Importing OLD Opera 9.26 email files

Ghoti

Hi!
I've been using Opera 9.26 (VERY OLD) strictly for the email capability, because later Opera versions changed/dropped the email client. The account I use that old Opera for is a GMail account, using POP3/SMTP. But now GMail is removing support for 'unsecure apps' (anything that doesn't "Sign in with Google" or use OAuth 2.0). So, I'm looking to upgrade to another local client, and NOT Outlook.
I would like to try the Vivaldi browser for email, but I don't want to lose all my old emails.
So, MY QUESTION: Is there a way to import the email directory/file tree for a single email account from Opera 9.26 into the Vivaldi email client? I just retired after 45 years as a professional software developer, so I can deal with complexity, but please keep it as simple as possible to help everyone.
Thanks! Mike

Ayespy

I'm moving this to Support & Troubleshooting, where someone can help.

Yes, there is an import function that will import all of your Opera email under most conditions. Also, GMail is trying to force everyone to use OAuth instead of username/password, and Vivaldi's built-in email client has OAuth capability.

gmg

@ghoti
Did you try importing from Opera Mail? I thought Opera hadn't dropped it until version 12?
You should be able to pick which account to import from in the import process.

Pesala

@ghoti I just imported an account from Opera 12.18, which is the very last version of Old Opera.

Import from Files and Applications
Select Opera 12.x
Select Folder, and choose the Profile folder for Opera. The Mail checkbox will become enabled.
A checkbox will show for each account. Disable any that you do not need to import.
Also disable Notes and Passwords if you don't need them.

Import Mail Account.png

Ghoti

@pesala Thanks (and to @gmg for his earlier reply).

I kept Opera 9.26 because email was completely integrated there (no need for an 'Opera Mail' tool), and the next release changed something that messed up that integrated email. (I don't remember what that long ago change was.)

So, I don't know if importing 'Opera 12.x' would/could work for these Opera 9.26 email files, which have the following file/dir structure:
(Sorry for the formatting: I don't see how to do indentation or nested lists here.)

Opera -> OPERA -> Mail_[accountname] ->
with subdirs/files:
: autofilter -> filter_8.ini
: indexer -> indexer.dat (and similar '_64', '_128', etc files)
: lexicon -> lexicon.dat (and similar '_64', '_128', etc files)
: store -> account1

:: The 'account1' dir has folders for each year (in my case 2006-2022)
THOSE year folders contain folders for each month ('01', '02', etc)
THOSE month folders contain folders for each day of the month that has mail (in or out): '02', '03', etc.
And THOSE day folders contain '.mbs' files, one for each message. Each message header includes an added 'X-Opera-Status:' line with a LONG hexadecimal number that I think indicates read/unread status as well as the filters that the message is included in.

Also: This is on Windows 10, though I've kept the same files and Opera program since at least Windows XP.

I haven't installed Vivaldi yet: I was waiting for some hope on this email issue. But if that dir/file structure matches the Opera 12.x format, then I will give it a try. Please let me know.

Questions:

Which of the folders in the above tree would be the base for the import of that one account? "Mail_[accountname]" or "account1"?? Or would it be the parallel "Profile_[accountname]" directory that contains the 'Opera6.ini' file pointing to the 'Mail Root Directory'? I actually keep several separate profiles, each with their own email tree but all using the same Opera executable. Odd, but it has worked nicely for me.
Please confirm that the Vivaldi email setup will let me continue to pull emails from the server (eg, GMail), and keep them on my local system (deleting them from the server), as well as sending the same path. I don't like to leave my email on the server side, but I definitely want to keep it on my system.

Mike

Pesala

@ghoti The mail-client is fully integrated into Opera 12.18. The standalone Opera mail-client was added as an option at some point.

Ghoti

@pesala Thanks for the info and links. I notice the 'Download Old Opera Versions' tree doesn't have any 9.x versions.
I still don't recall what the change was in Opera 9.27 that made me keep Opera 9.26. <shrug> It works fine for most of my email accounts, but does not support OAuth so I need something newer for GMail after 1April2022.
Maybe I'll be able to replace them all with Vivaldi soon.
<fingers crossed>

jon

@Ghoti , I would just try it, if I were you. Install Vivaldi. Follow @Pesala 's step by step guide to perform the import. The accounts are imported offline and you can test how all of it works offline. If everything looks like it should, you can enable the accounts and test some more.

I do not remember any particular file changes between Opera 9 and Opera 12, so things just might work out of the box.