Re: Sync IMAP Mailboxes/Folders via ssh?

[H <ag...@me...>]

On July 16, 2025 5:09:57 PM GMT+02:00, Marton Balazs <ba...@gm...> wrote:
>I use three different machines and sync all my email between them by
>rsync
>over SSH, so as files rather than via isync. When I boot up a machine I
>rsync down all files, including hundreds of thousands of email, from my
>home server. Some of these emails I only have as maildir files, they
>are
>not even on any IMAP server. I make sure dot files are synced too, and
>deletions of files also propagate. Once the rsync logs are ok I then
>launch
>isync to Google and M365 for those mail folders that are on there as
>well.
>Before closing down the machine I rsync everything, including all
>email, to
>the home ssh server. Next day I sit at another machine and do the same.
>This has worked reliably for me for several years, the important thing
>is
>to make sure everything is rsynced with no errors before isync is
>launched
>to my email providers. This is not exactly answering your question
>though...
>
>Best wishes
>Marton
>
>On Wed, 16 Jul 2025, 08:41 Peter P., <pet...@fa...> wrote:
>
>> Hi list,
>>
>> (this might be slightly-OT)
>>
>> my employer is forcing me to host all emails, that are older than X
>> years, somewhere else than on his IMAP server. I am using multiple
>> clients and isync. I am now thinking of moving certain imap folders
>from
>> the employer's server to some network storage, which would only be
>> accessible through ssh/scp/rsync but not through the imap protocol.
>>
>> Can isync sync emails through such connections as well?
>> Is the "Tunnel" commenad the way to go?
>>
>> Thanks for all ideas and advice!
>> Peter
>>
>>
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>> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/isync-devel
>>

Interesting approach. Which mail client(s) do you then use on the different machines? Am I correct that the mail client(s) accesses the local mail storage on the desktop rather than your mail server?

How do you handle the mail accounts on phones/tablets?

Why did you choose approach? It would seem to me that the mail clients on e.g. a phone and the desktop you are currently using will be out of sync?