Moving old files in ubuntu created 7 days earlier

Posted on March 7, 2025 by in Uncategorized

Moving old files with the help of chatgpt was really easy.
Help me move old files in ubuntu created 7 days earlier and keep the rest

I can move files that were created 7 days ago or earlier using the find command in Ubuntu. Here’s how I do it:

find /source/directory -type f -mtime +7 -exec mv {} /destination/directory \;



Moving old dovecat emails 

doveadm move -u [email protected] Archive mailbox INBOX BEFORE 30d

Explanation:

  • /source/directory → Replace with the folder where the files are located.
  • -type f → Only targets files (not directories).
  • -mtime +7 → Finds files older than 7 days.
  • -exec mv {} /destination/directory \; → Moves each found file to the destination.

If I also want to move empty directories that are older than 7 days, I can run:

find /source/directory -type d -empty -mtime +7 -exec mv {} /destination/directory \;

Let me know if I need to refine this further! 🚀

You said:

what does this mean maildirsize 0S 2003 1

ChatGPT said:

The maildirsize file is used in Maildir-based email systems (like Courier, Dovecot, and Qmail) to track quota limits and usage for a mailbox.

Breakdown of the contents:


maildirsize
0S
2003 1
  • First line (maildirsize) → Just the filename, no meaning here.
  • Second line (0S) → This represents the mail quota size.
    • 0S means no quota is set (unlimited email storage).
    • If it was something like 10000000S, it would mean a 10MB limit.
  • Third line (2003 1) → Tracks current usage:
    • 2003 → The total size of stored emails (in bytes).
    • 1 → The number of emails counted in the mailbox.

In short:

Your mailbox has no quota (0S), and it currently contains one email with a total size of 2003 bytes.

Let me know if you need more details! 🚀

You said:

in Dovecot where are mails stored dir link

ChatGPT said:

In Dovecot, emails are typically stored in Maildir or mbox format, depending on the configuration.

Default Dovecot Mail Storage Locations:

1. Maildir Format (Most Common)

If Dovecot is using Maildir, emails are stored in:

/home/username/Maildir/
  • Inbox: /home/username/Maildir/new/ (new mails)
  • Read mails: /home/username/Maildir/cur/
  • Temporary mails: /home/username/Maildir/tmp/

2. mbox Format

If Dovecot is using mbox, emails are stored in:

/var/mail/username

or

/var/spool/mail/username

(each user’s emails are stored in a single large file).

How to Check Your Mail Storage Format

Run:

dovecot -n | grep mail_location

This will output something like:

  • mail_location = maildir:~/Maildir → Maildir format
  • mail_location = mbox:/var/mail/%u → mbox format

Let me know if you need help finding your exact setup! 🚀

You said:

I have app that recieves more than 80k mails in few days and makes server slow how can I make it fast its on dovecat

ChatGPT said:

Handling 80,000+ emails in a few days can slow down the server if Dovecot isn’t optimized. Here’s how I can improve performance:

1. Switch to Maildir (If Not Already)

If I’m using mbox, it’s slow because all emails are in a single file. Maildir is much faster.

Check the storage format:

dovecot -n | grep mail_location

If it shows mbox, I switch to Maildir in /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-mail.conf:

mail_location = maildir:~/Maildir

Then, I convert existing mail using mb2md:

mb2md -s /var/mail/username -d /home/username/Maildir

2. Enable Dovecot Index Caching

Dovecot uses indexing for fast access. I enable and optimize it by adding this to /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-mail.conf:

maildir_very_dirty_syncs = yes
maildir_broken_filename_sizes = yes
mail_cache_min_mail_count = 10

Then, restart Dovecot:

systemctl restart dovecot

3. Move Emails to Another Storage Disk

If /home or /var/mail is on a slow disk, I move it to a faster SSD or NVMe.
For example, if I mount /mnt/fastmail, I update mail_location:

mail_location = maildir:/mnt/fastmail/%u

Then, move existing emails:

rsync -av /home/*/Maildir /mnt/fastmail/

4. Auto-Delete Old Dovecat Emails

If I don’t need emails after a few days, I set up automatic cleanup:

find /home/*/Maildir/cur -type f -mtime +30 -delete
find /home/*/Maildir/new -type f -mtime +30 -delete

To automate, I add it to cron (crontab -e):

0 2 * * * find /home/*/Maildir/cur -type f -mtime +30 -delete

5. Optimize Dovecot Configuration

In /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf, I tune these settings:

maildir_copy_with_hardlinks = yes
mail_fsync = never
mail_max_userip_connections = 20

Then restart:

systemctl restart dovecot

6. Use a Dedicated Server for Mail

If email traffic is too heavy, I move Dovecot to a dedicated mail server or an external email provider like Amazon SES, Postmark, or Mailgun.

7. Limit Incoming Mail with Postfix

If Postfix is handling mail, I limit connections to prevent overloading:

smtpd_client_connection_count_limit = 20

Then restart:

systemctl restart postfix

These steps should drastically improve speed! 🚀 Let me know if I need to fine-tune it further.

Yes, if you created a folder named “old” in Roundcube, Dovecot will automatically create the corresponding Maildir structure for it.

Where is the “old” folder stored?

Since Dovecot uses Maildir, it follows this structure:

/home/username/Maildir/.old/

Inside that directory, you’ll see:

/home/username/Maildir/.old/new/     # New unread emails  
/home/username/Maildir/.old/cur/     # Read emails  
/home/username/Maildir/.old/tmp/     # Temporary emails

You can check if it exists by running:

ls -l /home/username/Maildir/.old/

If the folder doesn’t appear, try running:

doveadm mailbox list -u username

This will list all mail folders for the user.

Let me know if you need to troubleshoot further! 🚀

You said:

how to move files older than 4 hours

ChatGPT said:

Moving old Files in Ubuntu older than 4 hours using the find command. Here’s how I do it:

find /source/directory -type f -mmin +240 -exec mv {} /destination/directory \;

Explanation:

  • /source/directory → Replace with the folder where the files are.
  • -type f → Targets only files.
  • -mmin +240 → Finds files older than 240 minutes (4 hours).
  • -exec mv {} /destination/directory \; → Moves each found file to the destination.

If I also want to move empty directories older than 4 hours:

find /source/directory -type d -empty -mmin +240 -exec mv {} /destination/directory \;

Let me know if I need to refine this further! 🚀

You said:
sudo hdparm -Tt /dev/vda1 

/dev/vda1: 
Timing cached reads: 10174 MB in 1.99 seconds = 5122.22 MB/sec HDIO_DRIVE_CMD(identify) failed: Inappropriate ioctl for device Timing buffered disk reads: 2372 MB in 3.00 seconds = 790.16 MB/sec 
what does this output mean
ChatGPT said:

This output is from the hdparm -Tt /dev/vda1 command, which tests the disk read speed of /dev/vda1. Here’s what it means:

1. Timing Cached Reads

Timing cached reads:   10174 MB in  1.99 seconds = 5122.22 MB/sec
  • This measures the speed of reading from the OS cache (RAM) and not the disk itself.
  • 5122.22 MB/sec is high because it represents data already cached in RAM, not actual disk performance.

2. HDIO_DRIVE_CMD(identify) failed

HDIO_DRIVE_CMD(identify) failed: Inappropriate ioctl for device
  • This error happens because /dev/vda1 is a partition, not a whole disk.
  • Running sudo hdparm -Tt /dev/vda (without 1) on the entire disk should fix this.

3. Timing Buffered Disk Reads

Timing buffered disk reads: 2372 MB in  3.00 seconds = 790.16 MB/sec
  • This measures the real disk speed (reading directly from the disk, bypassing the OS cache).
  • 790.16 MB/sec is quite fast, suggesting you have an SSD or a fast NVMe drive.

Final Thoughts

  • Your disk is performing well with ~790 MB/sec raw speed.
  • If you need more accurate results, test the whole disk (/dev/vda), not a partition (/dev/vda1).
  • For detailed disk benchmarks, tools like fio or ioping can be more precise.

Let me know if you need deeper testing! 🚀

You said:

find /source/directory -type f -mmin +240 -exec mv {} /destination/directory \; this command with cron I want cron tab to run every 4 hour

ChatGPT said:

To run the find command every 4 hours in cron, I add this line to my crontab:

Edit crontab

crontab -e

Then, add this line at the bottom:

0 */4 * * * find /source/directory -type f -mmin +240 -exec mv {} /destination/directory \;

Explanation:

  • 0 */4 * * * → Runs every 4 hours (at 00:00, 04:00, 08:00, etc.).
  • find /source/directory -type f -mmin +240 -exec mv {} /destination/directory \;
    • Finds files older than 4 hours (-mmin +240).
    • Moves them to /destination/directory.

Verify if Cron is Working

After saving, I check if the cron job is added:

crontab -l

For logs, I check:

cat /var/log/syslog | grep CRON

Let me know if you need modifications! 🚀

You said:

for daily

ChatGPT said:

To run the command once daily using cron, I edit the crontab:

Edit crontab

crontab -e

Then, add this line at the bottom:

0 2 * * * find /source/directory -type f -mmin +1440 -exec mv {} /destination/directory \;

Explanation:

  • 0 2 * * * → Runs daily at 2 AM (adjust as needed).
  • -mmin +1440 → Finds files older than 24 hours (1440 minutes).
  • Moves them to /destination/directory.

Verify if Cron is Working

Check scheduled cron jobs:

crontab -l

For logs:

cat /var/log/syslog | grep CRON

Let me know if you need adjustments! 🚀

You said:

every 2 day

ChatGPT said:

To run the command every 2 days, I edit the crontab:

Edit crontab

crontab -e

Then, add this line:

0 2 */2 * * find /source/directory -type f -mmin +2880 -exec mv {} /destination/directory \;

Explanation:

  • 0 2 */2 * * → Runs every 2 days at 2 AM.
  • -mmin +2880 → Finds files older than 2 days (2880 minutes).
  • Moves them to /destination/directory.

Verify if Cron is Working

Check scheduled cron jobs:

crontab -l

Check logs:

cat /var/log/syslog | grep CRON

Thank you 🙂

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