Debug one offlineimap error

In my workplace, sometimes offlineimap fails to retrieve mails from the company mail sever sometimes.

we have the following error: 

Folder INBOX [acc: cxiongsuse]:
 Copy message 13095 (1 of 84) cxiongsuse_remote:INBOX -> cxiongsuse_local
 Copy message 13096 (2 of 84) cxiongsuse_remote:INBOX -> cxiongsuse_local
Copy message from cxiongsuse_remote:INBOX:
 Establishing connection to imap.novell.com:993
 ERROR: command: UID => no response after 60.0 secs
 Establishing connection to imap.novell.com:993
 ERROR: command: UID => no response after 60.0 secs
 ERROR: command: UID => no response after 60.0 secs
Folder INBOX [acc: cxiongsuse]:
 Copy message 13097 (3 of 84) cxiongsuse_remote:INBOX -> cxiongsuse_local
Thread 'Copy message from cxiongsuse_remote:INBOX' terminated with exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/offlineimap/threadutil.py", line 156, in run
    Thread.run(self)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/threading.py", line 504, in run
    self.__target(*self.__args, **self.__kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/offlineimap/folder/Base.py", line 330, in copymessageto
    message = self.getmessage(uid)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/offlineimap/folder/IMAP.py", line 225, in getmessage
    raise e
abort: command: UID => no response after 60.0 secs


Last 3 debug messages logged for Copy message from cxiongsuse_remote:INBOX prior to exception:
thread: Register new thread 'Copy message from cxiongsuse_remote:INBOX' (account 'cxiongsuse')
imap: Attempting plain authentication
imap: Attempting plain authentication
ERROR: Exceptions occurred during the run!
ERROR: command: UID => no response after 60.0 secs
ERROR: command: UID => no response after 60.0 secs
ERROR: command: UID => no response after 60.0 secs

This following steps are a way to "fix" this, or more precisely a workaround.

  1. The "Copy" lines before errors identify the possible error message.
  2. Find the last successfully archived mail

    In the case above, 13095 and 13096 are the suspicious mails ID. Search the local offlineimap mailbox for these two IDs. If you can't find it, use 13094, i.e. an even earlier one. After all, with an error close, the writing operation might simply fail.

  3. Find another way to log into your mail account.

    Web UI, another Web clients and etc.

  4. Locate the mail you find in step 2.

    Sort all your mail from latest to oldest. And look at the source of the mail in step 2, use "Date" to locate it. Pay attention to the time zone setting. Let's denote the mail you found "2R".

  5. Remove one or more later mail(s) after "2R".

    This would usually solve the problem. Later on, we might try to find out what's wrong with the "bad" mails.


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Tags • offlineimap • mail
Comment: Github Issue