where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

[lcharles]

Where is the kmail2 inbox folder located? I can't start kmail2. I get a error message that the permissions on the inbox are wrong. But I can't find any inbox folder.

[vinnywright]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

/home/you/.kde/share/apps/kmail2/

vinny@Vinnys-HP-G62:~/.kde/share/apps/kmail2$ ls -la
total 20
drwx------ 4 vinny vinny 4096 2011-10-17 21:06 .
drwx------ 48 vinny vinny 4096 2011-11-21 07:31 ..
drwxrwxr-x 2 vinny vinny 4096 2011-10-17 21:06 autosave
-rw------- 1 vinny vinny 63 2011-10-17 21:06 lock
drwxrwxr-x 8 vinny vinny 4096 2011-11-04 10:48 mail
vinny@Vinnys-HP-G62:~/.kde/share/apps/kmail2$

VINNY

[claydoh]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

nope, it is supposed to be in ~/.local/share/local-mail, which is now the universal standard for email directories, iirc.

but for some odd reason, the actual folder with the mails is ~/.local/share/.local-mail.directory, which is a hidden folder and NOT what is specified in the local folders config in kmail's settings.

Time to file a bug report.......

[vinnywright]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

Humm strange ....to me anyway.

when I was fixing the error from Akonadi about not being abell to find the mail resorce I had to make the mail folder in ~/.kde/share/apps/kmail2 and then point Akonadi to it ?

VINNY

[kubicle]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

but for some odd reason, the actual folder with the mails is ~/.local/share/.local-mail.directory, which is a hidden folder and NOT what is specified in the local folders config in kmail's settings.

Time to file a bug report.......

That's not really a "bug", that's how the maildir mail storage format works. Subdirectories in a maildir are stored in a hidden directory on the same level as the maildir (subdirectories for local-mail are in .local-mail.directory, subdirectories for local mail inbox are in .local-mail.directory/.inbox.directory etc.). A tad confusing, but not a bug.

when I was fixing the error from Akonadi about not being abell to find the mail resorce I had to make the mail folder in ~/.kde/share/apps/kmail2 and then point Akonadi to it ?

You didn't have to make it exactly ~/.kde/share/apps/kmail2 (any directory would have worked). Like claydoh said, the default is ~/.local/share/local-mail.

I'd assume this is because of the xdg spec that recommends storing user *data* in ~/.local (same spec recommends storing user configs under ~/.config and caches under ~/.cache).

Storing "hard-to-reproduce" user data under ~/.local makes it easier to back-up such data (no need to find the data under ~/.kde hierarchy). Also removing ~/.kde wouldn't affect data stored under ~/.local.

[lcharles]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

OK let met refine my question. To overcome the error I mentioned at the start of this post, can I manually create an inbox for kmail2 and is it likely that will solve the problem of getting kmail2 to run. If yes, how? If not yes how do I get kmail2 to create the inbox?

Assuming this can all be done and kmail2 will then run can I import my old kmail email and folder structure from the /Mail directory?

[kubicle]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

OK let met refine my question. To overcome the error I mentioned at the start of this post, can I manually create an inbox for kmail2 and is it likely that will solve the problem of getting kmail2 to run.

Probably, although I can't promise it 100% since I've not seen the "permissions wrong" error message before (and can't be sure why the permissions are "wrong"?).

First you should make a backup of your old mail directory just in case something goes awry.

Then you should check the status of kmail related akonadi agents (especially "Local Folders"), you can do this with akonaditray or akonadiconsole (you may need to install akonadiconsole if you wish to use it, but akonaditray should do the job as well).

If "Local Folders" resource doesn't show "Ready", edit it and point it to a valid mail directory (You can try pointing it to your old /Mail directory if you made a backup of it). Once the kmail agents don't show errors in akonaditray/akonadiconsole, kmail should start ok.

Assuming this can all be done and kmail2 will then run can I import my old kmail email and folder structure from the /Mail directory?

This should be doable if you didn't point the local folders resource to your old mail already in the previous step (or it didn't work).

[lcharles]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

Well maybe I should have put this in the help the new guy section because I seem to be a bit out of my depth here. To kubicle, I hope you have a bit of time to walk me through this.

OK. akonaditray is not installed although there is a menu listing for it under 'Utilities". When I go to the software installer it is not listed as an installable item. So I installed akonadiconsole. It didn't show up on any menu so I ran it from the run line.

The first tab is "Agents" I don't see much listed under the other tabs. In Agents there is no listing for "Local Folders". The only thing that seems close is "Kmail Folders" which are listed as ready.

There shouldn't be a permissions problem because I'm pretty sure I set all of them, including hidden folders, to user - my user name and group - my user name in my user directory.

So what can I try next?

[kubicle]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

The first tab is "Agents" I don't see much listed under the other tabs. In Agents there is no listing for "Local Folders". The only thing that seems close is "Kmail Folders" which are listed as ready.

1. Where does the "Kmail Folders" agent point to (choose the agent and click Configure>Configure Natively to check it's settings)?

2. You can also try adding a new "Local Folders" agent (In agents tab, click add and choose "Maildir"), pointing it to your old maildir.

[lcharles]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

OK one step forward two steps back. It pointed to /home/larrylaca1/Mail. There was nothing in there except two folders 'outbox and sentmail'. So I moved my old kmail (pre-kmail2) 'Mail' folder there which had all of my subfolders and mail. Kmail2 started. But I got an error

"Unknown error: Kmail folders could not create collection" which closed after a bit. So I set up kmail2 for a pop3 account with my account in/out server info.

Then I tried to check my mail. Kmail2 wanted my username and password because I had not used the wallet. So I provided it. Then it downloaded the mail somewhere but not in an inbox folder. In fact kmail only lists two folders "outbox and sent mail"

When I check with aknoadiconsole I have 3 accounts ready pop3, pop, and another pop3. When I check on the configure tab where the inbox is supposed to be I see a greyed out bax with +kmail folders and it shows outbox and sent mail.

I hope this isn't too confused. What should I try next?

[kubicle]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

I hope this isn't too confused.

If it isn't, it's getting there ...at least you can start kmail (for now)

I'd probably start afresh with the agent configuration.
(once again, make sure you have a backup directory of your mails...you're using maildir and not mbox, btw?)

I'd suggest the following (it's what I'd try, can't guarantee it's the best approach ):
1. quit kmail (if it's running)
1. Remove the kmail folder agent and all the pop agents (in akonadiconsole)
2. *copy* (don't move, to preserve the backup) your backed up mail folder to somewhere where you want your mail stored ~/Mail will do if you don't wish to use the default ~/.local/share/local-mail
3. Now create a new local folders agent, and point it to the mail directory (~/Mail, if you chose that)
4. Check that the local folders agent shows "ready".
5. start kmail again and see whether it shows the whole folder structure (including inbox) with your mails
6. if things are ok this far, you can recreate your pop account and test downloading mail

(If any of the steps fail or you have questions on how to perform them, come back here and we'll revisit the drawing board)

[lcharles]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

Alright one at a time.

First, how do I tell which format the emails are stored in? Right now my /Mail directory has sub directories like inbox which has tmp, new, and cur sub directories, and sent (which has nothing in it) and a sent-mail which has the set up like inbox. Then there folders I created with kmail-1 like 'Tech" that has tmp, new and cur. In the cur folder are my stored emails on technical questions. The other two are empty. So is that maildir format?

I would be perfectly happy to keep my mail and folder structure in ~/.local/share/local-mail directory. What to I put there? The whole /Mail directory or the sub directories in it like what I've laid out in the first paragraph?

So I'll stop there before trying anything else you've suggested.

[kubicle]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

First, how do I tell which format the emails are stored in? Right now my /Mail directory has sub directories like inbox which has tmp, new, and cur sub directories, and sent (which has nothing in it) and a sent-mail which has the set up like inbox. Then there folders I created with kmail-1 like 'Tech" that has tmp, new and cur. In the cur folder are my stored emails on technical questions. The other two are empty. So is that maildir format?

Yes, that's maildir.

I would be perfectly happy to keep my mail and folder structure in ~/.local/share/local-mail directory. What to I put there? The whole /Mail directory or the sub directories in it like what I've laid out in the first paragraph?

Right, I'd like to suggest breaking some of the steps into smaller ones (that are better for troubleshooting...easier to see where things go wrong if they do):

1. quit kmail (if it's running)
2. Remove the kmail folder agent and all the pop agents (in akonadiconsole)
3. Create an empty directory ~/.local/share/local-mail (if it doesn't exist)
4. Now create a new local folders agent, and point it to the empty mail directory (~/.local/share/local-mail)
5. Check that the local folders agent shows "ready" (and doesn't spew any errors).
6. start kmail again and see whether it shows a folder structure (it doesn't have your mail yet)
7. import your mail from kmail>file>import
a. Choose kmail mail directories and folder structure from the dropdown
b. Choose the folder to import to (Local Folders), and click next
c. In the file browser that pops up, choose the directory that your old mails are in (~/Mail).
8. This should import your old mail directories into a subdirectory under Local Folders in kmail (you can copy/move the mails from the subdirectory later to the proper folders under local folders (inbox, sent etc.)
9. if things are ok this far, you can recreate your pop account and test downloading mail.
10. Check that your mail files are in fact in ~/.local/share (the actual directory structure should be in a hidden directory ~/.local/share/.local-mail.directory...slightly confusing, but that's how maildir handles sub-directories)
11. Keep your original mail backups (~/Mail) safe, at least until you can be sure everything is working. (though you probably wish to keep backups of your mail anyway)

[lcharles]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

Well I got as far as #9, so I figure, not bad. Here are the new problems.

Before I got your steps 1-11 post, kmail would run so I tried to set up an account. It didn't work. I couldn't download emails. At that point I saw your latest post about steps 1-11. I got to 9 as I mentioned before there were problems.

The failed account information still seems to be stored somewhere. So under 'Settings>configure kmail I have an identity with my email address. In 'Accounts' in the Receiving tab there is an icon 'Local folders' which is 'ready'. In Sending there are three accounts listed Larry, Larry #1 and Larry #2. At this point I didn't change anything or try to recreate a new account as per step 9 and instead I tried to get new mail. I got the error:

Local Folders: Maildir "for collection" is invalid

When I look at /~/.local/share/local-mail it contains the following directories. .Kmail-Import.directory (which is where the imported /Mail structure was put), templates, sent-mail, outbox, and Kmail-Import.

When I start kmail the folder structure I see (in order) is 'inbox, outbox, sent-mail, trash, drafts, templates, Kmail-Imports'.

[kubicle]

Re: where is the kmail2 inbox folder located?

Well...some progress at least :P. Kmail starts and you have imported your old mail.

I'd probably try to clear some previous configs next (like the identity and smtp-accounts)...you could do this from kmail, but I'd probably clear out the config files:

1. quit kmail
2. start dolphin and browse to ~/.kde/share/config
3. filter the view for "mail"
4. rename (you can append something like ".mybak" to the names...don't delete so you can change then back if you need to) the following:
emaildefaults
emailidentities
kmail2rc
mailtransports
5. while in there check that there is a 'akonadi_maildir_resource_#rc' ('#' is a number) file that contains the path to your mail directory $HOME/.local/share/local-mail and whether there is a file 'specialmailcollectionsrc' that contains that same akonadi_maildir_resource_# as the default resource.
6. Now start kmail again, check that the folder structure is still there (including your mail)
7. there should be no identities or smtp accounts configured
8. reconfigure your pop/smtp account and identity

Again, report back if a step fails or you have questions.