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#1 2009-07-18 02:28:33

firecat53
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From: Lake Stevens, WA, USA
Registered: 2007-05-14
Posts: 1,542
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[SOLVED]Mutt - abook problem - losing information

I've experienced the problem seen by others with abook losing information, but I have not seen any clear solutions. I'm using mutt from extra, compiled via abs with the sidebar patch. It appears that the data loss happens when you have existing phone/address information, then add another contact with phone/address info. All previous entries then lose their non-email information. The email address stay, it's just the other info that disappears.

I'm no C programmer, so I can't delve into the code. Anyone else care to take a crack at this? There don't seem to be any equivalent cli addressbooks out there, after some googling around.

Thanks!
Scott

Last edited by firecat53 (2009-07-19 18:11:44)

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#2 2009-07-18 21:33:51

djszapi
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From: Cambridge, United Kingdom
Registered: 2009-06-14
Posts: 1,439
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Re: [SOLVED]Mutt - abook problem - losing information

Hello Firecat!

Hello! Mutt works for me since 200x smile Maybe you can try pine, it's much older than mutt, but it know lot of things.

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#3 2009-07-18 23:47:22

firecat53
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From: Lake Stevens, WA, USA
Registered: 2007-05-14
Posts: 1,542
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Re: [SOLVED]Mutt - abook problem - losing information

Mutt works awesome! .... it's abook that's the problem!   smile

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#4 2009-07-19 06:39:26

djszapi
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From: Cambridge, United Kingdom
Registered: 2009-06-14
Posts: 1,439
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Re: [SOLVED]Mutt - abook problem - losing information

Hehe, in last case you can write to the mailing list directly.
http://abook.sourceforge.net/#lists

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#5 2009-07-19 18:11:22

firecat53
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From: Lake Stevens, WA, USA
Registered: 2007-05-14
Posts: 1,542
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Re: [SOLVED]Mutt - abook problem - losing information

Well, I think I fixed it by adding:
set preserve_fields=all
to .abook/abookrc

That should be default behavior, I guess, but at least it works now.

Scott

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#6 2009-07-21 09:02:55

yvonney
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Registered: 2008-06-11
Posts: 671

Re: [SOLVED]Mutt - abook problem - losing information

firecat..... is this stil working for you? I loose entries as well.

I may be mistaken as I copy my .abook folder to other installs, though I am thinking that your fix IS the default as I found it already in my .abook/abookrc

If it is the default, that would suggest that I randomly loose ALL data and that it's not fixed by the line you added, for me.

What happens is that I end up with a totally blank addressbook files. Everything from the text file is gone.

Last edited by yvonney (2009-07-21 09:14:29)

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#7 2009-07-21 14:23:07

firecat53
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From: Lake Stevens, WA, USA
Registered: 2007-05-14
Posts: 1,542
Website

Re: [SOLVED]Mutt - abook problem - losing information

According to man abookrc, the default is preserve_fields=standard. I actually never lost all data -- just the fields that weren't name or email address. I've heard of other people also coming up with a blank file, but haven't been luckly enough to experience that yet! I use rdiff-backup for incremental backups, so I'll have time to recover it if it does go blank, since I don't necessarily use abook each day. I didn't see any solutions to your problem, other than one guy put mutt 1.5.18 back on instead of 1.5.19.

Good luck! and keep backups! Sorry I can't help more!! FYI, the only entries I have right now in .abook/abookrc are:

set address_style=us
set preserve_fields=all
set www_command=firefox
set add_email_prevent_duplicates=true


Scott

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#8 2009-07-21 21:32:21

yvonney
Member
Registered: 2008-06-11
Posts: 671

Re: [SOLVED]Mutt - abook problem - losing information

nice.
So my two relevant and possibly relevant ones were set to:
set preserve_fields=all
set add_email_prevent_duplicates=false

I do keep backup and have to use them either every day or about once every few days. Even though I can deal with anything like that is is really off putting as loosing all ones contacts would be a set-back.

I have thought that my sorta flaky
.muttrc
.screenrc
.xinitrc
.Xdefaults

could be causing issues in a lot of areas.
I've considered that screen is most likely.

Great fun though!
I've thought that there MAY be some ncurses address book thing that   'gulp'  might be more suitable for me.
abook is SO wonderful though.
Not likely I bet.

I'll write back if and when I ever figure out anything cool or perhaps useful.

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#9 2009-07-21 23:08:59

firecat53
Member
From: Lake Stevens, WA, USA
Registered: 2007-05-14
Posts: 1,542
Website

Re: [SOLVED]Mutt - abook problem - losing information

Yeah, I searched around yesterday for an abook replacement and came up pretty darn empty. Almost tempted to just make a text file and use something like a hacked version todo.txt to manage them. Or learn C and start hacking abook......ugh

Scott

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#10 2009-07-25 23:31:07

yvonney
Member
Registered: 2008-06-11
Posts: 671

Re: [SOLVED]Mutt - abook problem - losing information

Hi Scott.... took a look with interest at todo.txt then asked myself, "what the heck am i thinking!"
things like abook and calcurse and newsbeuter etc. etc. running in screen is what I'm thinking is where my efforts should be. Then again I guess todo.txt script can be run there also....

geez... I'm just starting to get a bit advanced in a few areas so I think I'll stay with what's big with the gurus. should be of much interest to others who find out about it here and the future, who knows! I've sure had some laughs at the circles I've enjoyed over the years, if that makes enough sense.

SO: abook still loosing all data, blank totally and I have to reboot and copy my backup in with abook NOT running generally for it to pick it up and load it. Like, IF I have abook running and copy the backup in, then quit abook and restart it's blank again. usually.

... I think I'll email cedric the writer again. He was great and most interested in the data loss. This was a few months back, though we didn't get too far due to my not being able to provide much.

Last edited by yvonney (2009-07-25 23:32:13)

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#11 2009-10-22 03:54:58

yvonney
Member
Registered: 2008-06-11
Posts: 671

Re: [SOLVED]Mutt - abook problem - losing information

running tmux and abook is fine.
seems that screen or me+screen were the cause of loosing all data for abook.

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