isync: synchronize IMAP4 and Maildir mailboxes - Linux Manuals (1) (2024)

isync: synchronize IMAP4 and Maildir mailboxes

Command to display isync manual in Linux: $ man 1 isync

NAME

isync - synchronize IMAP4 and Maildir mailboxes

SYNOPSIS

isync [options ...] {mailbox ...|-a|-l}

DESCRIPTION

isync is a command line application which synchronizes localMaildir mailboxes with remote IMAP4 mailboxes, suitable for use inIMAP-disconnected mode. Multiple copies of the remote IMAP4 mailboxes can be maintained, and all flags are synchronized.
isync is only a wrapper binary around mbsync to simplify upgrades.It will automatically migrate the UID mapping from previous versions ofisync (even before 0.8) to the new format, and transparently callmbsync. If you were using isync version 0.8 or 0.9.x you mightwant to use mdconvert to convert the mailboxes to the more efficientnative UID storage scheme after migrating them.
isync is deprecated. Please use the -w option to permanentlymigrate the configuration and start using mbsync directly.

OPTIONS

-c, --config file

Read configuration from file.By default, the configuration is read from ~/.isyncrc if it exists.

-1, --one-to-one

Instead of using the mailbox specifications in ~/.isyncrc, isync will pick upall mailboxes from the local directory and remote folder and map them 1:1 onto each other according to their names.

-I, --inbox mailbox

Exception to the 1:1 mapping created by -1: the special IMAP mailbox INBOXis mapped to the local mailbox (relative to the maildir).

-a, --all

Synchronize all mailboxes (either specified in ~/.isyncrc or determined by the1:1 mapping).

-l, --list

Don't synchronize anything, but list all mailboxes and exit.

-L, --create-local

Automatically create the local Maildir mailbox if it doesn't alreadyexist.

-R, --create-remote

Automatically create the remote IMAP mailbox if it doesn't already exist.

-C, --create

Automatically create any mailboxes if they don't already exist.This is simply a combination of -L and -R.

-d, --delete

Causes isync to propagate message deletions.By default, dead messages are not deleted.

-e, --expunge

Causes isync to permanently remove all messages marked for deletion.By default, deleted messages are not expunged.

-f, --fast

Only fetch new messages existing on the server into the local mailbox.Message deletions and flag changes will not be propagated.

-h, --help

Displays a summary of command line options

-p, --port port

Specifies the port on the IMAP server to connect to (default: 143 for imap,993 for imaps)

-q, --quiet

Suppress informational messages.If specified twice, suppress warning messages as well.

-r, --remote box

Specifies the name of the remote IMAP mailbox to synchronize with(Default: INBOX)

-s, --host [imaps:]host

Specifies the hostname of the IMAP server

-u, --user user

Specifies the login name to access the IMAP server (default: $USER)

-P, --pass password

Specifies the password to access the IMAP server (prompted for by default)

-M, --maildir dir

Specifies the location for your local mailboxes.

-F, --folder folder/

Specifies the location for your remote mailboxes.

-v, --version

Displays isync version information.

-V, --verbose

Enables verbose mode, which displays the IMAP4 network traffic.

-D, --debug

Enable printing of debug messages.

-w, --write

Don't run mbsync, but instead write a permanent config file for it.The UID mappings of all configured mailboxes will be migrated.Note that most command line options that would affect an actual sync operationwill be incorporated into the new config file as well; exceptions are--fast and --create[-remote|-local].The name of the new config file is determined by replacing the last occurrenceof "isync" with "mbsync", or appending ".mbsync" if "isync" was not found.

-W, --writeto file

Like -w, but use the specified name for the new config file.

CONFIGURATION

isync by default reads ~/.isyncrc to load configuration data.Each non-empty line of the configuration file that does not start with ahash mark consists of a command.The following commands are understood:

Mailbox path

Defines a local Maildir mailbox. All configuration commands following thisline, up until the next Mailbox command, apply to this mailbox only.

Host [imaps:]name

Defines the DNS name or IP address of the IMAP server. If the hostname isprefixed with imaps: the connection is assumed to be a SSL connectionto port 993 (though you can change this by placing a Port commandafter the Host command).Note that modern servers support SSL on the default port 143.isync will always attempt to use SSL if available.

Port port

Defines the TCP port number of the IMAP server (Default: 143 for imap,993 for imaps)

Box mailbox

Defines the name of the remote IMAP mailbox associated with the localMaildir mailbox (Default: INBOX)

User username

Defines the login name on the IMAP server (Default: current user)

Pass password

Defines the password for username on the IMAP server.Note that this option is NOT required.If no password is specified in the configuration file, isyncwill prompt you for it.

Alias string

Defines an alias for the mailbox which can be used as a shortcut on thecommand line.

CopyDeletedTo mailbox

Specifies the remote IMAP mailbox to copy deleted messages to prior toexpunging (Default: none).

Delete yes|no

Specifies whether message deletions are propagated. (Default: no).NOTE: The -d command line option overrides this setting when set to no.

Expunge yes|no

Specifies whether deleted messages are expunged. (Default: no).NOTE: The -e command line option overrides this setting when set to no.

MailDir directory

Specifies the location of your local mailboxes if a relative path isspecified in a Mailbox command (Default: ~).NOTE: This directive is allowed only in the globalsection (see below).

Folder directory/

Specifies the location of your IMAP mailboxes specified in Box commands (Default: "").NOTE: You must append the hierarchy delimiter (usuallya slash) to this specification.NOTE 2: This directive is allowed only in the globalsection (see below).

MaxMessages count

Sets the number of messages isync should keep in the local copy of amailbox.This is useful for mailboxes where you keep a complete archive on the server,but want to mirror only the last messages (for instance, for mailing lists).The messages that were the first to arrive in the mailbox (independently of theactual date of the message) will be deleted first.Messages that are flagged (marked as important) and unread messages will not beautomatically deleted.If count is 0, the maximum number of messages is unlimited.(Default: 0)

MaxSize bytes

Messages larger than that many bytes will not be transferred over the wire.This is useful for weeding out messages with large attachments.If bytes is 0, the maximum file size is unlimited.(Default: 0)

Tunnel command

Specify a command to run to establish a connection rather than opening a TCPsocket. This allows you to run an IMAP session over an SSH tunnel, forexample.

UseNamespace yes|no

Selects whether the server's first "personal" NAMESPACE should be prefixed tomailbox names. Disabling this makes sense for some broken IMAP servers.This option is meaningless if a Folder was specified.(Default: yes)

RequireCRAM yes|no

If set to yes, isync will abort the connection if no CRAM-MD5authentication is possible. (Default: no)

RequireSSL yes|no

isync will abort the connection if a TLS/SSL session cannot beestablished with the IMAP server. (Default: yes)

CertificateFile path

File containing X.509 CA certificates used to verify server identities.

UseSSLv2 yes|no

Should isync use SSLv2 for communication with the IMAP server over SSL?(Default: no)

UseSSLv3 yes|no

Should isync use SSLv3 for communication with the IMAP server over SSL?(Default: yes if the imaps port is used, otherwise no)

UseTLSv1 yes|no

Should isync use TLSv1 for communication with the IMAP server over SSL?(Default: yes)

OneToOne

isync will ignore any Mailbox specifications and instead pick upall mailboxes from the local MailDir and remote Folder and map them 1:1 onto each other according to their names.NOTE: This directive is allowed only in the globalsection (see below).

Inbox mailbox

Exception to the OneToOne mapping: the special IMAP mailbox INBOXis mapped to the local mailbox (relative to the MailDir).NOTE: This directive is only meaningful in the globalsection (see below).

Configuration commands that appear prior to the first Mailboxcommand are considered to be globaloptions which are used as defaults when those specific options are notspecifically set for a defined Mailbox. For example, if you use the samelogin name for several IMAP servers, you can put a User command before the first Mailbox command, and then leave out the User command in the sections for each mailbox.isync will then use the global value by default.

FILES

~/.isyncrc

Default configuration file

BUGS

The configuration file takes precedence over command line options.
Use -c /dev/null to work around.

See the INHERENT PROBLEMS section in the mbsync man page, too.

AUTHORS

Originally written by Michael R. Elkins,currently maintained by Oswald Buddenhagen.