Auto prune old emails

[sajo]

I look over the forum and I do search but didnt find what I was looking for.
So I would like to do automatic monthly prune of old emails of my customers.
For example.
I would like to automaticaly delete mails that are older than 6 months and which are in junk, trash and inbox folders, not deleting mails in other folders.
Is that possible and how.
I am new to linux so I would need detailed how to.
I am using ubuntu server 6.10 installed by this Falko how to http://www.howtoforge.com/perfect_setup_ubuntu_6.10

Thanks in advance

[falko]

You can create a cron job that uses the find command: http://www.howtoforge.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7040&highlight=%2Fusr%2Fbin%2Ffind

[sajo]

Thanks Falko
So if I understand right then I make cron that will run once every month and the script should look like this

#!/bin/sh

for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /.junk -type f -mtime +90 )"
for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /.inbox -type f -mtime +90 )"
for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /.trash -type f -mtime +90 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

exit 0

Am I right?
This script will look over the whole system to find this folders (junk, inbox,trash)and in those folders that are found, will remove files that are older than 90 days?

[falko]

The script should look like this:

#!/bin/sh

for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /.junk -type f -mtime +90 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /.inbox -type f -mtime +90 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /.trash -type f -mtime +90 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

exit 0Also, are you sure that /.junk, /.inbox, and /.trash are the correct folders?

[sajo]

Also, are you sure that /.junk, /.inbox, and /.trash are the correct folders?

Not shure...
emails are in

/var/www/webXX/user/XXX/Maildir/cur There are already read emails
/var/www/webXX/user/XXX/Maildir/new There are unread emails
/var/www/webXX/user/XXX/Maildir/.Junk/cur There are junk-spam emails
/var/www/webXX/user/XXX/Maildir/.Trash/cur There are trash emails
/var/www/webXX/user/XXX/Maildir/.Sent/cur There are sent emails

So do yu think that kode shold look like this

#!/bin/sh


for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /Maildir/cur -type f -mtime +90 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /Maildir/new -type f -mtime +90 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /Maildir/.Junk/cur -type f -mtime +90 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /Maildir/.Trash/cur -type f -mtime +90 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /Maildir/.Sent/cur -type f -mtime +90 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

exit 0

[falko]

You must use /var/www/webXX/user/XXX/Maildir/cur then instead of /Maildir/cur, and so on.

[sajo]

That would be difficult, because I have about 27 domains and each domain has about 15 emails, so I cant write that for ever user, because there can be new email user any minut and I will not be notified about new user and I would like to automate that prune system.
Isnt there a way that system will look for all subfolders by that name and search files in that folders that are older than XX days?

[falko]

You can try to use wildcards, e.g. /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/cur, but I haven't tested this.

[sajo]

OK

I try this tomorow. We will see then.

[sajo]

Okey

I try the script and wildcarts works :D

But there is other problem, I have luck that I tested on test box :o
Wel this is what happens.
When I run the scrip the script did search for folders and also the files but script delete all never files until date I put in in my case that was 28 of october so I have no new files but files older than 17days, stays in folders.

and that is the script I use

#!/bin/sh


for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/cur -type f -mtime +17 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/new -type f -mtime +17 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/.Junk/cur -type f -mtime +17 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/.Trash/cur -type f -mtime +17 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

for file in "$( /usr/bin/find /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/.Sent/cur -type f -mtime +17 )"
do
rm -f $file
done

exit 0

I tested on debian sarge, I belive on Ubuntu 6.10 is the same thing. Because Ubuntu 6.10 is in my production box.

[falko]

When I run the scrip the script did search for folders and also the files but script delete all never files until date I put in in my case that was 28 of october so I have no new files but files older than 17days, stays in folders.

Sorry, I don't understand the problem... :confused:

[sajo]

To tell shortly

Script delete new mails and not old, it work in reverse mode than I want to

[falko]

Then try
/usr/bin/find /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/cur -type f -mtime -17
instead of
/usr/bin/find /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/cur -type f -mtime +17
Also have a look at man find

[sajo]

I try - and + but, Its the same old files stays new were deleted. I did read man find, but dontknow how to help with that, I am not a programer so that is s little problem for me. But I saw there something about prune but didnt understand well. Could you help me.

[sajo]

OKey I did it :)

I use this script

#!/bin/sh

find /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/cur -type f -mtime +90 | xargs rm -f

find /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/new -type f -mtime +90 | xargs rm -f

find /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/.Junk/cur -type f -mtime +90 | xargs rm -f

find /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/.Junk/new -type f -mtime +90 | xargs rm -f

find /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/.Trash/cur -type f -mtime +90 | xargs rm -f

find /var/www/web*/user/*/Maildir/.Sent/cur -type f -mtime +90 | xargs rm -f

exit 0


And dont forget to make executable file ;) I name it mailprune.sh, then I make crontab that run once a month
crontab -e
* * 1 * * /path/to/yourscript

I wrote that if someone would need that also, and dont know how to do it.

Thanks for your help Falko.