transfer email accounts 1

[richardko]

Hi,
I currently have an old and new linux servers. I am still configuring the new server but I need to transfer all the existing accounts from the old server to the new one especially the email without deleting the data in the old one. Is there a documentation on how to do this.
The old server is running centos 4.4 and the new one is on Fedora core 6.

Thanks

 

[BIS]

You will need to tell us what MTA you are using, and whether you are set up as mbox or maildir - for a start.

 

[richardko]

hi,
i am using sendmail in both the servers.
thank you

 

[QatQat]

OK, let's start by moving all mailboxes.
on the old server

tar -cpvzf /root/mymailboxes.tar.gz /var/spool/mail

move the file /root/mymailboxes.tar,gz across to the new server.

Then mygrate the sendmail settings

rsync -vrae /etc/mail/ root@xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:/etc/mail

where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is the ip address of the new server.

Now, let's migrate only the normal users' accounts
UID > 500

export UGIDLIMIT=500

awk -v LIMIT=$UGIDLIMIT -F: '($3>=LIMIT) && ($3!=65534)' /etc/passwd
> /root/passwd_old


awk -v LIMIT=$UGIDLIMIT -F: '($3>=LIMIT) && ($3!=65534)' /etc/group
> /root/group_old


awk -v LIMIT=$UGIDLIMIT -F: '($3>=LIMIT) && ($3!=65534) {print $1}' /etc/passwd
| tee - |egrep -f - /etc/shadow > /root/shadow_old

MOve the files shadow_old, passwd_old and group_old to the new server.

On the new server overwrite the existing files

cat /root/passwd_old >> /etc/passwd
cat /root/group_old >> /etc/group
cat /root/shadow_old >> /etc/shadow

Note that the above will work only on a new server without users' accounts created. I am assuming that this is your case.

Now restore the tar

cd /
tar -xzvf /root/mymailboxes.tar.gz

reboot, the system, pray a bit and it should work.

QatQat


Life is what happens when you are making other plans.

 

[QatQat]

I forgot,

if you need to move the home directories as well,

tar -cpvzf /root/home_dirs.tar.gz /home/

move the file /root/home_dirs.tar.gz across.

log on the new server as root,

cd /
tar -xvzf /root/home_dirs.tar.gz

Cheers

QatQat

Life is what happens when you are making other plans.

 

[richardko]

Thanks,
I found a similar documentation finally and that helped also.