how to delete all or all read messages

thank you for the infos. in my case it is not a quota, but a security/privacy concern. i want to be able to delete all messages with one click.

so perhaps is a delete script directly via mysql the better way? is their any danger by deleting the complete pm_index pm_messages and pm_attachments? or would unsinstalling the module also do this?

TRUNCATE TABLE `pm_index`
TRUNCATE TABLE `pm_messages`
TRUNCATE TABLE `pm_attachments`

here is my solution: i activated the php filter module. don't forget to allow this in your /admin/settings/filters, and only for the admin user.
then i created a block called "red button" which is only visible to user role webteam and inserted the following php code:

<?php
$passw = $_POST["del"];

  if($passw == "yourpassword") // enter the password to delete all messages here
  {
    $sql = 'TRUNCATE TABLE `pm_attachments`';  //if you dont use privatemsg attachments you can delete this and the following 3 lines.
    $result = db_query(db_rewrite_sql($sql));
    $files = glob("/.../sites/default/files/.../*"); //absolute php path you configured in /admin/settings/messages
    foreach($files as $datei) unlink($datei);

    $sql = 'TRUNCATE TABLE `pm_index`'; 
    $result = db_query(db_rewrite_sql($sql));

    $sql = 'TRUNCATE TABLE `pm_message`'; 
    $result = db_query(db_rewrite_sql($sql));
    echo "<b>done.</b><br>";

    drupal_set_message(t("deleting attachments in DB ...<br>deleting attachments from filesystem ...<br>deleting messages from db...<br><b>All messages successfully deleted</b>.")); 

  }

  else
  {
     print "To delete all messages enter the password here:";
  print "<form action=\"\" method=\"post\"><input type=\"password\" size=\"10\" name=\"del\" autocomplete=\"off\">  <input type=\"submit\" value=\"baaam\">  </form><br><br>";
  }
?>

the success messages are kind of useless because there is no error handling.

i think this is really ugly code. sorry, i'm not a programmer. but it works for me. so if anybody wants to improve it: missing wrong password message and error handling...

i have to limit it to a role, so the uninstall variant doesnt work for me. the webteam role should not be able to administer all modules...

ok, you insisted :)

here is the lousy beginning of my first module (do not install it!):

privatemsgdel.info:

; $Id$
name = Delete all private messages
description = This quick&dirty module provides a block for deleting all messages of the privatemsg module. Only certain roles should be allowed to do this.
core = 6.x
dependencies[] = privatemsg
package = Mail

privatemsgdel.module:

<?php
// $Id$

/**
* Display help and module information
* @param path which path of the site we're displaying help
* @param arg array that holds the current path as would be returned from arg() function
* @return help text for the path
*/
function privatemsgdel_help($path, $arg) {
  $output = '';  //declare your output variable
  switch ($path) {
    case "admin/help#privatemsgdel":
      $output = '<p>'.  t("Deletes all Privatemsg messages of all users.") .'</p>';
      break;
  }
  return $output;
} // function privatemsgdel_help



/**
* Valid permissions for this module
* @return array An array of valid permissions for the onthisdate module
*/
function privatemsgdel_perm() {
  return array('Delete all Privatemsg messages of all users.');
} // function privatemsgdel_perm()



function privatemsgdel_block($op = 'list', $delta = '', $edit = array()) {
  // The $op parameter determines what piece of information is being requested.
  switch ($op) {
    case 'list':
      // If $op is "list", we just need to return a list of block descriptions.
      // This is used to provide a list of possible blocks to the administrator;
      // end users will not see these descriptions.
      $blocks['configurable-text'] = array(
        'info'       => t('Delete all privatemsgs'), //Blockname in admin/build/blocks
      );
      // A block can provide default settings. In this case we'll enable the
      // block and make it visible only on the 'node/*' pages.
      $blocks['empty'] = array(
        'info'       => t('Example: empty block'),
        'status'     => TRUE,
        'weight'     => 0,
        'visibility' => 1,
        'pages'      => '',
      );
      return $blocks;
    case 'configure':
      // If $op is "configure", we need to provide the administrator with a
      // configuration form. The $delta parameter tells us which block is being
      // configured. In this example, we'll allow the administrator to customize
      // the text of the first block.
      $form = array();
      if ($delta == 'configurable-text') {
        // All we need to provide is a text field, Drupal will take care of
        // the other block configuration options and the save button.
        $form['block_example_string'] = array(
          '#type' => 'textfield',
          '#title' => t('Delete all Privatemsgs'),
          '#size' => 60,
          '#description' => t('<b>test</b>'),
          '#default_value' => variable_get('block_example_string',  t('Some example content.')),
        );
      }
      return $form;
    case 'save':
      // If $op is "save", we need to save settings from the configuration form.
      // Since the first block is the only one that allows configuration, we
      // need to check $delta to make sure we only save it.
      if ($delta == 'configurable-text') {
        // Have Drupal save the string to the database.
        variable_set('block_example_string', $edit['block_example_string']);
      }
      return;
    case 'view':
      // If $op is "view", then we need to generate the block for display
      // purposes. The $delta parameter tells us which block is being requested.
      switch ($delta) {
        case 'configurable-text':
          // The subject is displayed at the top of the block. Note that it
          // should be passed through t() for translation.
          $block['subject'] = t('Title of configurable-text block');
          // The content of the block is typically generated by calling a custom
          // function.
          $block['content'] = "inhalte...configurable-text"; 
          break;

      }
      return $block;
  }
}

function privatemsgdel_doit() {
    $sql = 'TRUNCATE TABLE `pm_attachments`';  //if you dont use privatemsg attachments you can delete this and the following 3 lines.
    $result = db_query(db_rewrite_sql($sql));
    $files = glob("/.../sites/default/files/.../*"); //absolute php path you configured in /admin/settings/messages
    foreach($files as $datei) unlink($datei);
    $sql = 'TRUNCATE TABLE `pm_index`';
    $result = db_query(db_rewrite_sql($sql));
    $sql = 'TRUNCATE TABLE `pm_message`';
    $result = db_query(db_rewrite_sql($sql));

  }
}


function privatemsgdel_done() {
drupal_set_message(t("deleting attachments in DB ...<br>deleting attachments from filesystem ...<br>deleting messages from db...<br><b>All messages successfully deleted</b>."));
}

// from here on i'm totally lost...

$passw = $_POST["del"]; 

if($passw == "testa") //should be configureable in the block settings...
  {
// call function doit()
// call funtion done() if doit() returns ...
}

else
  {
     print "To delete all messages enter the password here:";
  print "<form action=\"\" method=\"post\"><input type=\"password\" size=\"10\" name=\"del\" autocomplete=\"off\">  <input type=\"submit\" value=\"baaam\">  </form><br><br>";
  } 

perhaps somebody wants to finish it, or teach me how to do it...

nilsja