Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The KMail Handbook
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# Chapter 7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

7.1. Does KMail support IMAP?
7.2. Are there any known bugs in KMail?
7.3. KMail doesn't display HTML mail as HTML, I can only see the source.
7.4. Does KMail support APOP?
7.5. Can I use KMail and procmail?
7.6. What should I know if I want to use PGP/GnuPG with KMail?
7.7. Which version of KMail supports which version of PGP/GnuPG?
7.8. How do I have to set up KMail to use (i.e. read and write) messages with non-Latin1 characters?
7.9. Spellchecking doesn't recognize non-english characters.
7.10. How do I use my Eudora/Netscape®/Outlook/... mail folders in KMail?
7.11. How can I use mail folders that are not in `~/Mail/`?
7.12. My folders keep growing even when I delete messages.
7.13. Can I use encryption with my normal (non-SSL) POP3 account?
7.14. Does KMail lock the folders it uses?
7.15. How do I leave mail on the server?
7.16. How do I automatically insert a text footer within my mails?
7.17. Why does KMail keep asking me for the location of my signature file?
7.18. How do I set up sendmail to work with KMail if I have a dial-up connection?

7.1. Does KMail support IMAP?

Not yet. However, IMAP support is now in active development and will probably be part of the KMail version that comes with KDE 2.2. Until then, you can receive mails via IMAP by using fetchmail:

1. Create a file `~/.fetchmailrc` which contains the following lines:

        poll <your-mail-server>
       proto IMAP
       user your-username
       pass your-password

   If your mail username and your local username differ you have to add the following entry:

        is local-username

2. Execute `chmod `700` `~/.fetchmailrc``

3. Create a local account in KMail

4. Enter `fetchmail` in the field Precommand. This is not necessary if you have a permanent connection to the net. In that case you are better off leaving fetchmail running as a daemon. This also has the advantage that you won't have to add your password to `~/.fetchmailrc`, you will be asked for it when the daemon starts.

5. Check your mail

7.2. Are there any known bugs in KMail?

You can find a list of submitted bugs at bugs.kde.org. Note that not all these bugs are valid, all in all we think that KMail is now a very good piece of software.

| However, you should not run KMail while another mail client is already accessing the files in `~/Mail`. If you try to do so, you might lose messages.

7.3. KMail doesn't display HTML mail as HTML, I can only see the source.

Select Folder->Prefer HTML to plain text. For security reasons you should only do so for trusted mails. Note that plugins (like Macromedia® Flash) will not be displayed in KMail.

7.4. Does KMail support APOP?

Yes, APOP is used automatically if it's available. There's currently no feedback if it's used, and no way to check.

7.5. Can I use KMail and procmail?

Yes, but it's important to do it the right way or you might lose mail. Do not let procmail sort the mail to `~/Mail`, but to some other directory which you then access by KMail as a Local Mailbox. That is, you have to add another account in the Network tab of the Configure dialog. Also see the FAQ about lockfiles.

7.6. What should I know if I want to use PGP/GnuPG with KMail?

KMail provides a simple and easy to use interface for basic functions of these programs. Still you should understand how these programs work and what might make them insecure. Important issues:

- You really should test if encryption works before you use it. KMail relies on PGP/GnuPG's error strings, which often change between different versions.

- Trusting a foreign public key without checking it is no good idea.

- KMail will not encrypt messages with an untrusted (unsigned) public key.

- As most other mail clients, KMail can encrypt your messages, but not your attachments. You have to encrypt them manually before you attach them.

- There's a bug in KMail 1.1.99 (which comes with KDE 2.0 and 2.0.1) that makes PGP not work if you use a different language than English. You can work around it this way (KMail will still use your favourite language):

  1. Rename `/usr/bin/kmail` to `/usr/bin/kmail.original`

  2. Install in `/usr/bin` the following shell script, calling it `kmail` and making sure it is owned by root and has `755` permissions (`rwxr-xr-x`):

          #!/bin/bash
         LANGUAGE=en
         export LANGUAGE
         kmail.original $*

- KMail is not able to use different keys for multiple identities.

7.7. Which version of KMail supports which version of PGP/GnuPG?

Since KMail 1.2 you can choose which encryption tool to use if you have more than one. All the programs that are listed in the Security tab of the Configure dialog are supported.

7.8. How do I have to set up KMail to use (i.e. read and write) messages with non-Latin1 characters?

In the Appearance/Fonts section of the Configure dialog, select the correct Character set for the message list and the folder list. If unicode (iso10646-1) is available, you should choose it. In case messages are still not shown correctly, you can always try other settings from the Message->Set Encoding menu. For writing messages, go to Composer/Charset and configure the default charset you want to use for your own mails.

7.9. Spellchecking doesn't recognize non-english characters.

Before you can use spellchecking the first time, you have to configure it. You can do so in the Composer window's menu under Settings->Spellchecker....

7.10. How do I use my Eudora/Netscape®/Outlook/... mail folders in KMail?

See the section Using other Mailbox files With KMail.

7.11. How can I use mail folders that are not in `~/Mail/`?

Simply create a symlink in your `~/Mail` directory using `ln `-s` `/somewhere/Mail/mymailboxfile` `~/Mail/remote``. When you start KMail you will see a new folder with the name remote that contains the mails in your remote folder. If you want to add a whole remote mail directory use `ln `-s` `/somewhere/Mail` `~/Mail/.remotedir.directory``. For that case you also need to create a new empty folder named `remotedir` with KMail. The folder `remotedir` will then contain all remote mailbox folders as subfolders.

7.12. My folders keep growing even when I delete messages.

To really remove deleted messages from disk, you have to compact your folders. To do so automatically, open up the Settings->Configuration... window, select the Miscellaneous tab and select Compact all folders on exit. Maybe you want to select Empty trash on exit, too. This will remove all the messages in the trash folder whenever you exit KMail.

7.13. Can I use encryption with my normal (non-SSL) POP3 account?

If your POP3 server runs an ssh daemon, you can use ssh to tunnel your POP3 connection using the following command:

`ssh `-L 110:127.0.0.1:110 user@host``

Modify your KMail configuration to fetch the mail via POP3 from `localhost` and ssh will tunnel the connection for you. You need to be root to execute this command. Alternatively, change the first port number, i.e. the first occurence of `110`, to something above 1024 and configure KMail to use that port.

| If non-encrypted mails have already been sent via internet, the (only) advantage of using ssh is that your password will be sent encrypted to the POP3 server.

7.14. Does KMail lock the folders it uses?

KMail does not lock the files in `~/Mail`.

To avoid the risk of losing mail if using a local account it is necessary to ensure that KMail uses the same type of locking as your mail delivery agent.

There are five different locking options you can use:

- Mutt dotlock (recommended)

- Mutt dotlock privileged

- Procmail lockfile

- FCNTL (default)

- none (use with care)

Mutt dotlock and Mutt dotlock privileged will both use a small utility that comes with mutt called mutt_dotlock. Mutt dotlock can be used in the same way as the Procmail lockfile option, with the same limitation with regards to the `/var/spool/mail/` folders. However, the Mutt dotlock privileged option can create lock files in the `/var/spool/mail` directory. mutt_dotlock is a setgid program and this option will run it in setgid mode. Please note that these options will only work if mutt is installed on your system.

Procmail lockfile will use a small utility that comes with procmail called lockfile. You can use this if your mail folder is in a directory where you have write permissions. This will not work on your `/var/spool/mail/user` file in most cases. It will create `.lock` files on your account when KMail is checking for new mail. Please note that this will only work if procmail is installed on your system.

FCNTL: the default option will use the `fcntl()` system call.

If you don't want to use any locking, the none option is what you want. However, there are risks of losing mail when no locking is used.

7.15. How do I leave mail on the server?

Open up the Settings->Configuration... window. Click on the Network tab. Select your account from the account list and click the Modify... button. This dialog contains the Delete mail from server setting which you must not select.

7.16. How do I automatically insert a text footer within my mails?

The text footer is called a signature file. Select Settings->Configuration... Look in the Identity tab for the Specify signature below field. Select the radio button and type your signature below.

7.17. Why does KMail keep asking me for the location of my signature file?

KMail will ask you the location of your signature file if you have checked the option Use a signature from file in the Composer tab of the Configure dialog, but have not specified a signature file in the Identity tab. You should either specify a signature file or deselect Use a signature from file.

7.18. How do I set up sendmail to work with KMail if I have a dial-up connection?

First you should check if your Linux®/BSD/whatever distribution can do this for you. Perhaps it has already been set up during installation.

If that's not the case, you may want to have a look at the Mail Queue HOWTO or at UCT Linux User's group page on configuring sendmail for Dial-up connections.

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