[Dovecot] Trying to populate dovecot with outlook contacts

[Spyros Tsiolis]

--- On Tue, 23/11/10, Robert Schetterer <robert at schetterer.org> wrote:

> From: Robert Schetterer <robert at schetterer.org>
> Subject: Re: [Dovecot] Trying to populate dovecot with outlook contacts
> To: dovecot at dovecot.org
> Date: Tuesday, 23 November, 2010, 13:22
> Am 23.11.2010 11:48, schrieb Spyros
> Tsiolis:
> > Hello,
> > 
> > What the subject says.
> > I am trying, that is.
> > OK, here's the story.
> > Users very lazy. Don't want to write down their
> contact details
> > from scratch.
> > Here's what I thought :
> > 
> > migrate (export?) contacts from outlook to mozilla
> thunderbird.
> > Then find a way to make thunderbird "talk" to dovecot,
> so that
> > the latter can import the contact details from mozilla
> tb.
> > 
> > Any ideas ? Will it work ? Am I ranting ? :-)
> > 
> > Thank you all,
> 
> that has nothing to do with dovecot which is an imap / pop3
> server
> export adresses from outlook to your prefered file format
> i.e ldif,
> csv , import it in thunderbird
> 
> 
> the whole stuff might be wizzarided yet, as far i rembember
> thunderbird
> ask for import stuff from outlook at first start, whatever
> for autoconfig servername ports etc with
> thunderbird/outlook ( up to
> 2007 ) propagate some stuff in dns anf have right xml
> entries on some
> webserver
> 
> other possibility configure horde webmail as syncml server
> use funambol plugins in outlook ,export sync contacts to
> horde, sync them
> with thunderbird later from horde, as well as with i.e
> some
> android/iphone/blackberry
> 
> if using horde dev 4 you can try active sync too,
> or use zarafa, funambol etc
> 
> at last no dovecot job, as long you dont use i.e some kolab
> extension
> etc with using imap folder for contacts
> 
> > 
> > s.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > ----
> > "I merely function as a channel that filters 
> > music through the chaos of noise"
> >  - Vangelis
> > 
> > 
> >       
> 
> 
> -- 
> Best Regards
> 
> MfG Robert Schetterer
> 
> Germany/Munich/Bavaria


Chaps,

FYI, after a _lot_ of running around and trying to find a
solution to this, I have a pretty straightforward solution.
So here it is in case someone has the same issue and would like to
solve it asap :
Before proceeding any further, I would like say that my subject is
wrong. It should say "Trying to migrate outlook mail and contacts to
thunderbird". So with this subject, I proceed :-) :

If you have an outlook client and would like to migrate to thunderbird
and you have a windows environment with outlook (office) 2007 :

First, run thunderbird directly. Sometimes, just like that, when
you start thunderbird (preferably v3.1.5 onwards), it imports 
_everything_ from outlook 2007 no questions asked. It shows a
migration wizard with a list of possible MUAs. Most definitely
outlook express is going to be there and outlook if you are lucky
enough.

If you are _not_ lucky enough and "outlook" is _not_ displayed
on the list :
click on start -> run -> msimn (that's the executable for
outlook express).
Outlook Express will ask you if you have a profile from outlook and
would like to import. Say "yes". It doesn't matter if you make a
successful import (sometimes it hangs, just like that). Close it.
Preferably reboot and re-start the thunderbird MUA. Go to tools ->
import and this time round the menu will also show (amongst other
MUAs) the "outook" option. Choose it. Now you will have _all_ your
messages imported from outlook 2007 to thunderbird ! :-)

The procedure for importing outlook 2000/2002/2003 data to thunderbird
is more straight-forward. All you have to do is start installing 
tb and everything will be done automatically.

If you have any issues, let me know. I can try and help you.
I just started up thunderbird version 3.1.7 on my Linux Mint v9.0
partition, entered the appropriate data for my imap account and it
worked like a charm. It started downloading everything automatically.
(I had the same thunderbird version on my win-32 partition with all
my mail and contacts and did the initial migration there).
Dovecot Rules !
:-)

HTH,

spyros


----
"I merely function as a channel that filters 
music through the chaos of noise"
 - Vangelis