Migrating IMAP Providers

Dec'2021: Tuffmail is shutting down, so I need to move to a new Email/IMAP provider.

Options

1. just abandon the account, and go all-in with gmail: can't really do this, have existing accounts tied to it
2. move my personal domain-account to google/gmail: very tempting, but rather contrary to (2021-03-22) Increasing Privacy of my apps
3. move to another IMAP provider: yeah I guess that's it

Which IMAP provider?

• hover.com, since they do domain? $20/yr for 10GB, $29/yr for 1TB - hmm I see a number of complaints online (from the past 2yrs) of email outages
• superhuman: $360/yr?!?
• FastMail: $36/yr for 2GB, $60/yr for 30GB....
• hey.com: $120/yr for 100GB, hmm no IMAP at all.
• ProtonMail (most-secure though not-perfect): $55/yr for 5GB, ~$100/yr for 10GB... this is what I'm going with

Steps to migrate

1. pick new
   • create fluxent@protonmail.com to start
   • will probably use Nine app instead of ProtonMail app
     • hrm might not even be possible! Because of the encryption. Even to run Thunderbird have to run their "Bridge" app....
   • add custom domain, add TXT DNS record to prove ownership
   • add MX DNS records
   • add SPF TXT DNS record
   • (skipped) at DKIM step stop because would require changing CNAME DNS, which will probably mess with my read access...
   • add bill@fluxent.com address to ProtonMail
   • Before you can start sending and receiving emails from your new addresses you need to create encryption keys for them. Not going to do that because that's part of Thunderbird setup....
   • hmm can I config Thunderbird to have 2 sets of server/account settings for the same address? Ugh will have to play with Bridge app, etc. so putting this off
   • send test email to account, it appears in ProtonMail web-UI, so that's enough confirmation that I can skip the fancy bits for now
2. update DNS-MX so email starts going to new provider - done above
3. purge old useless emails, suck down rest into Thunderbird local folders - done
4. install ProtonMail app on Android just so I can check inbox before getting to next steps. Done: seeing inbox msgs. Send message out, receive it.
5. config Thunderbird to start talking to new provider (see Bridge app)
   • Jan07 finally did it. Also found that creating a folder in the mobile app then also created it in Thunderbird, and emails I moved in the app got moved in Thunderbird. I created folders "transactions", "low-value", and "social", per notes at Email. Of course, this is all manual.
6. move Gmail's IMAP-pull to new server, or stop it entirely? Remove.
7. config Nine app to use new provider (esp if killing gmail connector) - probably not possible, just stick with ProtonMail app.
8. mess with Thunderbird to better filter messages. Or is this pointless if using the ProtonMail app on Android?
   • hrm if stick with ProtonMail have no spam filtering (based on message-body)! Or maybe the Bridge includes filtering? Actually maybe Thunderbird will catch them and flag them, and ProtonMail will recognize them...
   • some emails are definitely ending up in the spam folder on both systems. I assume it's Thunderbird catching them, but I'm not sure.

Jun20'2022 - Thunderbird is failing to connect to the Bridge. (Android app still works.) Finally dig in Jul18'2022

• hmm don't see GUI for Bridge, maybe just need to restart....
• nope that didn't help
• checked Activity Monitor - it says Bridge is running, but I can't get the GUI visible
• kill process, launch again, now see GUI. But Thunderbird still failing to connect.
• it's "interesting" that Thunderbird has "User Name" as bill@fluxent.com but the Bridge has a set up for fluxent@protonmail.com - but I definitely haven't changed anything in the past month...
• send support request
• Jul21 - go to look, there's a Thunderbird update, so do that; it prompts me for password, I paste from Bridge again, now it works. Dunno why.