Setting up your personal email account
As a user at this system you have been given a single [[account]]. Tied to this
account is an email address (or possibly more than one).
All incoming emails are delivered to the inbox of your personal account (ie.
same location no matter if you have more addresses attached).
Webmail setup
Webmail is probably the simplest way to reach your emails. Somewhat like
HoTMaiL but without advertisements.
One common website (contact your technicians for its location) offers several
webmail applications, each with different strengths and weaknesses.
The topmost of the webmail application, IMP, is recommended, due to its most
complete functionality. It provides access to changing your account
[[password]].
Same website also lists some alternative websites also offering webmail access
to accounts at this system. Save those addresses on your own computer, for the
case of the primary webmail service one day being out of order.
Entering webmail, step by step:
- Go to the webmail website (contact your technicians for its location)
- Pick the topmost webmail application, IMP.
- Login using your personal username and password
Recommended setup of local email program
If you have a computer of your own, it is recommended to use a "real" email
application in favor of webmail. It works faster and is more stable. It is also
puts less burden on the server.
-
Download Mozilla Thunderbird.
(!) Other email programs work too, but Mozilla Thunderbird is considered
most reliable, while still both userfriendly and
free.
-
Create an "imap" account.
(!) The alternative, pop3 (suggested by default in many applications), is
less flexible - e.g. does not work well concurrently with webmail access to
your emails.
-
Use your provided username, and the hostname provided by your technicians,
as both incoming and outgoing server.
-
Enable encryption for incoming mail (imap or pop3):
- Enable "SSL" (also called "secure connection")
-
Enable encryption for outgoing mail (smtp):
- Enable "SSL".
- Change port number from the standard 25 to 465 (Mozilla Thunderbird does
this automatically)
- Enable authentication, using same username and password as for your
incoming mail.
/!\ Avoid "TLS" (also called "secure passwords") - it does not work
together with SSL.
Many email applications help you setting up your account using a "wizard".
Unfortunately security setup required at this system is often left out from
such routines.
If you are guided by a wizard, you therefore afterwards need to manually check
that the configuration produced match the above instructions.
/!\ Some applications stash away security options (SSL, password etc.) below
"advanced settings" or similar.
Your email application might complain that it does not trust the mail server.
You then need to accept the "security certificate" used at this system (see
external reference to riseup.net at the bottom of this page). Mozilla
Thunderbird need no special handling.
Special quirks with Apple Mail
The default setting for some versions of Apple Mail is to leave a copy of all
your emails on the server, even when deleted in the application.
If you use Apple Mail, you need to avoid filling up your
[[allowed_disk_space|quota/intro]] by changing that behaviour:
- Open "Mail"
- Go to Preferences > Accounts > Advanced
- Check "remove copy from server after retrieving a message"
External links
The help texts at riseup.net is generally good, as their system works much like
this. Just remember to use the mailserver hostname of this system whenever
"mail.riseup.net" is mentioned.
More info
- [[Overview|mail]] of email-related info
- [[Overview|account]] of uses of your account
