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Thu, 2009-07-02 20:49 — admin

Migration from Windows to Linux

Emails

Goal: transfer email from Outlook to thunderbird (windows) to thunderbird (linux)

  1. import feature of TB: Outlook to thunderbind (windows). ok, checked (see below)

Steps: from thunderbird (windows) to thunderbird (linux)

References:

Actions:

  • Copy profile TB (windows) to TB (linux). ok.

TB (windows)
/mnt/hda1/Documents and Settings/Administrateur/Application Data/Thunderbird/Profiles/61t1b25y.default

TB (linux)
/home/skyward/.mozilla-thunderbird/

  1. check everything is copied, number of files and size. ok
  2. edit "/home/skyward/.mozilla-thunderbird/profile.default/prefs.js" file to show new directory path. Convert windows paths (with \\) to linux paths (using /). Make a backup. ok.
  3. edit "/home/skyward/.mozilla-thunderbird/profiles.ini" to make it use actual new profile. Make a backup. ok.
  4. chmod all files in profile directoy to 755 (read and execute). ok. Maybe 744 is enough.
  5. remove any lock file. ok
  6. start TB (linux) and go to Edit > Account settings to check everything is configured correctly. ok. Check for each 'account > server setting > Local directory' shows the right path to where the profile is.
  7. place a signature file at an accessible place. ok
  8. Configure signature file in the account settings. ok
  9. Launch and close TB a few times to check everything works well. ok.
  10. Check the mailboxes, that the message are their, their number and attached documents.
  11. Delete or mark as "old" the ancient thunderbird profile under windows. Prevent from using it from now.
  12. Now on, you use only thunderbird under linux.
  13. It's finished !

Personnal experience: email transfer

Goal: transfer emails from Outlook to thunderbird. And eventually from thunderbird to Kmail under Linux.

Objects: Outlook, pst file, many emails, many email accounts (3, archive.pst, outlook.pst=main file, webmail.pst), firebird, import feature, result.
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrateur\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\archive.pst 206 MB

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrateur\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst 155 MB

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrateur\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlookwebmail.unine.ch-00000004.pst 133 MB

Tasks:

  • Cleanup mailbox in Outlook, only keep what is important.
  • Import it in firebird.
    • Result:

In thunderbird: some accentued characters are corrupt. Webpages display better. Don't keep the feedline that were present in Outlook. Don't import the attached message from Outlook (.msg). Brouillons, message downloadés are kept.
IMAP Message (to be downlaoded): the message that were downloaded are kept.

Outlook: don't sort correctly after 'subject' (Re: messages are at wrong place).

  • Check:
    • the number of files : ok
    • the attachments :
      • ok (for regular attachments): 2 checked
      • no for attachment of emails, internal messages from Outlook(.msg)
      • ARCHIVE folder: ok, number of files, attachments. 2h
      • DOSSIER PERSONEL: ok, number of files, attachments. 20min
      • WEBMAIL: ok, downloaded message are kept and complete. 20min
  • delete old Outlook files

Transfer in Kmail

  • Convert email from Outlook to Kmail.
  • internal converter
  • use a special program. Find it on the net.
  • See in personal notes.

Note
The final PIM program used under Linux depends on the sync we want for the PocketPC. So I may use, in order of preference :

  1. Evolution
  2. Kmail
  3. Eventually thunderbird.

Since I don't know at this time wich one to use, I will do both.

Firefox profile transfer

Goal : to transfer firefox profile, from windows to linux, keeping bookmarks and installed extensions and theme.

Objects: profile, backup, copy, configuration file, paths, bookmarks, extensions, theme.
Time: 30 min.
Reference:

http://groups.google.com/group/Firefox-Users/browse_thread/thread/a85e568feba76f28

Method:

  • Backup profile under windows
  • copy to linux at right place
  • Edit configuration files to indicate right paths: prefs.js or user.js. Attention to use \ or /.
  • Launch the program and check in its configuration that everything is correct.
  • Check and eventually re-install extension and themes.

Actions:
Locate your profile folder

Before the configuration files are presented, you should know how to find your profile folder, which is where Firefox saves all your settings on your hard drive.

  • On Windows Vista/XP/2000, the path is usually %AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxxxxxxx.default\, where xxxxxxxx is a random string of 8 characters. Just browse to C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ on Windows XP/2000 or C:\users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ on Windows Vista, and the rest should be obvious.
    • On Windows 95/98/Me, the path is usually C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxxxxxxx.default * On Linux, the path is usually ~/.mozilla/firefox/xxxxxxxx.default/
    • On Mac OS X, the path is usually ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/xxxxxxxx.default/

%AppData% is a shorthand for the Application Data path on Windows 2000/XP/Vista. To use it, click Start > Run... (use the search box on Vista), enter %AppData% and press Enter. You will be taken to the "real" folder, which is normally C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Application Data on Windows XP/2000, C:\users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista.

Firefox is capable of handling more than one user and thus, more than one profile. The path examples above refers to the default profile that is automatically created when you start Firefox for the first time. You can manage any number of profiles by using the Profile Manager.

Edit configuration files

user.js (if it exists) and prefs.js - User Preferences. In most cases, migrating the "prefs.js" file from one profile to another is not recommended, especially if you had problems with the previous profile. If you choose to migrate "prefs.js", you may need to manually edit the paths to reflect the new profile location. You may also need to edit the file to remove preferences that refer to extensions that are not installed in the new profile.

My experience

  • Locate and copy profile (windows)

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrateur\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles

  • copy to new path (under linux)

~/.mozilla/firefox/xxxxxxxx.default/

  • Check that everything is copied correctly (number and total size of files). ok
  • Edit configuration file: pref.js, and change paths. ok.
  • Edit configuration file: ../profiles.ini and change paths. ok. indicate which profile to start.
  • Launch firefox application and check that is works correctly. ok, bookmarks are kept.
  • check extension and themes, and eventually re-install them. ok.

It detects if extensionsare compatible with current version (2.0.0.3), they are installed in the profile directory. ok, they are compatible. Cool I don't have to reinstall them. I run an upgrade of the extensions to have latest version.

  • Delete profile from firefox under windows.

Conclusion: ok.

Merge with other profile

In firefox, two different profiles contain information about bookmarks, but also installed extensions (add-on) and themes. Then it's much easier to only copy the bookmarks and not the rest of the directory, since the installed extensions are not the same and can make conflicts.

* Import bookmark.html file from old profile. Use the special function built into firefox: Bookmarks > Organize (manage) bookmarks > File > Import...
And select the html file from old profile.

Conclusion: ok.