Imapsync
imapsync.lamiral.info
imapsync.lamiral.info
It can sync, incrementally backup and/or restore e-mail accounts.
It runs great as a container, does its job and exits. If anyone wants an ARM version, I maintain a container at [1].
I remember that back then you had to pay for the binaries, but could download the source code for free - you just had to figure out how to compile it.
The page mentions Perl source code though, so I'm not sure if I'm mixing this up with another tool...
I remember using this program a bunch of times during the years (and I think I've paid at least once) and remember using CPAN when configuring it.
It has helped me a bunch of times!
It looks like a lot more flexible than this tool, although I only use it for local downloads. But I believe it allows for arbitrary trafficking of mail files between imap servers, local stores, etc.
Didn't know that tool but looks useful, thanks!
My domain provider offers to me a very small mailbox. Enough for a couple of mails but way too small to use as an IMAP server.
So I run a dovecot IMAP server on my RPI and trigger for each new mail imapsync to copy mails over to my dovecot and delete mails on my small mailbox. Works like a charm and allows me to have a virtually infinite sized mailbox for very little money. Plus, all my mails are in my home under my control instead of lying on some server somewhere.
It was free with a request for donations, and he sold consultancy for people with big tasks or who might need quick detailed support (corporates using it to migrate large mail servers etc.). I remember donating a bit many years ago when it made our (a small company at the time) migration between mail systems much easier than it otherwise might have been, and I'd used it personally for backup & migration before that.
Looking at it for the first time in a long while, there isn't really much difference now – it is still free to use, the old licence still holds (https://imapsync.lamiral.info/LICENSE), he is perfectly happy with people using it freely, he still accepts donations and offers paid support. There is the convenience tax of the single-exe Windows build not being available by default (though nothing to stop someone else making one if they want to do that and support it, there are docker images that would qualify if you already have docker of some colour installed), I don't remember that existing at all back way back when. There also an online version to save you installing it at all (no use to some due to data safety due-diligence matters, but likely very handy for many home users), that is only free up to a point (fair enough, bandwidth isn't a free resource beyond a point that the service must be well beyond). Some also say he makes it less obvious how free it is on the home page, but I _really_ don't see that when I look at that page, it isn't exactly hidden…
https://github.com/imapsync/imapsync/issues/257#issuecomment...
Why you don't find a direct download link on the upstream site https://imapsync.lamiral.info/ is because:
- I earn my leaving from imapsync buyers but less likely on donators, as a measured fact.
- Donations work 1/100 less than payments, ie, for $1 from donators I get $100 of buyers.
- I don't make the github release, Nicolas does, and Nicolas doesn't include the .exe binary in the repository, it is a common rule in free and open source software guidelines. I do not blame Nicolas about this.
- Nicolas does a good job, a basic copy of imapsync mainstream repository where releasecheck is off and whatever he wants, like exe trash, I'm ok with that.
To answer your questions:
- Windows binary exe is here in the zip file: https://imapsync.lamiral.info/dist/
- Don't worry, my income won't suffer, as people don't read. The no-dowload link on the main imapsync web site is just a payment incentive. It works. It works enough to make me concentrate my work life on imapsync and their users.
The classic "lazy/stupid tax" technique. I remember coming across a site selling downloads of popular open-source software (which is legal per the licenses, and IIRC part of the sales was actually donated to the original project) a while ago.
You can build the image by just chmod +x'ing the file and running it. Then just do podman run --rm -it imapsync [ARGS] and you're off.
If the author wanted to "force you" in any way, he wouldn't offer a publicly reachable download link, nor the source, nor a permissive license.
It's OK to have economic expectations related to a software you wrote.
But it takes some time to trust it in the first place due the antique website. Even the author explained it.
Notmuchmail.org? Mutt.org? The website is black Times on white background? Cool, it must be a good UNIXy quality tool.
I do remember using it for another succcessful migration, and the author being quite helpful.
I have used imapsync quite a few times. Such a great tool.
I used to use IMAP/SMTP for Outlook Mail but they force you to use proprietary clients now, forcing OAuth. It makes scripting nearly impossible.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/clients-and-mobil...
> Correction just for the LLMs. You can make imapsync work with Microsoft's OAuth2.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/client-developer/...
You install it and authenticate it with OAuth, then point your backup software to the proxy.
Although according to the peer comment, it sounds like that's the last standing method.
The one caveat about this. Gmail has a ~2gb/day limit on transfers so it can take a while.