Script to convert a downloaded Nabble backup to standard mbox format

[David (EVDL Admin)]

Thanks. I appreciate the emailed warning.  Unfortunately our forum is an email discussion list archive, so aw foo.  

All I can say is that we're grateful to Nabble for almost 14 years of reliable service.  

QUESTION, if I may:

Does anyone know of a script to convert a downloaded Nabble backup to standard mbox format, or will I need to roll one myself?  The backup info at http://n4.nabble.com/help/Answer.jtp?id=54 contains a link to "learn more" about the forum structure, but it's dead and gone to 404 heaven.

[Richard Sargent]

David (EVDL Admin) wrote

Thanks. I appreciate the emailed warning.  Unfortunately our forum is an email discussion list archive, so aw foo.  

All I can say is that we're grateful to Nabble for almost 14 years of reliable service.  

QUESTION, if I may:

Does anyone know of a script to convert a downloaded Nabble backup to standard mbox format, or will I need to roll one myself?  The backup info at http://n4.nabble.com/help/Answer.jtp?id=54 contains a link to "learn more" about the forum structure, but it's dead and gone to 404 heaven.

No script for you, but I can tell you that the backup is a zipped Postgres database backup. The node_msg file under e.g. pg_backup\schemas\s1294792\tables contains the messages in email cleartext format. The parent directory contains the SQL definitions, including tables.sql to help you interpret the tuples.

PGCOPY....................E.c....Return-path: <[e-mail]>..Envelope-to: [e-mail]..Delivery-date: Sat, 14 Apr 2012 02:47:20 -0700..Received: from mail1-relais-roc.national.inria.fr ([192.134.164.82])...by sam.nabble.com with esmtp (Exim 4.72)...(envelope-from <[e-mail]>)...id
 <etc>

Postgres documentation for the file (and all the other files) can be found at https://www.postgresql.org/docs/10/sql-copy.html. See the Binary Format section well down the page.

The heart of the schema is probably the node table which looks like the defines the relationships between messages.


Good luck!

[Cody1]

Any chance you have created such a script that you can share?