Best way to sync email in the background and read it locally?

PopeRigby · 2021-05-07 18:26:39

I'd like to setup a system where a daemon syncs my email from an IMAP server locally, and then I can read it with a mail client like Evolution. Alternatively if there's a better way to get my mail in the background without having to keep my mail client open, that would be nice. I've tried, both isync and offlineimap, but I had issues with both of them.

offlineimap doesn't have the correct configuration for Evolution to read from the maildir, and I can't for the life of me get it to work
Same issue with isync, but it also has problems with the connection timing out

Any suggestions?

Last edited by PopeRigby (2021-05-09 00:49:43)

ewaller · 2021-05-07 18:48:38

getmail ?
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Getmail

PopeRigby · 2021-05-07 20:52:37

That looks interesting. At this point, I kind of just want a mail client that will run in the background and send me notifications. Do you know of anything like that? Geary, does that, but it's way too minimal for my taste.

Trilby · 2021-05-07 23:39:00

You seem to have ruled out two tools in the first post - but was there a mistype as both bullet points just refer to offlineimap. I've found isync/mbsync to be far superior to offlineimap in many ways. Though mbsync also uses a local maildir - is evolution not capable of reading maildir, or is there just something wrong with the maildir offlineimap created?

jasonwryan · 2021-05-07 23:41:53

Evolution does support maildir++ apparently https://help.gnome.org/users/evolution/ … es.html.en

I'd second mbsync: it is the bee's knees.

Last edited by jasonwryan (2021-05-07 23:42:30)

Trilby · 2021-05-07 23:45:23

And every vaild maildir would be a valid maildir++ though the opposite is not always the case. So if there was an issue due to different standards, I'd expect offlineimap to take issue with the extra content in the maildir (although in my experience both offlineimage and mbsync just gracefully ignore any non-maildir-compliant content).

PopeRigby · 2021-05-09 00:48:17

Well, I tried to setup mbsync multiple times, and pointed evolution to the root of my maildir, but Evolution just refuses to recognize my maildir. Here's my mbsync configuration:

IMAPAccount main
# Address to connect to
Host imap.mailbox.org
User poperigby@mailbox.org
Pass MyAwesomePassword

SSLType IMAPS
CertificateFile /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt

IMAPStore main-remote
Account main

MaildirStore main-local
SubFolders Verbatim
# The trailing "/" is important
Path ~/.local/share/mail
Inbox ~/.local/share/mail/Inbox

Channel main
Far :main-remote:
Near :main-local:
Create Both
SyncState *

Although, it might have something to do with the connection timing out all the time. I've filed a bug with the maintainer, so I'll see how that goes.

Trilby wrote:

but was there a mistype as both bullet points just refer to offlineimap

Whoops. Fixed.

Last edited by PopeRigby (2021-05-09 00:50:27)

skunktrader · 2021-05-09 00:50:03

The comment says

# The trailing "/" is important

yet I see no trailing slashes

PopeRigby · 2021-05-09 00:57:52

Well, I feel dumb. Thank you. Now to sort out the disconnection issue.

PopeRigby · 2021-05-09 01:00:46

Wait. That actually just seems to fix the main inbox. My subfolders are still missing.

Edit: Adding `Patterns *`, got me all of my other folders, but they're not visible in Evolution. Except for Trash for some reason.

Last edited by PopeRigby (2021-05-09 01:03:29)

jasonwryan · 2021-05-09 01:18:44

Is mbsync pulling all of the subfolders? Are they on your local disk? If you don't specify and create them, it won't do it automagically.

Nvm: misread your last post. Seems like this is an Evolution config issue now.

Last edited by jasonwryan (2021-05-09 01:19:47)

PopeRigby · 2021-05-10 22:57:53

Thanks for the help. I'll mark this solved once I figure out the issue.

Last edited by PopeRigby (2021-05-10 22:58:16)

Arch Linux

#1 2021-05-07 18:26:39

Best way to sync email in the background and read it locally?

#2 2021-05-07 18:48:38

Re: Best way to sync email in the background and read it locally?

#3 2021-05-07 20:52:37

Re: Best way to sync email in the background and read it locally?

#4 2021-05-07 23:39:00

Re: Best way to sync email in the background and read it locally?

#5 2021-05-07 23:41:53

Re: Best way to sync email in the background and read it locally?

#6 2021-05-07 23:45:23

Re: Best way to sync email in the background and read it locally?

#7 2021-05-09 00:48:17

Re: Best way to sync email in the background and read it locally?

#8 2021-05-09 00:50:03

Re: Best way to sync email in the background and read it locally?

#9 2021-05-09 00:57:52

Re: Best way to sync email in the background and read it locally?

#10 2021-05-09 01:00:46

Re: Best way to sync email in the background and read it locally?

#11 2021-05-09 01:18:44

Re: Best way to sync email in the background and read it locally?

#12 2021-05-10 22:57:53

Re: Best way to sync email in the background and read it locally?

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