The switch to Maildir format:

1. Make sure you shutdown all your imap clients including webmail.

2. If you have a directory named ~/Maildir you'll need to rename it.

3. Be sure all your mail folders are gathered up together in one directory. This directory will be refered to as "mbox directory" below.

4. Configure mail to do Mairdir based delivery by adding these defaults to the top of your ~/.procmailrc:

      DEFAULT=$HOME/Maildir/
      MAILDIR=$HOME/Maildir

      * Notice that there is a / at the end of the first rule and there is NOT
        one after the second.

      * All filters in ~/.procmailrc are likely to be broken and still point
        to mbox format files, so if you have any delivery rules that look
	like this:

      $HOME/mail/blah, they will need to become
      $HOME/Maildir/.blah/

      /var/mail/$LOGNAME.blah, they will need to become
      $HOME/Maildir/.blah/

5. Convert your mbox format spool file by running:

      /usr/bin/mb2md -m

      * This might take some time depending on the size of your /var/mail file
        (Inbox), so dont worry, just wait, wait... The command is taking each
	message that is in your Inbox and putting them in seperate files in
	~/Maildir/cur.

6. Convert your mail folders by running:

      /usr/bin/mb2md -s "mbox directory" -R;

      * This is where the command takes each of your mail folders and creates
        seperate files for each message. Again, this might take a bit of time
	depending on how large your mail folders are, but it will show progress
	on the command line. You can watch it by looking at the .directories in
	~/Maildir. Each .directory is a mail folder.

      * The above commands will create ~/Maildir and put all your mail folders
        and mail spool file within it in Maildir format.

7. Move your old mbox directory aside. Its important that you dont have a ~/mail directory.

8. Open your email client and do the following:

       * If you use Outlook:
          - Under Tools click
              + Options, Mail Setup, E-mail accounts (View or change existing
	        e-mail accounts should be chosen), Next, Change, More Settings,
		and then Advanced
              + change Root Folder Path to be blank

       * If you use Thunderbird:
          - Under Edit click
              + Account Settings, Server Settings, and then Advanced
              + the IMAP server directory box should be blank
              + Show Only Subscribed Folders should be UNchecked
              + The three boxes under "These preferences..." should also be
	        blank.

9. Now you should close your email client and open it again.

10. Once youre comfortable that all is working well you can remove /var/spool/yourlogin and the mbox directory that you renamed in step 7.

** If any problems occur, contact problem@cs.brown.edu