Much of your issues with Thunderbird might be resolved by switching to an updated version using IMAP (rather than Pop3/SMTP)? If you just want to use Vim while also being able to grep from your mail boxes, Mutt is for you. It has some other capabilities including complex filtering and macros, but it has to be configured and while it "sucks the least" it's far from trivial for the average user. The Mutt limitations from my memory include the mailbox view, but a patch exists for MuttFolderlist.
You can still access HTML email from gmail.com; you will use IMAP/mutt via command line and have to ability to get your local systems mail as well. You can also configure sendmail with Mutt. Community developed macros make Mutt very powerful for the competent monkey.For safety, during migration you can always create another Gmail account and arrange and forward your mail into it via new filter after you setup/clone old filters? Slerp over everything and if you muck things up you still have the mail. The only issues with migratiion of old mail spools can be date/time delivery flags if you take precautions, however migration tools (below) have options for delivery flags.Migration tools include Gmail Loader and MailRedirect Thunderbird
Minimal Mutt
Training your Mutt
Organizing your Inbox
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PLUG HACKFESTS 2nd Saturday Each Month@Noon - 3PM
> Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2009 05:29:42 -0700
> From: tuna@supertunaman.com
> To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> Subject: Tuna's Command-Line Migration Adventure Episode 3: E-Mail!
>
> I want to switch to mutt. I really do. However, I am currently using
> Thunderbird, which I configured to download messages and delete them
> from the POP server. So it would be kind of inconvenient for me right
> now, as I don't want to lose the over 9000 messages I have in my
> Thunderbird inbox.
>
> Is there a way I could back up all these messages in a mutt-compatible
> format? Or maybe I could use IMAP to... do something?
>
> Bonus round: I have a very well-calibrated spam filter on Thunderbird,
> is there a way to back that up as well and use it with mutt?
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