
Ask HN: How do you backup your email? - kaptain
I&#x27;m looking for a solution for email backup. Ideally, it would not run on my desktop, it would be server-based solution that connects to my IMAP-based email provider, and saves backup snapshots to cloud-based storage (e.g. Backblaze, S3, etc.) using de-duplication to save space.
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jlgaddis
> _... server-based solution that connects to my IMAP-based email provider,
> and saves backup snapshots to cloud-based storage (e.g. Backblaze, S3, etc.)
> using de-duplication to save space._

You could rather quickly and easily write a shell script to:

\- use _offlineimap_ [0] or _imapsync_ [1] to perform a local sync of your
mailbox to local mbox files or maildir directories,

\- (optionally) use tar or similar to create a single file out of your entire
mailbox, and

\- use _tarsnap_ [1] to back it up (to AWS) or _s3cmd_ [2] or similar to back
it up to wherever you want it.

I used to do exactly that with an additional step to encrypt the tarball (with
GPG) before uploading it. It worked out quite well.

\---

[0]: [http://www.offlineimap.org](http://www.offlineimap.org)

[1]: [https://imapsync.lamiral.info](https://imapsync.lamiral.info)

[2]: [https://www.tarsnap.com](https://www.tarsnap.com)

[3]: [https://s3tools.org/s3cmd](https://s3tools.org/s3cmd)

~~~
cperciva
Note that if you're using tarsnap there's no need to create a tarball from
your mailbox (tarsnap does that for you) and there's no point encrypting your
data with GPG (tarsnap encrypts your data for you too).

If you're using s3cmd to back up your mail then the "create a tarball" and
"encrypt with GPG" steps are useful, of course.

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rs23296008n1
Some email gets printed out, stuck in various binders, and kept for awhile.
Then usually set on fire in a ritualised celebration of the impermanence of
reality. This is also known as scheduled secure destruction.

The majority of serious email get copied (IMAP or for the email server we run,
just sftp) to a pair of DVDs on periodic basis as an encrypted filesystem
archive. We then stick it in a dvd swapper drive for offline access. The other
copy gets put off site.

~~~
awiesenhofer
Dvd swapper drive? Does it work like a tape library? Do you have any pointers
where to find these?

~~~
rs23296008n1
Commercial solutions can hold 60-300 disks or more. Expensive.

For home use just get a bunch of usb dvd drives and go nuts, or go full tape.
Once you go tape you get addicted to capacity. But it gets pricey.
Cost/density is interesting.

At home I just use a stripped down version. Literally a bunch of usb dvd
drives hooked up to a raspi. I can insert a disk and poke around or have it
auto copy the whole thing and auto-eject. I have 10 slim drives connected...
ebay is kind. The raspi pipes to a different server full of ssd/hd/ram
depending on what I'm doing.

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quickthrower2
Gmail: download via takeout, keep it local, backblaze to backup from local to
other server

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wheresvic3
I just did a write-up on using imapgrab.py :)

[https://smalldata.tech/blog/2020/04/07/imap-email-
backup](https://smalldata.tech/blog/2020/04/07/imap-email-backup)

~~~
kaptain
Hrm. This is very interesting. Your post made me think about using a couple of
different software packages together. I could use IMAP Grab to pull all the
email to disk on the server and then use
[https://www.duplicati.com/](https://www.duplicati.com/) to push to the cloud
storage of my choice. Sigh. Sounds like another project for me. Thanks! Your
post was super helpful to get me thinking about how things might work.

------
howlett
I use getmail[0] on my rpi. Download everything from gmail and fastmail using
IMAP (sync) overnight into a truecrypt container, and then offsite backup to
rsync.net. It's also storing everything into an mbox so you can easily import
that file anywhere.

[0] [http://pyropus.ca/software/getmail/](http://pyropus.ca/software/getmail/)

------
icedchai
I use gmvault to replicate my personal gmail to my local NAS server on a
nightly basis. I also have offsite encrypted backups using restic, also done
nightly.

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dez_blanchfield
I wish I could back up to PUNCHED CARD still ;-)

~~~
adamredwoods
Digital to paper backup:

[http://ollydbg.de/Paperbak/](http://ollydbg.de/Paperbak/)

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dez_blanchfield
check out [http://metallic.io/](http://metallic.io/) ASAP !!

they have an awesome free trial running right now..

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gshdg
POP3 client

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akssri
isync and cron

