How to Move MBOX Files into Dovecot Server?

Problem in importing MBOX files to Dovecot Server. This article will help you by providing ways that easily import MBOX to Dovecot. Properly follow the methods mentioned in this article to easily move your file.

You may know about the MBOX file, a common file format that is used to store an entire mailbox, including the email, attachments, and metadata. It is a very popular email file supported by many email programs like Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Eudora, and Notepad.

On the other hand, Dovecot is an open-source server available on Linux systems. This server is widely used by hosting providers, enterprises, and email administrators to manage and deliver emails. It supports both IMAP and POP3 servers and supports MBOX files to store the emails. So, if you have an MBOX file and want to move to the Dovecot storage server. You can easily access through Thunderbird, Roundcube, Horde IMP, etc.

Why Import MBOX to Dovecot Server?

Although the main reason to move your MBOX file to Dovecot is to access your files in the server-based solution. But there are other reasons why you need to upload the files.

• You are switching your local desktop email clients, like Thunderbird, to a server-based solution. In this scenario, you need to import your existing emails to your new server.
• Dovecot supports IMAP and POP3 servers, which means that it is used by several email clients. So, by uploading the MBOX file to this server will be easier for you to manage your data from one place.
• You can also use this to backup your important mbox file. Also, you can access the data from any device with the help of Dovecot.
• There are certain emails that you need to share with team members. So, by importing into Dovecot, you can easily share across multiple authorized users.

These are the common reasons why one has to move the MBOX file to Dovecot. If you want to do the same. Then, below are the ways you can use.

How to Import MBOX File to Dovecot Server?

Fortunately, several methods can help you to upload your mbox file; you can use the IMAP server, use the doveadm command, or place the MBOX file in the dovecot directory. I will explain each method one by one with clear steps.

Move MBOX to Dovecot using Commands

As you know, Dovecot supports MBOX files, so it provides you doveadm import utility to upload the existing files into the mailbox. However, you have to prepare your process. Access SSH to the mail server, install Dovecot, and assign correct permissions for the mail user. After that, follow the steps below.

1. First, make sure your MBOX file is available on the server.
2. Now, find out the Dovecot email address or username where you want to import the files.
3. Enter this command to run doveadm import: doveadm import -u : .
4. After that, use the Dovecot IMAP email client to log in to your mailbox. and check the folder that all the emails have appeared or not.
5. If the emails are not stored, reindex them by using this path: doveadm index -u [email protected] INBOX

With this method, you can import bulk MBOX files in Dovecot by running the same import command but changing the source path and destination folder.

Upload MBOX File in Dovecot Directory

By placing the MBOX file into the Dovecot mail storage directory, you can import your file. To do this, access your SSH to the mail server, the MBOX file is available on the server, and know where Dovecot stores its user mail.

1. First, check Dovecot.conf settings to see where your mail is stored: grep “mail_location” /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf
2. Stop the Dovecot services to prevent any conflicts: sudo systemctl stop dovecot
3. Copy and paste the MBOX file in the correct target account: sudo cp /home/admin/backup/inbox.mbox /var/mail/username (If the INBOX is located in another location, use the Dovecot directory structure
4. Assign correct permissions and ownership to the file: sudo chown username:mail /var/mail/username
   sudo chmod 600 /var/mail/username
5. Restart the Dovecot service: sudo systemctl start dovecot
6. Use this command to rescan and index the imported MBOX file: doveadm index -u [email protected] INBOX

Import MBOX to Dovecot by IMAP Server

If you are having a problem uploading your MBOX file into Dovecot from the above solutions. Then, you can follow the steps below to move your data by Thunderbird.

1. First, I am going to connect Dovecot emails to Thunderbird.
2. Go to the three bars at the top of the screen. Click on the Account Settings option.
3. Select the Account Action option and click on the Add a Mail Account button.
4. Provide the necessary information about the Dovecot server account.
5. Choose IMAP or POP3 server. Now, Thunderbird automatically configures your account.
6. To import the MBOX file, install Import/Export Tools NG.
7. Select a folder where you want your files. Right-click on it.
8. Choose the Import/Export Tools NG option and click on the Import MBOX file.
9. Select any one option to import your MBOX file. After uploading the file.
10. Move the emails to the Dovecot mailbox by the drag and drop option.

These are the methods to upload your MBOX file to Dovecot. However, before using these options, you should know about the risk of overwriting your existing Dovecot mailbox data.

Problems in Uploading MBOX File in Dovecot

You have an active Dovecot mailbox that already contains important emails. If you import your old MBOX file into the INBOX folder, then you may face several problems, like.

• By importing your MBOX file, it overwrites the existing mailbox, especially when the storage format and file names match.
• When Dovecot reindexes the mailbox, it may merge old and new emails. This will create data duplication.
• If the MBOX file is not properly imported, then your mailbox will contain damaged data that could lead to data loss.

So, if any of these issues occur in your Dovecot. It will be difficult to resolve them. Therefore, to avoid this issue, you have to backup your data.

Backup Dovecot Mailbox Before the Process

Backing up your Dovecot mailbox before the process makes the process much easier. To do this, you can use the SysTools IMAP Backup Tool, a professional software that you can use to easily move your data without any issues. This tool is specifically created to save your IMAP-based accounts. So, use this tool to save your Dovecot mailbox before importing the MBOX file.

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To Conclude

In this article, I have explained how you can import MBOX to the Dovecot server. I have provided three ways to move the MBOX file, which are simple. But, before going through the process, it is best to download the Dovecot mailbox to keep your existing mailbox from being overwritten. And to do that, I also mentioned a professional way to save Dovecot data and then go through the steps.