 03:48:41 -0500,
> *-* In Article
> <mailman.4047.1265446124....@lists.mozilla.org>,
> *-* Pete Holsberg wrote
> *-* About Re: Folders config file
>
>> Bob Jamieson has written on 2/6/2010 12:05 AM:
>>> Pete Holsberg wrote, On 02/05/2010 02:28 PM:
>>>> How does TB maintain the set of folders you have defined? That is,
>>>> is there an editable configuration file somewhere?
>>
>>> This is for newsgroup folders only:
>>> http://www-archive.mozilla.org/start/1.5/faq/mail-news.html#rearrange-news
>>> . . . goodwin's solution seems to be for mail folders.
>>
>> My question was about mail folders. I'm looking for the email
>> equivalent of news.rc.
>
> There isn't one. TB deals directly with the files that comprise
> each of its folders, i.e., Inbox and Inbox.msf for the Inbox, Drafts
> and Drafts.msf for the Drafts folder, Sent and Sent.msf for the Sent
> folder, etc.
>

As Ken said, Tb first looks into the pref value that holds path to your
account in actual file system. Then it traverse that folder to look for
all files/folders in that folder tree and represents same in UI.

[Pete Holsberg]

Ken Whiton has written on 2/6/2010 4:26 AM:

> *-* On Sat, 06 Feb 2010, at 03:48:41 -0500,
> *-* In Article
> <mailman.4047.1265446124....@lists.mozilla.org>,
> *-* Pete Holsberg wrote
> *-* About Re: Folders config file
>
> > Bob Jamieson has written on 2/6/2010 12:05 AM:
> >> Pete Holsberg wrote, On 02/05/2010 02:28 PM:
> >>> How does TB maintain the set of folders you have defined? That is,
> >>> is there an editable configuration file somewhere?
> >
> >> This is for newsgroup folders only:
> >> http://www-archive.mozilla.org/start/1.5/faq/mail-news.html#rearrange-news
> >> . . . goodwin's solution seems to be for mail folders.
> >
> > My question was about mail folders. I'm looking for the email
> > equivalent of news.rc.
>
> There isn't one. TB deals directly with the files that comprise
> each of its folders, i.e., Inbox and Inbox.msf for the Inbox, Drafts
> and Drafts.msf for the Drafts folder, Sent and Sent.msf for the Sent
> folder, etc.
>

Thanks, Ken. I'm in the process of converting a POP3 account to IMAP by
creating the new account (Gmail) and then copying those Windows files
from the old account to the new, But Gmail doesn't like that and insists
that I copy from within Thunderbird. This takes eons. Any suggestions?

[Christian Riechers]

On 02/06/2010 06:03 PM, Pete Holsberg wrote:

<snip>

> Thanks, Ken. I'm in the process of converting a POP3 account to IMAP by
> creating the new account (Gmail) and then copying those Windows files
> from the old account to the new, But Gmail doesn't like that and insists
> that I copy from within Thunderbird. This takes eons. Any suggestions?
>
>

Not sure why you'd want to take the hassle and create a new Gmail
account for using IMAP. You'd just need to enable IMAP for the existing
account:
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=77695

If you want to create a new account anyway, use IMAP on both accounts
and get the existing emails from the old to the new account from inside
TB via IMAP.

--
Christian

[Charles River]

Christian Riechers has written on 2/7/2010 5:48 AM:

> On 02/06/2010 06:03 PM, Pete Holsberg wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
>> Thanks, Ken. I'm in the process of converting a POP3 account to IMAP by
>> creating the new account (Gmail) and then copying those Windows files
>> from the old account to the new, But Gmail doesn't like that and insists
>> that I copy from within Thunderbird. This takes eons. Any suggestions?
>>
>>
>
> Not sure why you'd want to take the hassle and create a new Gmail
> account for using IMAP. You'd just need to enable IMAP for the existing
> account:
> http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=77695

I think the answer is that his present email provider has only POP, so
if he wants to use IMAP, he has to switch to a provider that provides
IMAP, i.e., Google.

The problem seems to be with what he has in Thunderbird for his present
POP account.

[Ron Hunter]

It might be a tad less convenient, but with the search feature in TB3,
just leaving the POP3 account alone and preserving the data as an
archive, and adding an IMAP account, with similar setup would be the
easiest solution.

--
Ron Hunter -- rphu...@charter.net

[Pete Holsberg]

Ron Hunter has written on 2/9/2010 4:44 PM:
> On 2/9/2010 11:29 AM, Pete Holsberg wrote:
>> Ron Hunter has written on 2/9/2010 3:16 AM:

>> I'm the OP, Ron, and because of the large number of folders and
>> subfolders that would have to be dragged to the IMAP account in TB,
>> it seems to me that if the thing that tells TB that this account is a
>> POIP3 account can be changed so that it reports it's IMAP. that would
>> be simpler and much quicker.
>>
> I suspect that the way things are done with POP3 and IMAP are so
> dissimilar that this won't work out for you. Good luck!
> Won't hurt to look, at least.

Here are some excerpts from prefs.js -- server1/id2 is POP3;
server36/id36 is IMAP

user_pref("CorrectIdentity.settings_server1", "pop3 0 id2 true");
*user_pref("CorrectIdentity.settings_server36", "imap 0 id36 true");

user_pref("mail.account.account1.identities", "id2");
user_pref("mail.account.account1.server", "server1");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.archive_folder",
"imap://xx...@imap.gmail.com/[Gmail]/All Mail");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.archives_folder_picker_mode", "1");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.doBcc", false);
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.draft_folder",
"imap://xx...@imap.gmail.com/Drafts");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.drafts_folder_picker_mode", "0");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.escapedVCard", "");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.fcc_folder",
"imap://xx...@imap.gmail.com/Sent");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.fcc_folder_picker_mode", "0");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.fullName", "XXXXXX");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.organization", "");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.reply_to", "");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.smtpServer", "smtp13");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.stationery_folder",
"imap://xx...@imap.gmail.com/Templates");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.tmpl_folder_picker_mode", "0");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.useremail", "xx...@pobox.com");
user_pref("mail.identity.id2.valid", true);

user_pref("mail.identity.id36.archive_folder",
"imap://xx...@inbox.mccc.edu/Archives");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.doBcc", false);
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.doBccList", "");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.draft_folder",
"imap://xx...@inbox.mccc.edu/Drafts");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.drafts_folder_picker_mode", "0");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.encryption_cert_name", "");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.encryptionpolicy", 0);
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.escapedVCard", "");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.fcc_folder",
"imap://xx...@inbox.mccc.edu/Sent");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.fcc_folder_picker_mode", "0");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.fullName", "XXXX");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.organization", "");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.reply_to", "");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.sign_mail", false);
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.signing_cert_name", "");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.smtpServer", "smtp4");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.stationery_folder",
"imap://xx...@inbox.mccc.edu/Templates");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.tmpl_folder_picker_mode", "0");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.useremail", "xx...@mccc.edu");
user_pref("mail.identity.id36.valid", true);

user_pref("mail.server.server1.ageLimit", 30);
user_pref("mail.server.server1.capability", 811553);
user_pref("mail.server.server1.check_new_mail", false);
user_pref("mail.server.server1.daysToKeepBodies", 30);
user_pref("mail.server.server1.daysToKeepHdrs", 30);

user_pref("mail.server.server1.directory", "C:\\Documents and
Settings\\<username>\\Application
Data\\Thunderbird\\Profiles\\0c9iapp6.PJH\\ImapMail\\imap.gmail-1.com");
user_pref("mail.server.server1.directory-rel",
"[ProfD]ImapMail/imap.gmail-1.com");

user_pref("mail.server.server1.download_bodies_on_get_new_mail", true);
user_pref("mail.server.server1.hostname", "imap.gmail.com");
user_pref("mail.server.server1.is_gmail", true);
user_pref("mail.server.server1.max_cached_connections", 5);
user_pref("mail.server.server1.name", "WTV IMAP");
user_pref("mail.server.server1.namespace.personal", "\"\"");
user_pref("mail.server.server1.numHdrsToKeep", 30);
user_pref("mail.server.server1.offline_download", true);
user_pref("mail.server.server1.port", 993);
user_pref("mail.server.server1.remember_password", true);
user_pref("mail.server.server1.socketType", 3);
user_pref("mail.server.server1.timeout", 29);
user_pref("mail.server.server1.type", "imap");
user_pref("mail.server.server1.userName", "xxxx");

user_pref("mail.server.server36.ageLimit", 30);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.capability", 359229);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.check_new_mail", true);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.daysToKeepBodies", 30);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.daysToKeepHdrs", 30);

user_pref("mail.server.server36.directory", "C:\\Documents and
Settings\\<username>\\Application
Data\\Thunderbird\\Profiles\\0c9iapp6.PJH\\ImapMail\\inbox.mccc.edu");
user_pref("mail.server.server36.directory-rel",
"[ProfD]ImapMail/inbox.mccc.edu");

user_pref("mail.server.server36.download_bodies_on_get_new_mail", true);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.hostname", "inbox.mccc.edu");
user_pref("mail.server.server36.login_at_startup", true);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.max_cached_connections", 5);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.moveOnSpam", true);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.name", "MCCC (IMAP)");
user_pref("mail.server.server36.namespace.other_users", "\"Shared
Folders/User/\"");
user_pref("mail.server.server36.namespace.personal", "\"\"");
user_pref("mail.server.server36.namespace.public", "\"Shared
Folders/Public/\"");
user_pref("mail.server.server36.numHdrsToKeep", 30);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.offline_download", true);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.port", 993);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.socketType", 3);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.spamActionTargetAccount",
"imap://xx...@inbox.mccc.edu");
user_pref("mail.server.server36.spamActionTargetFolder",
"mailbox://nobody@Local%20Folders/Junk");
user_pref("mail.server.server36.timeout", 29);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.type", "imap");
user_pref("mail.server.server36.useServerFilter", true);
user_pref("mail.server.server36.userName", "xxxx");

It looks like mail.server.serverN.directory* contains the keys to the
top levels. But where are the subfolder names?
*

[goodwin]

On 02/09/2010 02:58 PM Pete Holsberg scribbled:

> It looks like mail.server.serverN.directory* contains the keys to the
> top levels. But where are the subfolder names?
>

I told you originally it would be a bear but you got this far so maybe
you can catch on - I did once, several times for various reasons, but
forgot the next day. You won't find them with the config editor nor in
prefs.js.

Those missing folders are probably within your pop server mail account
in your pop profile (both hidden, in case you didn't know). Tried
searching your HD for any of the folders name?
They are in mbox format, I think, and I would also think it safe to copy
them to your new profile folder.

[Pete Holsberg]

goodwin has written on 2/9/2010 8:22 PM:

> Those missing folders are probably within your pop server mail account
> in your pop profile (both hidden, in case you didn't know). Tried
> searching your HD for any of the folders name?
> They are in mbox format, I think, and I would also think it safe to copy
> them to your new profile folder.
>

I've been "on" them from day one!

And I tried copying them from one profile to the other.

But first some terminology. TB calls all of these things folders as in
right-click on account name and get "New Folder". If I right-click on
one of those (or one of their children), I get "New Subfolder".

However, Windows doesn't work like that. Each account is a separate
folder. The first level subfolder is a file. If that has any subfolders,
TB creates a folder with the extension SBD, and it puts files and
folders into that.

So what I did was to take one of these first level guys as an example.
It's called "Burlington County Times". In TB, it has two subfolders,
2005 and 2006. 2005 has 12 subfolders, 01-12. I copied

Burlington County Times
Burlington County Times.msf and
Burlington County Times.sbd

from the POP3 profile to the IMAP profile, and then I started TB.
Hmmmm...no folders with those names are there. Back to the file
manager. I see Burlington County Times.sbd but it has only one folder
in it -- 2005 -- and it's empty! And Burlington County Times and
Burlington County Times.msf are gone!!!

Most puzzling.