SDB:Setting up KMail to download your E-Mail messages

From openSUSE

Situation

You want to configure KMail to download email from your provider. This article is using Yahoo as an example email provider with POP3.

Procedure

If you use a default KDE installation, KMail and Kontakt should be installed. Kontakt is a wrapper for KMail and other Personal Information Manager programs, it's only a small difference in the configuration if you use KMail or Kontakt. If you enter mail in the menu (KDE or GNOME menu), it should find KMail. If not you have to install it. To install it simply open YaST2, go to Software/Software Management and search for kdepim3. If you want to use the commandline to install it, just open a konsole and enter as root user:

zypper in kdepim3

You can start KMail with the menu, applications/internet/e-mail, or use the search function in the top row of the menu and search for kmail.

If you start KMail the first time a configuration wizard starts, you can use it, but this article explains the configuration without it. To follow the article press Cancel.

When KMail opens go to Settings and click on Configure KMail. From here you should click on Identities (screenshot 1). It should display the identity you entered for the useraccount, if you want to change it just click on Modify.

Screenshot 1 - Identities

Put the mail address that you use in here for example joeblogs@yahoo.ie then click on ok. You should be able to see the identities of the person you just added. Next you should click on Accounts. There are two tabs named Receiving and Sending go ahead and click on Receiving then click on Add- The box that opens up should have POP3 selected.

Screenshot 2 - Accounts - add Recieving

If you use an external provider you have to chose if you want to use POP3 or IMAP. Most Provider supports both, the examples shows the POP3 configuration. The IMAP configuration is similar, for more information check the KMail IMAP client page.

You will then get a screen which says POP account, depending on the E-Mail provider that you use you will have to find out the login name they would like you to use and the same for password and host.

Every E-mail provider have a help page where you can find the needed information how to configure you email client. For example you can see below the yahoo page.

Screenshot 3 - provider settings

When you have found out what settings your E-Mail provider requires you can click on store pop password. The default setting is using no encryption, means all information is going as plain text over the internet. To change that click on the Extras tab and click on the Click What the Server Supports button. KMail will try all options and will use a safe one if possible. Back on the Modify Account - Kmail window you can see an unselected option, Leave fetched mail on the server. Select it if you want to store the E-Mails in KMail and on the Server. Otherwise the E-Mails will be deleted after KMail downloaded them. This is recommended for testing and if you want to use the same account with different or more than one E-Mail program to read the mail. In the screenshot below you can see the option is selected.

Screenshot 4 - Modify Account

You can now click on Sending tab and then Add. Make sure you have SMTP selected and click ok. Again you need to know the particular settings that your E-Mail provider uses. To enable encrypted transport/authentication click on the Security tab and Click What the Server Supports.

Screenshot 5 - Add Transport

Screenshot 6 - SMTP

Apply all the changes that you made and click ok. To receive E-Mail go to the File menu, or press the CTRL-L, or press the button in the KMail toolbar (the little envelope with the arrow pointing down). You can select Enable interval mail checking in the Account settings to do this automaticly if KMail is running (see Screenshot 4). Some E-Mail providers offer different accounts, some limited the time to check for mail with the free ones. If you set the interval to low you maybe will get an error message, 10 minutes should work with most providers.