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panel-plugins:xfce4-mailwatch-plugin:start [2019/11/12 00:25] – removed kevinbowen | panel-plugins:xfce4-mailwatch-plugin:start [2023/07/02 09:10] (current) – Update Latest Release section kevinbowen | ||
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+ | ~~NOTOC~~ | ||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | ====== Mailwatch ====== | ||
+ | Xfce4 Mailwatch Plugin is a multi-protocol, | ||
+ | for the Xfce4 panel. | ||
+ | * **[[# | ||
+ | * **[[# | ||
+ | * **[[# | ||
+ | * **[[# | ||
+ | * **[[# | ||
+ | * **[[# | ||
+ | * **[[# | ||
+ | * **[[#MH Maildir|MH Maildir Settings]]** | ||
+ | * **[[#Latest Release|Latest Release]]** | ||
+ | * **[[# | ||
+ | * **[[#Source Code Repository|Source Code Repository]]** | ||
+ | * **[[# | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Features ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | * IMAP and Secure IMAP support | ||
+ | * POP3 and Secure POP3 support | ||
+ | * Local Mbox mailbox support | ||
+ | * Local Maildir mailbox support | ||
+ | * Local MH-Maildir mailbox support | ||
+ | * GMail support | ||
+ | * Fully multithreaded design: no panel lockups | ||
+ | * Informative new-message breakdown in tooltip | ||
+ | * Ability to run program on new messages or button click | ||
+ | * Informative logger to help track down mail connection problems | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Usage ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Mailwatch icon remains grey (default color) as long as it does not | ||
+ | detect any new mail. As soon as it checks, and there is new mail, the | ||
+ | mail icon will turn gold (default color). By clicking on the mail | ||
+ | icon, a command, which can be defined in the properties dialog box, | ||
+ | will be launched. A mail check can be forced by middle-clicking the | ||
+ | Mailwatch icon in the panel. Right-clicking on the Mailwatch icon | ||
+ | shows a context menu from which you can choose // | ||
+ | access the configuration options. There are also menu items for | ||
+ | forcing an update and the about box. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | ===== Properties ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Xfce4 Mailwatch Plugin has a variety of configuration options. Access | ||
+ | to the configuration is gained by right-clicking the panel icon, and | ||
+ | by choosing // | ||
+ | |||
+ | <figure " | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | The main controls for managing mailboxes are //Add//, //Edit//, and | ||
+ | //Remove//. At later stage, we'll walk through adding and configuring | ||
+ | each mailbox type. | ||
+ | |||
+ | External Programs | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mailwatch can launch your mail user agent (or any other program) when | ||
+ | the panel icon is clicked. The name of the executable together with | ||
+ | possible startup parameters goes in the //Run on click// entry | ||
+ | field. You can also define the command to be executed when Mailwatch | ||
+ | detects new mail by typing the desired command in the //Run on new | ||
+ | messages// entry field. Note that the command is executed once for | ||
+ | each time Mailwatch detects new mail, regardless of the number of new | ||
+ | messages received. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Icons | ||
+ | |||
+ | The icons that Mailwatch displays in the panel are configurable. Both | ||
+ | the //Normal// and //New Mail// buttons present a file chooser dialog, | ||
+ | which you can use to select your preferred icons. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Logging | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mailwatch includes a logging mechanism as well. It provides | ||
+ | information about errors and other noteworthy events that take | ||
+ | place. The log is accessible via the //View Log// button. There' | ||
+ | a setting to //Show log status in icon// in the log dialog which, if | ||
+ | enabled, provides a visual indication of new log events in the panel. | ||
+ | |||
+ | <figure "Log window"> | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | <figure "Panel indicator"> | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[|Back To Top]] | ||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | ===== Mailbox configuration ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | In this section we walk through adding and configuring each type of | ||
+ | mailbox. | ||
+ | |||
+ | To add a new mailbox, click //Add// in the main configuration dialog | ||
+ | and a mailbox type selection dialog will appear. The dialog presents | ||
+ | each supported mailbox type in the dropdown list, as well as an | ||
+ | informative description of the mailbox in the label below. | ||
+ | |||
+ | <figure " | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== IMAP ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | IMAP, acronym for //Internet Message Access Protocol//, is a quite common | ||
+ | mailbox format. An IMAP mailbox is a remote mailbox, so it requires | ||
+ | various configuration options to be able to contact the remote IMAP | ||
+ | server and get information on the mailbox. | ||
+ | |||
+ | To create an IMAP account in Mailwatch, choose //Remote IMAP Mailbox// in | ||
+ | the mailbox type chooser dialog, and you will be presented with the | ||
+ | IMAP settings dialog. | ||
+ | |||
+ | <figure "IMAP settings dialog"> | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mailbox Name | ||
+ | |||
+ | A descriptive name for the mailbox. The name entered here will appear | ||
+ | on the Mailwatch icon tooltip, which indicates mailboxes that have new | ||
+ | mail. This setting is required, regardless of the mailbox type. | ||
+ | |||
+ | MAP Server | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Mail server - The hostname of the remote mail server. | ||
+ | * Username - The username to use while accessing the mailbox. | ||
+ | * Password - The password to use. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Interval | ||
+ | |||
+ | Defines how often Mailwatch accesses the mailbox to see if there' | ||
+ | mail. You shouldn' | ||
+ | network traffic. It's not recommended to set this lower than 5 | ||
+ | minutes, unless you're really sure your service provider is okay with | ||
+ | that. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The default setup uses unencrypted connections and the default IMAP | ||
+ | folder. It is highly recommended that you select an encrypted | ||
+ | connection type if your mail provider supports it. Others may require | ||
+ | an encrypted connection. For that there' | ||
+ | dialog. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Advanced Settings === | ||
+ | |||
+ | <figure " | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Connection | ||
+ | |||
+ | If your IMAP service provider supports encryption for client | ||
+ | connections, | ||
+ | implementations of encrypted connections. The most common one uses | ||
+ | port 993 for client connections and encrypts the connection from the | ||
+ | start. The other, less common method, uses the ordinary IMAP port for | ||
+ | initializing the connection and then, before any sensitive data is | ||
+ | transmitted, | ||
+ | command. Mailwatch provides default settings for these setups, which | ||
+ | are //Use SSL/TLS on alternate port// and //Use SSL/TLS via STARTTLS// | ||
+ | respectively. If you're not sure which option your mail provider | ||
+ | supports, you can test via trial and error by using each setting, and | ||
+ | then checking the log viewer for errors. | ||
+ | |||
+ | There' | ||
+ | your service provider so requires. Just check the box, and type in the | ||
+ | appropriate port. The box will pre-fill the default port for the | ||
+ | selected connection type. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Folders | ||
+ | |||
+ | In addition of the connection related settings, you can set the | ||
+ | directory on the server where your mail is stored using the //IMAP | ||
+ | server directory// text box. This setting may not be necessary on some | ||
+ | systems. If you see a large number of strange folder names when | ||
+ | looking in the //New mail folders// dialog box, you may need to set this, | ||
+ | often to something like " | ||
+ | |||
+ | <figure "New mail folders dialog"> | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Since IMAP supports viewing mail in multiple folders, it's possible | ||
+ | that you'd receive new mail in folders other than your inbox. If | ||
+ | that's the case, you can use the //New Mail Folders// dialog to instruct | ||
+ | Mailwatch to check mail in multiple folders. The dialog will connect | ||
+ | to your mail server and fetch a list of folders for you to select. Of | ||
+ | course, you'll need to enter the server information first. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [[|Back To Top]] | ||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | ==== POP3 ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | POP3, short for //Post Office Protocol Version 3//, is another common | ||
+ | type of remote mailbox. Because of its remote nature, the settings for | ||
+ | POP3 are almost the same as IMAP, with some omissions, as POP3 isn't | ||
+ | as advanced a protocol as IMAP. | ||
+ | |||
+ | <figure "POP3 settings dialog"> | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mailbox Name | ||
+ | |||
+ | A descriptive name for the mailbox. The name entered here will appear | ||
+ | on the Mailwatch icon tooltip, which indicates mailboxes that have new | ||
+ | mail. This setting is required, regardless of the mailbox type. | ||
+ | |||
+ | POP3 Server | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Mail server - Hostname of the POP3 server. | ||
+ | * Username - Username to authenticate with. | ||
+ | * Password - Password to use in authentication. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Interval | ||
+ | |||
+ | Defines how often Mailwatch accesses the mailbox to see if there' | ||
+ | mail. You shouldn' | ||
+ | network traffic. It's not recommended to set this lower than 5 | ||
+ | minutes, unless you're really sure your service provider is okay with | ||
+ | that. | ||
+ | |||
+ | While for most users providing these settings should be enough, there | ||
+ | are also advanced settings for those who need additional features. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Advanced Settings === | ||
+ | |||
+ | <figure "POP3 advanced settings dialog"> | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Connection | ||
+ | |||
+ | If your POP3 service provider supports encryption for client | ||
+ | connections, | ||
+ | implementations of encrypted connections. The most common one uses | ||
+ | port 995 for client connections and encrypts the connection from the | ||
+ | start. The other, less common method, uses the ordinary POP3 port for | ||
+ | initializing the connection and then, before any sensitive data is | ||
+ | transmitted, | ||
+ | command. Mailwatch provides default settings for these setups, which | ||
+ | are //Use SSL/TLS on alternate port// and //Use SSL/TLS via STARTTLS// | ||
+ | respectively. If you're not sure which option your mail provider | ||
+ | supports, you can test via trial and error by using each setting, and | ||
+ | then checking the log viewer for errors. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [[|Back To Top]] | ||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | ==== GMail ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mailwatch can also watch your GMail mailbox. Mailwatch does this | ||
+ | securely by using HTTPS and GMail' | ||
+ | |||
+ | <figure "GMail settings dialog"> | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | GMail Server | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Username - Your GMail username. | ||
+ | * Password - Your GMail password. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Maildir ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Maildir is a mailbox format for local mailboxes and thus there is no | ||
+ | hostname, etc. to configure, but merely a directory where your mail is | ||
+ | stored. A Maildir mailbox has a certain distinguishable hierarchy, | ||
+ | which defines the mailbox (and which Mailwatch expects to find). A | ||
+ | Maildir consists of a top level directory ('' | ||
+ | which contains three subdirectories ('' | ||
+ | |||
+ | <figure " | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mailbox Name | ||
+ | |||
+ | A descriptive name for the mailbox. The name entered here will appear | ||
+ | on the Mailwatch icon tooltip, which indicates mailboxes that have new | ||
+ | mail. This setting is required, regardless of the mailbox type. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Maildir Path | ||
+ | |||
+ | The toplevel directory of your Maildir. (Note: This is the main mail | ||
+ | folder, not any of the three subdirectories.) | ||
+ | |||
+ | Interval | ||
+ | |||
+ | Defines how often Mailwatch checks the mailbox for new mail. It is | ||
+ | safe to set a value as low as 1 minute, as this is presumably on a | ||
+ | local filesystem, or at least a local network. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [[|Back To Top]] | ||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | ==== Mbox ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mbox is another very common local mailbox format in which each folder | ||
+ | is a single, large file that contains all your messages. Because of | ||
+ | this, Mbox expects to find a specially-formatted Mbox file instead of | ||
+ | a directory tree. | ||
+ | |||
+ | <figure "Mbox settings dialog"> | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mailbox Name | ||
+ | |||
+ | A descriptive name for the mailbox. The name entered here will appear | ||
+ | on the Mailwatch icon tooltip, which indicates mailboxes that have new | ||
+ | mail. This setting is required, regardless of the mailbox type. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mbox Filename | ||
+ | |||
+ | The location of your Mbox file (often ''/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Interval | ||
+ | |||
+ | Defines how often Mailwatch checks the mailbox for new mail. It is | ||
+ | safe to set a value as low as 1 minute, as this is presumably on a | ||
+ | local filesystem, or at least a local network. | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[|Back To Top]] | ||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | ==== MH Maildir ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | MH Maildir is a variant of the Maildir format. For a MH Maildir | ||
+ | mailbox, Mailwatch reads your '' | ||
+ | configuration, | ||
+ | mailboxes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | <figure "MH maildir settings dialog"> | ||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mailbox Name | ||
+ | |||
+ | A descriptive name for the mailbox. The name entered here will appear | ||
+ | on the Mailwatch icon tooltip, which indicates mailboxes that have new | ||
+ | mail. This setting is required, regardless of the mailbox type. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Interval | ||
+ | |||
+ | Defines how often Mailwatch checks the mailbox for new mail. It is | ||
+ | safe to set a value as low as 1 minute, as this is presumably on a | ||
+ | local filesystem, or at least a local network. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | [[|Back To Top]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Latest Release ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{rss> | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | * **[[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[|Back to Top]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Requirements ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Xfce 4 base libraries, version 4.8.0 or greater | ||
+ | * Xfce 4 Panel, version 4.8.0 or greater | ||
+ | * **Optional but recommended: | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Installation ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | In order to install a released version fo Mailwatch, issue the | ||
+ | following commands from the root of the Mailwatch source tree: | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | $ ./configure --prefix=${xfce_prefix} | ||
+ | $ make | ||
+ | $ make install | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Where '' | ||
+ | most systems this should be ''/ | ||
+ | be run as root (or via sudo) if the prefix is a system location. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In order to install the Git version of Mailwatch, issue the following | ||
+ | commands instead: | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | $ ./ | ||
+ | $ make | ||
+ | $ make install | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Contributions ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Mailwatch plugin is easily extensible to support extra mailbox types if needed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you’d like to see Mailwatch translated into another language, | ||
+ | please visit the page with information for | ||
+ | [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Source Code Repository ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | ===== Reporting Bugs ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | * **[[: | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[|Back To Top]] | ||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | [[ : |