756853 - Case issue with Gmail labels as Thunderbird folders in Linux

Status: UNCONFIRMED

(Thunderbird :: Folder and Message Lists, defect)

Description

[Knut evensen]

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Ubuntu; Linux x86_64; rv:12.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/12.0
Build ID: 20120423122843

Steps to reproduce:

We moved our Exchange email to Gmail and after having to use it through Outlook with Apps Sync I finally got to moved over to Linux (Mint 12) and Thunderbird (12.0.1) as a mail solution. However, my old folders in Exchange that were now "labels" did not work in Thunderbird.
Error:
The current operation on “_MY_FOLDER_” did not succeed. The mail server for account [e-mail] responded: [NONEXISTENT] Unknown Mailbox: INBOX/_MY_FOLDER_ [Failure].

I found that this is due to a case sensitive issue. I went to ~/.thunderbird/_your_profile_id.default/ImapMail/imap.googlemail.com/INBOX.sbd , opened the .msf files and changed INBOX to Inbox. Works perfectly, however not after reboot.


Actual results:

After restarting Thunderbird it goes back and rewrites the .msf files with INBOX instead of Inbox. I have to run a sed script right now to change INBOX to Inbox in .msf's every time.


Expected results:

Either Thunderbird has to automatically use the correct case on "Inbox" or allow users to change preferences on the imported folders to reflect the correct settings from Gmail. The first solution would be the best as the 2nd requires the user to be quite technical.

Comment 1

[Knut evensen]

Trying this again today I see that the modifications of the .msf files are not persistent. I ran my script and started Thunderbird, but within a short time the .msf files were updated with INBOX again (Naturally as this is the configured name). Any advice on where to start looking for the configuration so I can find a permanent solution?

Comment 2

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

> Build ID: 20120423122843

It's timestamp of Tb 12.0.0. Tb 12.0.1 is already released and is dated "20120428".
Problem with Tb 12.0.0? Do you see problem in latest Tb 12.0.1?

> The mail server for account [e-mail] responded:
> [NONEXISTENT] Unknown Mailbox: INBOX/_MY_FOLDER_ [Failure].

This is server response to 'select "INBOX/_MY_FOLDER_"' command. This command/response is irrelevant to case of Tb's local file name. Because "Mbox name of Inbox in IMAP" is case insensitive, [NONEXISTENT] is for _MY_FOLDER_ part.

Gmail IMAP? Or other than Gmail IMAP?

You use Linux. File system of Linux is case sensitive, so INBOX.msf and Inbox.msf and inbox.msf are absolutely different files in Linux.
What file/directory is created by Tb for next IMAP folder in your environment?
  INBOX
  INBOX/_MY_FOLDER_
Are there multiple "inbox.msf and/or inbox" files of different case?

> opened the .msf files and changed INBOX to Inbox. 
> Works perfectly, however not after reboot.

Does "Work perfectly" mean both of next?
(a)  [UNKNOWN] response doesn't occur, if string in .msf is chaged to Inbox.
(b)  By "Inbox in .msf", Inbox/_MY_FOLDER_ is accessble.
     If string in INBOX.msf(or Inbox.msf) is kept as "INBOX",
     Inbox/_MY_FOLDER_  is not accessble due to .
If so, (a) can be called RFC violation by server, because Mbox name of INBOX in IMAP is case insensitive.
Gmail IMAP returns following.
> list "" "INBOX" 	
> * LIST (\HasChildren) "/" "INBOX" 	
> lsub "" "*" 
> * LSUB (\HasChildren) "/" "INBOX"
> xlist
> * XLIST (\HasChildren \Inbox) "/" "Inbox"
Gmail IMAP may request case sensitive folder name of "INBOX" on IMAP Inbox too.

For "string of INBOX or Inbox in INBOX.msf/Inbox.msf/inbox.msf file".
Tb 12 has following problems.
  Bug 749909 : relevant to folder file name check and case sensitivity in it
  Bug 752423 : relevant to localized folder name in .msf file
  Bug 752697 : relevant to case sensitive/insensitive in file name comparison
Tb's internal name = Inbox. "INBOX in .msf file" may produce "File name != Folder name" condition, and it may interfere IMAP folder access on OS of case sensitive file system.

Comment 3

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

To know actual IMAP command used by Tb, get IMAP log and check IMAP level flow.
See bug 402793 comment #28 for getting NSPR log.

Comment 4

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

Tb 12.0.1 on MS Win-XP created INBOX.msf(and INBOX-N.msf due to 520437) for Gmail IMAP account after delete of all Inbox related files, as done by older Tb.
(MS Win's file system: case insensitive file system, but keeps case of file name)

What file is created by Tb 12 if all Inbox related files/directory is deleted?
Is file/directory name of "INBOX, INBOX.msf, INBOX.sbd" a workaround?

Comment 5

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

> I went to ~/.thunderbird/_your_profile_id.default/ImapMail/imap.googlemail.com/INBOX.sbd,
> opened the .msf files and changed INBOX to Inbox.

Sorry for my misunderstanding. Is next correct?
  For Inbox : INBOX.msf, INBOX.sbd is used
  For _MY_FOLDER_ under Inbox : INBOX.sbd/_MY_FOLDER_.msf is used.
  Edit INBOX.sbd/_MY_FOLDER_.msf, change string of "INBOX" in .msf to "Inbox".
For Inbox/Inbox1 in my environment, Location: of folder's Properties is;
 imap://[e-mail]/INBOX/Inbox1
and both INBOX^Inbox1 and INBOX/Inbox1 is seen in my INBOX.sbd\Inbox1.msf file.

What is actual Mbox name/folder name/file name/string for _MY_FOLDER_ and _MY_FOLDER_.msf part?

Comment 6

[Knut evensen]

One example of _MY_FOLDER_  would be Information and Information.msf

Comment 7

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

Bug opener, can you show us IMAP log for "[NONEXISTENT] Unknown Mailbox: INBOX/_MY_FOLDER_ [Failure]" responce from your IMAP server?

Comment 8

[Knut evensen]

I will get this for you as soon as I can. Currently too busy with work.

Comment 9

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

(In reply to Knut evensen from comment #8)
> I will get this for you as soon as I can. Currently too busy with work.

reminder to Knut :)

Comment 10

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Thomas, can you reproduce this?

Comment 11

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #10)

Thomas, can you reproduce this?

Sorry, I don't understand from comment 0 how this could be reproduced.
Also not sure if Exchange is required for reproduction, which isn't available for testing.