Read only email archive

Question

I have a big gmail email database and i want archive it, and use in read only mode. I want to use like thunderbird, but without structure modifying functionality or email deletion possibility, just in read only mode.

This is possible? How? Any ide? Thanks for the replies.

Answer 1

I think there is no possibility for gmail to create read only folders/labels so far or set any ACLs on mails/folders - which is the best way to do what you want. With a custom IMAP server, one can use ACLs to allow insertion of new emails to a folder, but denying deletion/alteration of an email on the contrast. And there is an addon for TB to manipulate the ACLs.

I also had in mind to copy/move all the archived emails from gmail to the Local folders, but setting this read-only would need to be done through file system permissions.