Can't use any email clients in Linux at all.

Lia · Post by **Lia** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 11:32 pm

I was hoping someone out there can help me. Since migrating to Linux. I use Linux Mint 9 and ubuntu on different machines, but no matter what I do I can't get access to any of my email using the email clients that Linux provides. That is I can't use thunderbird, evolution, sphyleed, etc etc. and have to resort to using windows to access my main email account.

I've backed up my email in thunderbird (windows) and have even managed to import my old files. That's as far as it goes, it searches and searches and timeouts and nothing new comes through.

I've searched the internet far and wide and haven't found a solution to this very frustrating problem.

JasonLG · Post by **JasonLG** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 2:49 am

Lia wrote:I was hoping someone out there can help me. Since migrating to Linux. I use Linux Mint 9 and ubuntu on different machines, but no matter what I do I can't get access to any of my email using the email clients that Linux provides. That is I can't use thunderbird, evolution, sphyleed, etc etc. and have to resort to using windows to access my main email account.

I've backed up my email in thunderbird (windows) and have even managed to import my old files. That's as far as it goes, it searches and searches and timeouts and nothing new comes through.

I've searched the internet far and wide and haven't found a solution to this very frustrating problem.

You need to provide details about your email provider, otherwise we can not help you. It's most likely that you do not have it configured correctly for your email provider.

unexistance · Post by **unexistance** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 5:32 am

Hi Lia,

I have to assume you already copied Thunderbird profile from the windows side to a someplace.
By profile I mean a folder with name like: <random_strings>.<mail_account_name>

OK, what you need to do is just copy this folder to your Mint9 home directory, so you should have something like /home/lia/<random_strings>.<mail_account_name>/

Now, do below:
- Press <Alt>+<f2>
- thunderbird -ProfileManager
- create new profile
- set the path to the profile you copied just now
- set as default -> finished
- try start thunderbird, per normal

to be safe, use the same thunderbird version

question: how do you install thunderbird?

The Alpha Gamer · Post by **The Alpha Gamer** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:48 am

I've never managed to get any email client to work, even on Windows, people still haven't received emails i sent from an email client 4 years ago.
Just use webmail.

StanTheMan · Post by **StanTheMan** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 11:56 pm

Lisa . Can you access web sites on your browser ?

Some internet providers will not give any internet connection if they cannot read the MAC address (its ID) if it is not on a Microsoft or Macintosh format.
A work around is to use a router , and copy the computer's MAC address to the router. Then a Linux computer can connect to the router's LAN side , and the internet provider only sees the router.

Erinsfan · Post by **Erinsfan** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 2:55 am

Lia,

This could be an IPv6 issue or the account settings in your email client could be wrong. If you can access the web, speak to your ISP. You need to give us more information to help us help you.

StantheMan,

I'd be interested to hear where you got the information about the MAC address from. Essentially MAC is a hardware address (nothing to do with software) that cannot be altered and is certainly not in a Microsoft format. It is possible to spoof it but that requires the users (root specifically) to do something clever. Have a read of Wikipedia on MAC Addresses.

Erin

Post by **Oscar799** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 10:56 am

This thread is a double post.
I've copied this response across from the other thread

Re: Can't use any email clients in Linux at all.

Post Posted Tue Jul 27, 2010 5:05 am by unexistance

I've backed up my email in thunderbird (windows) and have even managed to import my old files. That's as far as it goes, it searches and searches and timeouts and nothing new comes through.

I assume that you have the windows thunderbird profile (named something like <random_string>.<mail_account_name>) somewhere.
So just put / copy that into your linuxmint home (e.g /home/lia/<random_string>.<mail_account_name>).

Then:
1. <Alt>+<f2>
2. thunderbird -ProfileManager <Enter>
3. create a new profile
4. set the path to your windows' thunderbird profile
5. set as default
6. start thunderbird as usual (from the menu ...)

just make sure you use the same thunderbird version (just to be safe

)

...

Lia · Post by **Lia** » Sun Aug 01, 2010 12:58 am

Thanks everyone, but I think it's more to do with my ISP not supporting email through Linux. I use DODO in Australia and I've rung them up for assistance but they can't help me. Dodo uses POP mail. My settings are correct as I can receive email through windows no problems but not through Linux Mint and not through Ubuntu or any other Linux o's I've tried. By the way I'm sticking to Linux Mint and Ubuntu on my other computer though, as these are my favourite operating systems.

Erinsfan · Post by **Erinsfan** » Sun Aug 01, 2010 3:28 am

Lia,

Email uses protocols that should not be affected by the OS you are running.

Erin

StanTheMan · Post by **StanTheMan** » Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:54 pm

Erinsfan .

I had the MAC address problem with one specific ISP http://telus.com/content/internet/

They required me to set up ADSL account using either Microsoft or Macintosh. After actuating my account , running another machine with simple Linux would not clear their detecting process.
But then setting up a router and cloning the MAC address , then I could connect the Linux machine to the LAN side of the router with no problemn. Maybe their detecting process goes a lit further into the machine than the MAC address hardware.
But I am now connected with a cable company and have no problem.

JasonLG · Post by **JasonLG** » Sun Aug 01, 2010 6:05 pm

StanTheMan wrote:Erinsfan .

I had the MAC address problem with one specific ISP http://telus.com/content/internet/

They required me to set up ADSL account using either Microsoft or Macintosh. After actuating my account , running another machine with simple Linux would not clear their detecting process.
But then setting up a router and cloning the MAC address , then I could connect the Linux machine to the LAN side of the router with no problemn. Maybe their detecting process goes a lit further into the machine than the MAC address hardware.
But I am now connected with a cable company and have no problem.

Unless you change it, the MAC address for a particular NIC would be the same regardless of OS. More than likely the ISP's authentication software was not Linux compatible so it had to be run on either Windows/OSX. And it used Mac addresses filtering as a security measure on your W/LAN. That's why you couldn't connect with your Linux boxes, their MAC addresses weren't on the allow list, it's not because they run Linux. You can usually configure your router in a web browser of a computer that has a wired connection. Depending on the router you should be able totally disable MAC address filtering.

Erinsfan · Post by **Erinsfan** » Mon Aug 02, 2010 7:44 am

Often ISPs make you tie a MAC address to an account to stop multiple connections or people connecting externally to "your" connection. My "Orange" router does the same internally where you have to pair the router to specific hardware (MAC addresses).

I'd recommend the sit behind a cheap router and spoof the MAC address of the primary PC. It gets around the problem of when the router goes bang and the ISPs restrictions. ISPs like many other institutions don't see Linux as being viable despite that both Windows and MAC OS are built on *nix code plus many devices in the world are driven by our favourite free code.

Erin