Hello all,

I need help in setting up the native e-mail client included in Debian Squeeze. My ultimate goal is to have the Debian e-mail client download e-mail messages and process attachments automatically. Any help on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Hello,

What exactly is the native email client on debian? Sorry, but I use a different distribution than you. I use evolution, and I have it configured for POP and SSL access to my gmail account, and it was a very easy task.

Cheers,

Josh

WTF is the 'native' email client on debian?

Unless you are meaning something like postfix or exim, no clue what you are talking about.

You should READ:
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way - http://catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

I am using postfix.

I use icedove with my gmail account

Postfix is NOT an email client...it's a mail server/MTA. A mail client is something that would read the emails FROM the server, and there is no 'default' mail client, as far as I know, for ANY distro of Linux. Depending on what desktop you're using and/or what you've installed, you'll have many options. Kmail, Evolution, Claws, and Alpine are all installed on my openSUSE box by default. All are fine for daily use.

There is no magic to it...you need basic information about whatever mail server you're trying to connect to. Gmail will be different from Yahoo, which is different from xxxx, etc. Each client will have someplace to enter your account details, such as user ID/password/incoming and outgoing mail servers, ports, and the like.

You don't say what mail server(s) you're trying to download from, what protocols (IMAP, POP3, etc), so there's not much we can tell you. You also mention you want attachments 'processed' (???) automatically, and messages downloaded. What do you mean?? It may be necessary for you to write a program to do what you want, depending on your needs.

Icedove (Debian's version of Thunderbird) is the default email client in a Debian install, if "default" is what OP means by "native."

Any Linux mail client would be a "native" mail client on Debian.

I have been quite happy using Icedove on my Debian box. I also like Kmail. I do not like Evolution; I find it clunky.

Generally, though, on my primary personal computer, I use Opera's built-in M2 client. It has served me well for years and allows me to follow my email from the same program window that I use for the WWW without running or switching to another program.

I've been using Sylpheed on my Windows machine and am quite impressed with it. It also comes in Linux.

Can I get your personal opinion about Icedove? I've been meaning to switch to something different than evolution.....

If you have ever used Thunderbird, you have used Icedove.

Debian is aggressively open and has issues with some of Mozilla's branding practices, so they rewrite Thunderbird as Icedove and Firefox as Iceweasel.

Thunderbird/Icedove is an excellent email client. It does filters and folders, and, I think, also does newsgroups, but I've never tested that. The reason it's not my primary one is merely a question of taste, not of performance.

I use Opera for text newsgroups and Pan for binary ones (I loves me the Opera browser since v. 3.x).

If you give Icedove a try, I expect you will not be disappointed; it delivers on its promises. If it's not to your taste, well, I can understand, because I have my taste too.

Yeah, I never used Thunderbird before........ I do use Pan though for newsgroups. But how is the overall performance of it though?

The overall performance is excellent.

I have used it on my Debian box for quite a while without any issues. If I were not an Opera fanboy, I would consider it and Kmail tied for first choice as Linux email clients. (I have not tested Sylpheed on Linux yet.)

All joking aside, when you look at the top email clients, they do what you need an email client to do, so it comes down to which one you like the most. As I said, I like Opera the most, but, if Opera did not have a built-in superb email client, I would be quite happy to use Icedove/Thunderbird or Kmail.

Frankly, I wouldn't use Evolution on a bet unless I absolutely had to have the pseudo-Exchange features, such as the calendar. This is said after extensive testing of Evolution on my netbook.

Cool, thanks man. Going to try it out!

Evolution is the default email client for Debian, Icedove is available thru synaptic.
I chose icedove because it was easier to configure, as you can just follow the instructions for thunderbird to use with gmail

Thanks for straightening me out. It's been a year or more since I set up Icedove. The memory banks are weak.

You're welcome, but it is your default client after you set it up & made default.