[kdepim-users] 20090723KP -- Copying KMail

[Bruce MacArthur]

On Friday 24 July 2009 00:00, Thomas Olsen wrote:
> On Friday 24 July 2009 05:14:53 Bruce MacArthur wrote:
> > On Thursday 23 July 2009 12:09, Kevin Krammer wrote:
> > > Hi Bruce.
> > >
> > > On Thursday, 2009-07-23, Bruce MacArthur wrote:
> > > > Hello, Kevin --
> > > >
> > > > A great question that I anticipated (for myself) without
> > > > answering in my message!  I have resisted going directly to
> > > > Jaunty 100% PENDING getting the openSUSE stuff copied over
> > > > adequately. Therefore, at this time, the two distinct
> > > > approaches are one and the same for me!  So we can consider it
> > > > to be more like replacing Kubuntu's stuff with openSUSE's. I
> > > > hope this helps (and even simplifies!) things.
> > >
> > > It does!
> > >
> > > If you can basically "Start from scratch" on the target machine
> > > then the easiest way to do that is to pack all things from the
> > > old one into an archive and extract it on the new one.
> > >
> > > more or less like this
> > >
> > > oldmachine% tar cvjf mails.tar.bz2 .kde/share/apps/kmail/mail
> > >
> > > newmachine% rm -r .kde/share/apps/kmail/mail
> > > newmachine% tar xvjf mails.tar.bz2
> > >
> > > In words:
> > > on the old machine (or on the respective parition mounted in the
> > > new one) create an archive containing the whole mail directory
> > >
> > > This is basically a full backup of all mail files, indices, etc)
> > >
> > > Then make sure the new machine's target directory is not there.
> > > Then extract the archive, basically restoring the old machines
> > > state.
> > >
> > > All while KMail is not running.
> > > You might additionally copy some files from .kde/share/config,
> > > e.g. kmailrc, mailtransports, emailidentities
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > > Keviin
> >
> > Hello, Kevin --
> >
> > Thank you for your prompt and very helpful reply.  I have come into
> > a couple of complications; perhaps you can assist me in managing
> > them.
> >
> > I had absolutely no problem at all doing the tar -cvjf step.
> >
> > I had not visible problem doing the rm step.
> >
> > However the tar -xvjf step is proving to be messy.  For one thing,
> > the "/mail" folder (within /kmail) seems to not exist within Jaunty
> > KMail.  For another, I am not sure what to make of the fact that
> > you didn't tell this newbie what (if anything) to do about
> > the "/.kMail-Import.directory/" entry that I find in openSUSE, but
> > do NOT find in Jaunty's KMail.  Thirdly, the extraction step simply
> > "blew up" with four lines of messages which I present below.
> >      tar:   mails.tar.bz2: Cannot open: No such file or directory
> >      tar:   Error is not recoverable: exiting now
> >      tar;   Child returned status 2
> >      tar:   Error exit delayed from previous errors
> >
> > I have almost certainly confused myself by attempting to enter the
> > appropriate partition before performing each step.  However, when
> > that failed, I tried working within a single partition -- and got
> > the very same results.  On my system, these erroneous results are
> > entirely predictable; they occur every time (within Jaunty Konsole)
> > I enter "tar  -xvjf  mails.tar.bz2" (without the quotes, of
> > course!).
> >
> >
> > I am coming to the tentative conclusion that, when I first
> > installed Jaunty, Dolphin did its very best to bring all of my
> > files over to Jaunty from openSUSE (with the notable exception of
> > KMail data!). Interestingly enough, some extensive changes in one
> > openSUSE file -- which were carefully saved at numerous points --
> > seem to have been lost forever, and the file reverted to its form
> > immediately prior to Jaunty installation!  There is no confusion
> > (yet!) in openSUSE's KMail, but I do not yet see what I am doing
> > wrong in trying to get it into Jaunty.
>
> Firstly: When you where executing the "tar cvjf mails.tar.bz2
> .kde/share/apps/kmail/mail" command where sure that you where in your
> home directory on the openSuSE partition?
Hello Thomas --
First, I understand that English (which is NOT a simple language!) is 
not your first language, as it is mine.  So let me state my assumption 
that this means, "When you were executing the (cvjf) command, are you 
sure that you were in your home directory on the openSUSE partition?"

At first, I was in "/home/bruce/", which means that "/.kde/share..." was 
immediately visible.  Since then, I have tried it from "/home/" with 
identical results (I think!).  Since I have not actually been able to 
study the mails.tar.bz2 files, I cannot determine whether or not they 
are identical; I could see no difference as file-names are displayed on 
the monitor!

>
> Secondly: When you where executing the "tar  -xvjf  mails.tar.bz2" 
> command where sure that you where in your home directory on the
> Jaunty partition AND that the mails.tar.bz2 package was there too (ls
> -l mails.tar.bz2)?

At first, I thought that I needed to go to the Jaunty "/home/bu4lu3si1/" 
folder by reason that this is where I would want to have the data 
appear.  I received the diagnostics cited.  Then it occurred to me that 
perhaps I needed to stay in the folder where the mails.tar.bz2 file is 
most likely to be located -- and I received the very same diagnostics!
>
> >      tar:   mails.tar.bz2: Cannot open: No such file or directory
> >      tar:   Error is not recoverable: exiting now
> >      tar;   Child returned status 2
> >      tar:   Error exit delayed from previous errors
>
> This indicates that the file is not in the same directory as you.

I agree.  But I do not see the logic of having the very same 
diagnostics, regardless of whether I do or do not change 
folder/directory!  Should I qualify the file-name somehow?  If so, then 
how should I qualify it?  THANK YOU for a couple of good questions!

-- 
布鲁&#26031  麦克阿&#29791
Bruce   Mac Arthur
15875 Switzer
Overland Park, KS 66221
     913-897-4157
     bmacasuru at fastmail.us
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