Re: icedove configuration problem
On Sun, 11 Aug 2013 18:08:40 +0200
François Patte <francois.patte@mi.parisdescartes.fr> wrote:
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> Le 11/08/2013 11:48, "Karl E. Jørgensen" a écrit :
> > Hi
> >
> > On 11/08/13 10:22, François Patte wrote:
>
> > Bonjour,
> >
>
> >
> >
> > It fails! For 2 reasons:
> >
> > 1- I presume that icedove check if my email address is a "valid"
> > address (and it is, I use it since almost 20 years at Paris
> > Descartes University) in some data bases. As it seems to fail to
> > find it, It reject it.... (even using "manual" configuration).
> >> This is somewhat vague... What error do you get? which which
> >> configuration?
>
> "Icedove failed to find the settings for your email account"
>
> >
> > 2- I use to use an ssh tunnel to link some port (>1048) of my
> > machine to the smtp port of the mail server at the university.
> > Icedove allows to only use ports 25, 587 and 465....
> >> It *will* try to auto-detect the settings for your email address,
> >> but if you need an SSH tunnel to send email, you should not be
> >> surprised that auto-detection fails...
>
> This is not what I have said! I am not totally dumb: I mean that
> allowing to use only ports 25, 587 and 465, Icedove, de facto,
> forbides me to choose, say, localhost port 10025
>
> I wonder why we don't have permission to have a fancy mail address
> with a fancy configuration.... this however not the case for mine: I
> using it right now on my laptop, ans it works!
>
> So! How to fool this kind of default "programming" to setup an email
> account on icedove supposed to be helpfull!
>
> >
> > What shall I do? Change my email address? Use mutt?
> >> Give us some errors to work with. Some diagnostic information.
> >> Anything.
>
> I have nothing else: "Icedove failed to find the settings for your
> email account"
> and I am stuck, I can only click on 2 buttons: "get a new
> email" (gandi or something likr this...) or "cancel"!
>
I'm not really in a position to make a completely new Icedove
installation. Does your new installation allow you to cancel the
account creation and close it, then run Icedove later and create a new
account? I can't really see how that could be prevented.
If so, it should be possible to beat the thing into submission, though
not as easily as it ought to be.
First, select File, New, Existing Email Account... which should bypass
the offer of a new external email account. Then set up your real email
address, and while it is trying unsuccessfully to connect, click on
'Manual'.
Don't worry about the port numbers yet, but do select values for them
and also for authentication and encryption i.e. do not leave them
'Auto'. Also do select the right incoming server type, as it appears
this can't be edited later. If you leave anything on 'Auto', the 'Done'
button will not be enabled.
It will complain about being unable to verify the account, particularly
if you have selected no encryption when you have to tick a box agreeing
that you understand the risks, but despite this, the account should be
created.
You can now go back to it under Edit, Account Settings... and change
the incoming port number to anything. You should now also be able to
edit the default SMTP server entry.
I can't guarantee this will definitely work for you, but it does look
hopeful. But I'm not impressed: while all possible help should be
offered for this task, particularly to people who know nothing of
security and don't know their SMTP from their IMAP, it should be
possible to opt out, and not need to use a workaround. There really
should be an 'I know what I'm doing' button at the beginning.
I've set up a fair few email clients for other people, and I've never
needed to know their passwords or go through quite as many hoops to get
the account created. Sometimes I've needed to do it at a time or place
when their servers were not accessible, and there should not be an
automatic assumption that they will be.
Oh, unless you actually need more of Icedove's functionality than just
basic email, you might consider Claws. It's still slightly buggy, but
I've never lost anything and it's dramatically faster than the Icedove
monster. And while it tests a new account, it creates it without
problems or making assumptions about port numbers.
--
Joe
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