How to synch Apple's Mail folders without using IMAP or iSynch.

December 6, 2005 12:31 PM

AppleMailFilter: I’d like to synchronize my (non-smart) mailbox folders in Apple’s Mail program to use on two computers without using IMAP folders or iSynch…

I spend roughly equal time working on a Powerbook and an iMac (both running 10.4.3) and would love to be able to synchronize the two-hundred or so mailboxes that I use so that when I transfer a message from my inbox into a folder on one computer, it’ll show up in that mailbox on the other (after some synchronization process). I have a couple of IMAP mailbox folders, but the bulk of the mailboxes are not stored on the server, as I don’t have enough storage space. I have a .Mac account, but again, the contents of the mailboxes far exceed the amount of room I have on my iDisk, and I’d rather not store the mail on a server in the first place. What I’m looking for is a program (or trick!) that will enable the computers to talk to one another and fill in each other’s gaps. The computers will be on the same network (at least when I bring my laptop home) if that makes any difference. Any ideas?

posted by tulseluper to computers & internet (7 answers total)

Your local Mail folders reside in /Users/username/Library/Mail/Mailboxes

Any generic file synchronization utility, e.g. ChronoSync or RsyncX can handle bidirectional synchronization of folders, so that changing one folder will update the other on synchronization. Just point said utility to the folder above.
posted by Rothko at 12:45 PM on December 6, 2005

Rothko, do you have experience with either ChronoSync or RsyncX? Would you recommend one over the other?
posted by tulseluper at 12:54 PM on December 6, 2005

RsyncX is great. Never used ChronoSync. There is also Unison. I couldn't get it working, so I got RsyncX.
posted by zpousman at 12:57 PM on December 6, 2005

ChronoSync is very easy to use, much easier than RsyncX. I would recommend either, and depending on your technical comfort level and budget, would recommend the first over the second for ease of use, and the second over the first for budget.
posted by Rothko at 1:07 PM on December 6, 2005

Thanks! ChronoSync looks like it's the way to go. I'll download the demo and give it a try. If anybody else has other suggestions, please keep them coming.
posted by tulseluper at 2:14 PM on December 6, 2005

I don't think that sync software is going to be as magical as you're hoping for.

Is there a reason you're against using an IMAP server, but setting Mail to also save copies of all the mail locally?
posted by I Love Tacos at 5:17 PM on December 6, 2005

I'm not using IMAP because I don't want all of my mail (over a gig) stored on the server. Right now I have my mail set to store only the Inbox messages on the server (and copied to a local folder). As soon as I remove something from the Inbox, it's removed from the server.
posted by tulseluper at 8:03 PM on December 6, 2005