---
name: "mbxcvt"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "uw-imapd"
version: "4:2001adebian-6"
release: "Debian 3.0 (Woody)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mbxcvt"
---

# mbxcvt(1)

copy or move messages to a new mailbox, converting mailbox format

## NAME

mbxcvt - copy or move messages to a new mailbox, converting mailbox format

## SYNTAX

**mbxcvt** *source format destination*

## DESCRIPTION

*mbxcvt* transfers messages from the named *source* mailbox to a new mailbox named *destination* in the specified *format.*

*mbxcvt* requires that the source *mailbox* exists and that the *destination* mailbox not exist.  The *destination* mailbox will be created automatically.

Supported mailbox formats are defined when the software is built. Contact your system manager for more information on the supported mailbox formats on your system.

The mailbox name argument is a standard c-client mailbox name.  A variety of mailbox name formats and types of mailboxes are supported by c-client; examples of the most common forms of names are:

- Name

  *Meaning*

- INBOX

  *primary incoming mail folder on the local system*

- archive/tx-project

  mail folder named "tx-project" in "archive" subdirectory of local filesystem home directory

- {imapserver.foo.com}archive/tx-project

  mail folder named "tx-project" in "archive" subdirectory on IMAP server system "imapserver.foo.com"

- \#news.comp.mail.misc

  newsgroup "comp.mail.misc" on local filesystem.  This is only useful as a *source* mailbox.

- {newserver.foo.com/nntp}comp.mail.misc

  newsgroup "comp.mail.misc" on NNTP server system "newserver.foo.com" This is only useful as a *source* mailbox.

- {popserver.foo.com/pop3}

  mail folder on POP3 server system "popserver.foo.com".  This is only useful as a *source* mailbox.

See your system manager for more information about the types of mailboxes which are available on your system.

## RESTRICTIONS

You must surround a *{host}mailbox* form mailbox name with quotation marks if you run *mbxcvt* from [*csh*(1)](/csh/1.md) or another shell for which braces have special meaning.

## AUTHOR

Mark Crispin, MRC@CAC.Washington.EDU

## SEE ALSO

chkmail (1)\
 imapcopy (1)\
 mbxcopy (1)