When parsing an mbox file, the Python mailbox library is confused by the presence of lines starting with 'From' in the body of the text. A new fragmentary message item is created, but this is wrong. The following sample code and input demonstrates this. Replacing 'From' in the message body with, say, ' From' results in correct parsing.

This defect prevents correct import of mbox files into hyperkitty for GNU Mailman 3, as one instance where this is an impediment, as the message items become corrupt.

-- Python code
import sys
import mailbox

def main():
    print('mailbox read test')
    mbox = mailbox.mbox(sys.argv[1])
    for msg in mbox:
        print('~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~')
        print(msg)
        print('~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~')
    
if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()


--- sample mbox with one message

From  Fred Nurk <fred.nurks@nowhere.org> Wed, 8 Dec 1999 14:45:02 -0400
Date:         Wed, 8 Dec 1999 14:45:02 -0400
From:         Fred Nurk <fred.nurk@inowhere.org>
Subject:      Testing mbox in Python


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From sed vehicula venenatis dui at ultricies. Pellentesque vehicula
vulputate nibh nec aliquet. Vestibulum pretium velit id libero
porttitor, sed facilisis metus fermentum. Donec vestibulum, sapien non
convallis sodales, justo libero volutpat dui, ut luctus odio nisi eget
sapien. In viverra libero gravida arcu euismod, non sollicitudin massa
auctor. Pellentesque vitae laoreet nisi. In eros massa, pretium at
condimentum eu, molestie ut tortor. Suspendisse faucibus felis sem, et
fringilla urna consectetur molestie. Integer suscipit, orci sed
convallis maximus, velit purus tempus dui, id egestas tortor erat
auctor dui. Nulla fermentum tellus ut odio elementum, vel bibendum mi
imperdiet. Proin sed auctor purus. Orci varius natoque penatibus et
magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Nullam non arcu
ex. Duis dapibus nunc in urna dapibus, sit amet interdum lectus
tincidunt.

Fred

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