add the offlineimap remove empty folder article

content/posts/offlineimap-remove-empties.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+Remove empty folders in offlineimap
+###################################
+:date: 2019-01-31 16:00
+:tags: offlineimap
+
+
+Offlineimap becomes quite slow when you have so many (empty folders), this is
+how you can delete them.
+
+The blog post is based on a (now offline) article_ by Matt Palma.
+
+**Disclaimer:**
+
+Besure to double and triple check every command, actions on the remote
+are permanent.
+If you want to read more about the dangers of deleting stuff, read the
+Matt Palmers article_.
+
+Find all empty folders
+----------------------
+.. code-block:: bash
+   for i in INBOX.*; do find $i -type f | grep -q $i || \
+    (echo $i ); done >/tmp/empties
+    cat /tmp/empties
+
+Remove empty folders locally
+--------------------
+.. code-block:: bash
+    for i in $(cat /tmp/empties); do
+      rm -rvf $i
+    done
+
+Remove empty folders via offlineimap remotely
+--------------------
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+    for i in $(cat /tmp/empties); do
+      offlineimap --delete-folder $i
+    done
+
+
+.. _article: https://web.archive.org/web/20160810001943/http://www.hezmatt.org/~mpalmer/blog/2007/06/03/offlineimap-and-deleting-folders.html