X-Git-Url: https://git.notmuchmail.org/git?p=notmuch-wiki;a=blobdiff_plain;f=getting-started.mdwn;h=7cc7c31f4181225b67a4fb5598a08a07f3856828;hp=dbc13ffde4ea061a6989acc8af2500ef36a87777;hb=6fce39699bece93fe43a047d43f646f4165734ed;hpb=b76249ee2a366948cb2da97c69e767a6f34d07c9 diff --git a/getting-started.mdwn b/getting-started.mdwn index dbc13ff..7cc7c31 100644 --- a/getting-started.mdwn +++ b/getting-started.mdwn @@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ already have messages in this format. On Linux, the easiest way to install Notmuch is through your distribution's package repository. If you're installing Notmuch from a [git -checkout](http://git.notmuchmail.org/git/notmuch) or a [source -release](http://notmuchmail.org/releases/), please refer to the -[INSTALL](http://git.notmuchmail.org/git/notmuch/blob/HEAD:/INSTALL) document. +checkout](https://git.notmuchmail.org/git/notmuch) or a [source +release](https://notmuchmail.org/releases/), please refer to the +[INSTALL](https://git.notmuchmail.org/git/notmuch/blob/HEAD:/INSTALL) document. ## Configuration @@ -69,6 +69,12 @@ interface|manpages]], or [[Notmuch Emacs interface|notmuch-emacs]]. ## Converting Existing mbox to Maildir +The [`mb2md`](http://batleth.sapienti-sat.org/projects/mb2md/) tool can be used +to convert existing mbox files to Maildir. + +Beware that the source and destination directory options to `mb2md` are relative +to the user's home directory, not relative to the current working directory. + ## Delivering New Messages Notmuch itself does not receive messages. There is no IMAP or POP support. You @@ -87,7 +93,29 @@ There are two ways to deliver and index messages: ## Automation Via Hooks -## Backing up and Restoring the Database +Notmuch supports running [[user defined hooks|manpages/notmuch-hooks-5]] before +or after certain commands. Hooks can be arbitrary executable programs or +scripts. For example, if you always run your mail delivery tool first and +`notmuch new` after that, you can run the tool from Notmuch `pre-new` hook, and +simply run `notmuch new` to do both. If you always do some tagging after +indexing of new messages, you may want to set up a `post-new` or `post-insert` +hook to do that automatically. + +## Backing Up and Restoring the Database + +The Notmuch database contains a search index of your messages, along with all +the tags you've added to your messages. The search index can be regenerated by +indexing the messages again, but the tags will be lost if the database is +lost. (If you have `maildir.synchronize_flags` configuration option enabled, +also some of the tags can be regenerated from maildir flags.) + +To create a plain-text dump of the tags, run + + notmuch dump --output=dump.txt + +To restore the tags from the dump, run + + notmuch restore --input=dump.txt ## Removing Notmuch @@ -95,6 +123,5 @@ Did not like it after all? All you need to do is remove the database and the configuration file. The database is stored in the `.notmuch` directory under your mail store. And your mail store is at `notmuch config get database.path`. -Note that the database is where the tags are stored. Everything else can be -regenerated by indexing again, but the tags will be lost when the database is -removed. Use the `notmuch dump` command to create a backup of the tags. +You may want to use the `notmuch dump` command to create a backup of any tags +you've added before removing the database.