pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleException

MailConnection.Error.DeletingMessage

Error message

MailConnection.Error.DeletingMessage

What it means

MailConnection.deleteMessage() wraps any exception raised while flagging the current javax.mail Message with Flags.Flag.DELETED into a KettleException with message key MailConnection.Error.DeletingMessage, including the effective message number. It is thrown when the underlying mail store (IMAP/POP/MBOX) refuses or fails the delete operation. The original cause is attached, so the JavaMail exception is the real diagnostic.

Solutions

  1. Open the IMAP folder in READ_WRITE mode before deleting messages (folder.open(Folder.READ_WRITE)).
  2. Read the wrapped cause 'e' in the KettleException to identify the underlying JavaMail failure.
  3. Re-fetch the message list if the message was expunged, then retry the delete.
  4. For MBOX protocol, verify the mbox file and its parent directory are writable by the Pentaho process user.

Example fix

// before
connection.setPopupFolder("INBOX");
connection.fetchNext();
connection.deleteMessage(); // fails: folder read-only
// after
connection.setPopupFolder("INBOX");
// ensure the folder was opened READ_WRITE by MailConnection before fetching
connection.fetchNext();
try {
  connection.deleteMessage();
} catch (KettleException e) {
  logError("Delete failed for message: " + e.getMessage(), e);
}
Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Validate before calling

if (folder.getMode() != Folder.READ_WRITE) { throw new IllegalStateException("Folder must be opened READ_WRITE to delete messages"); }

Type guard

if (connection.getMessage() == null) return false; // no current message to delete

Try / catch

try { connection.deleteMessage(); } catch (KettleException e) { logError("Delete failed: " + e.getCause(), e); }

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Calling MailConnection.deleteMessage() after fetchNext() when message.setFlag(Flags.Flag.DELETED, true) throws — e.g. folder not open READ_WRITE, the message was expunged server-side, or the MBOX file is not writable.

Common situations: IMAP folder opened read-only so the DELETED flag is rejected; POP3 servers that do not support server-side flags; the message was already deleted by another client; permissions problems writing the MBOX file.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/75874b28988b2f6a. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at plugins/email-messages/impl/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/job/entries/getpop/MailConnection.java:1078

      retval = ( matcher.matches() );
    }
    return retval;
  }

  /**
   * Delete current fetched message
   *
   * @throws KettleException
   */
  public void deleteMessage() throws KettleException {
    try {
      this.message.setFlag( Flags.Flag.DELETED, true );
      updateDeletedMessagesCounter();
      if ( this.protocol == MailConnectionMeta.PROTOCOL_MBOX ) {
        this.messages = this.mboxMessages;
      }
    } catch ( Exception e ) {
      throw new KettleException( BaseMessages.getString( PKG, "MailConnection.Error.DeletingMessage", ""
        + getEffectiveMessageNumber( getMessage() ) ), e );
    }
  }

  /**
   * Set destination folder
   *
   * @param foldername
   *          destination foldername
   * @param createFolder
   *          flag create folder if needed
   * @throws KettleException
   */
  public void setDestinationFolder( String foldername, boolean createFolder ) throws KettleException {
    try {
      if ( this.protocol == MailConnectionMeta.PROTOCOL_MBOX ) {
        this.destinationMboxPath = prepareMboxDestinationPath( foldername, createFolder );
        return;

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