[Xeo]

I want to move away from the built-in Apple Mail Server. I have the latest OS X 10.2 Server. I want to move to something else but I can't figure out how to convert the mail database to something else. I can do this on a per-user basis, there are only 5 users. But how? What's the easiest method without losing all the e-mails and proper date information? Is the only way to get a client which can export and import it into Mail afterwards?

The reason for this change is simple. I have a new computer coming in and I plan to install OS X Client instead of Server on it. I found I don't need, and don't want, the frills that OS X Server provides. It's only a web and mail server and I'd prefer to configure it like the rest of the world and not like Apple wants me to. It's easier to get tech support in the *nix world than in the Apple world.

So, I have the option to leave the mail service on and running on the old computer, start from scratch on the new computer, and have all the accounts loaded into Mail.app. I can manually select-all and copy into the new location, but this loses the "date" information for when it was received. I want to preserve this information since that's my primary sorting column.

All the mail I'm moving is gotten through IMAP. Therefore all the mail is on the server side AND the client side.

Is there any better way to accomplish this?

Also, I need a suggestion on which mail server to use? Should I stick with sendmail? I've been working with it a little so I'm familiar it and it's config files, but is Postfix a better server? What about IMAP and POP clients? What are the options? What do you use?

Last question, semi-unrelated. I'd really like to do SSL for both IMAP and for my web server. Is there any way to obtain a certificate for free or do you have to buy them? Are they expensive? Do you have to pay recurring fees for them? I'd like to bump the security of my server other than SSH, all connections are plain text. Is it possible to use SSH-style encryption rather than SSL to avoid paying? My server is for personal use so setting it up is plausible, but is it possible?

[CatOne]

Originally posted by Xeo:
I want to move away from the built-in Apple Mail Server. I have the latest OS X 10.2 Server. I want to move to something else but I can't figure out how to convert the mail database to something else. I can do this on a per-user basis, there are only 5 users. But how? What's the easiest method without losing all the e-mails and proper date information? Is the only way to get a client which can export and import it into Mail afterwards?

The reason for this change is simple. I have a new computer coming in and I plan to install OS X Client instead of Server on it. I found I don't need, and don't want, the frills that OS X Server provides. It's only a web and mail server and I'd prefer to configure it like the rest of the world and not like Apple wants me to. It's easier to get tech support in the *nix world than in the Apple world.

So, I have the option to leave the mail service on and running on the old computer, start from scratch on the new computer, and have all the accounts loaded into Mail.app. I can manually select-all and copy into the new location, but this loses the "date" information for when it was received. I want to preserve this information since that's my primary sorting column.

All the mail I'm moving is gotten through IMAP. Therefore all the mail is on the server side AND the client side.

Is there any better way to accomplish this?

Also, I need a suggestion on which mail server to use? Should I stick with sendmail? I've been working with it a little so I'm familiar it and it's config files, but is Postfix a better server? What about IMAP and POP clients? What are the options? What do you use?

Last question, semi-unrelated. I'd really like to do SSL for both IMAP and for my web server. Is there any way to obtain a certificate for free or do you have to buy them? Are they expensive? Do you have to pay recurring fees for them? I'd like to bump the security of my server other than SSH, all connections are plain text. Is it possible to use SSH-style encryption rather than SSL to avoid paying? My server is for personal use so setting it up is plausible, but is it possible?

You should be able to log in as admin and drag the entire IMAP archive from one mail server to another. There is one particular account for this -- I'm not 100% sure on the details of what it is.

Not 100% sure of your motivations for moving -- note OS 10.3 has Cyrus as a mail server and Postfix as an MTA. If you want to run the mail server on a "client" OS then maybe consider Stalker's Communigate Pro.

[Xeo]

Originally posted by CatOne:
You should be able to log in as admin and drag the entire IMAP archive from one mail server to another. There is one particular account for this -- I'm not 100% sure on the details of what it is.

I'm not sure what you mean by the "entire IMAP archive." The database is in Apple's own format, I think. That's the problem. I want a way to convert it to something else.

Not 100% sure of your motivations for moving -- note OS 10.3 has Cyrus as a mail server and Postfix as an MTA. If you want to run the mail server on a "client" OS then maybe consider Stalker's Communigate Pro.

I think I might just wait for 10.3 Server. My motivations were that I am tired of Apple's mail server and I want something better. 10.3 server has something much better and Apple will surely have a way to convert 10.2 mail databases to the format used in 10.3 so I'll just wait.