Changing Password In Thunderbird Mail

**TheFu** · October 23rd, 2021

Originally Posted by daniell59

The ISP finally conceded that they changed some setting. They said that a technician will get back to me in several days. For what I am paying, I should not have to wait that long. I tried fixing it myself, but could not do so. In the past, whenever I put an email app in, it would automatically do the configuring. I tried to do it manually in both Thunderbird and Evolution with no success.

Thank you for listening

Most ISPs have an email configuration page with detailed information about the settings.

As you can see if you scan all those links, they are all very, very, very, similar. There are standards. Most ISPs follow those standards.
Of course, gmail follows only the standards they like, but often not all of them.

There are many reasons NOT to use ISP-based email, but to use some other cloudy provider instead. The main reason is that you can change ISPs, but not have to change email addresses on hundreds of accounts. Just be certain to pick your email provider carefully.

OTOH, I have trust issues, so I run my own email server. Almost nobody should do that. Running email servers isn't for hobbyists. Also, using free email services means that your data is being sold - they have to pay their bills somehow. I wouldn't doubt that ISPs are doing this too.

**T6&sfpER35%** · October 23rd, 2021

I am open to suggestions.

i myself tried and never liked thunderbird
i use mailspring and never have a problem
https://snapcraft.io/mailspring

**TheFu** · October 23rd, 2021

Originally Posted by 3nd

i myself tried and never liked thunderbird
i use mailspring and never have a problem
https://snapcraft.io/mailspring

I started using Netscape Mail in the mid-1990s. At the time, it was really the only email program that didn't suck. Thunderbird grow out of that project and added network calendaring, gpg-encryption, network address-books. Initially those were addons, but about 2-3 yrs ago, they became part of the core thunderbird.

Thunderbird integrates nicely with calDAV and cardDAV systems ... and with Zimbra Server or postfix/dovecot systems. I haven't found any other tool that easily integrates calendaring and email that isn't also bloated. MS-Exchange is the 2nd largest desktop program ever made, behind iTunes. Evolution is 3rd, it seems. There are a number of alternatives, but some are miscategorized as email clients.

I've played with K-9 Mail, Claws, elm, alpine, and a few others. I dislike webmail, but love having filters and organization happen on the server-side, not tied to any client software. I still use the standard CLI "mail" almost daily to send emails, but not for reading. If any email is left on my systems, I consider that a misconfiguration issue. After a bad thunderbird change a few years ago, I switched to Claws for a few months, but always felt the lack of calendar support was a huge problem. I use k-9 mail on Android. For what it is, it works fine. I use calendar reminders for all sorts of needs, especially periodic stuff like renewing certs or registrars. Some reminders are 5-10 yrs from now, but still extremely important.

The one thing I wish thunderbird would provide that they don't today is a tiny xbiff tool. I've been using gnubiff, but it gets confused and doesn't pick up the connection settings from thunderbird. That means it is yet another location to have email credentials stored, maintained and updated. Just another hassle.

**daniell59** · October 25th, 2021

I reinstalled Ubuntu 20.04 on another computer. I then installed Thunderbird. The same problem. The server from my ISP would not accept the password. This was with two computers with Ubuntu and one with windows. This is what I don't understand. The password works on the website of the ISP. Also, I can retrieve the email on my smart phone and on an Amazon tablet. I am still waiting for the technician from the ISP to contact me. I guess I should not hold my breadth waiting.

**TheFu** · October 25th, 2021

Originally Posted by daniell59

I reinstalled Ubuntu 20.04 on another computer. I then installed Thunderbird. The same problem. The server from my ISP would not accept the password. This was with two computers with Ubuntu and one with windows. This is what I don't understand. The password works on the website of the ISP. Also, I can retrieve the email on my smart phone and on an Amazon tablet. I am still waiting for the technician from the ISP to contact me. I guess I should not hold my breadth waiting.

There is good news and bad news about your results above.
Something in the thunderbird settings, which you seem to be consistent in entering, is incompatible with the ISP.
The fact that their webmail works, just means that they tested that, but not thunderbird.
Ask them for a webpage that explains how to setup thunderbird for email to connect to their system. Don't mention linux. Get the Windows instructions and follow those. The main settings in both are identical, but I think "Edit --> Account Settings" on Linux and "Tools --> Preferences" is on Windows.I could be wrong. I haven't used Windows for email in probably 8-10 yrs. Anyways, you'll figure it out and the ISP will actually need to have one of their people figure out the Thunderbird settings, which they should do. There are 5 major email clients - thunderbird in one of those.

**daniell59** · October 25th, 2021

I called back the ISP. They changed my password. Again, Thunderbird could not retrieve it but the smartphone could. Up to about a week ago, Thunderbird was working perfectly on all of my computers. Something at the ISP end must have changed. They said that they were escalating the problem.

**TheFu** · October 25th, 2021

Originally Posted by daniell59

I called back the ISP. They changed my password. Again, Thunderbird could not retrieve it but the smartphone could. Up to about a week ago, Thunderbird was working perfectly on all of my computers. Something at the ISP end must have changed. They said that they were escalating the problem.

Do they not have a webpage with all the required settings for email clients - similar to the example pages I posted above?

**daniell59** · October 25th, 2021

I just heard again from my ISP. I was told that they are in the process of changing over the server name and I wont be able to use the app until the work is completed.

**TheFu** · October 25th, 2021

Originally Posted by daniell59

I just heard again from my ISP. I was told that they are in the process of changing over the server name and I wont be able to use the app until the work is completed.

You can check the DNS record TTL, so see how often a change might be seen. If they were to tell you the new FQDN server name AND the IP address, then you could add that to your /etc/hosts file and have access now. I have doubts that is related. It could be they are trying to use techno-babble to make you go away for a day. DNS updates for ISPs typically propagate hourly, if not much more often. I think 5 minutes is a common TTL. For low use, single server, websites, once a day is often sufficient. It is a judgement call. Because I use a free DNS service that I'm grandfathered into, there is a cap on the number of queries they will allow before I'll need to pay for commercial service. I typically know months before a DNS change will be made, so I can setup a reminder a week prior to change the TTL down to 1 hr, then 5 minutes the night before the change. I only do DNS changes on weekends - after doing something really dumb 20 yrs ago that broke all the services on a few domains for a few days before I realized it. Internally, everything was working. Externally, not so much.

**daniell59** · October 26th, 2021

Without the help of the ISP I solved half of my problem. I can now receive email in the app but cannot send it. I changed the sever name. I called the ISP. They have to again escalate the problem. They say that they are having some problem. I don't think that I am getting competent help.