how to import mails into thunderbird from maildir format

I have a local imap server which used to pull mails from external mail server and distribute mails locally. This server i开发者_Python百科s now used by a sngle user, as other users are comfortable using the webbased gmail hosted account. I want to close this local mail server but the given user has older emails in the mailserver. Is there a I can import all the emails from the IMAP server to user's local thunderbird installation ? My purpose is to close down the IMAP server yet allow the user to have access to older emails. Any solution ?

Head to their workstation, turn on the 'save local copies' option (whatever it might be called...), slurp all the messages down, and then immediately turn off your imapd to be done with it.

Another option that friends have used is to move the entire maildir pile to his machine, install dovecot on it to serve the maildir, and aim his client to the local dovecot install.

There is an Import-Export Tool Extension for Thunderbird http://www.nic-nac-project.de/~kaosmos/mboximport-en.html

Renaming your files to end with .eml (extension) with mmv which is available under FreeBSD, Mac OS X (Macports) and [your favourite distro] Linux.

Create a new folder and simply work with the contextmenu "Import all EML files from a directory".

Voila