Configuring Thunderbird for Use with MIT Mail

Mozilla Thunderbird is a successor to Netscape mail, and it provides a much nicer interface. Here we provide instructions on configuring Thunderbird for use with IMAP and the MIT mail servers. Please be sure to modify the outgoing SMTP server as shown below.

Importing Settings from other clients

If you have previously used a different mail client, after installing Thunderbird, you will be given the opportunity to import your email folders, your addresses and your settings. If there is any failure, it may be necessary to modify these settings once the import is complete. See the instructions for account settings below.

Account Settings

This description assumes that an account, named "po9.mit.edu", was created in Thunderbird, either by importing settings from another client, or by use of the Add Account... wizard.

To fix or modify your MIT account settings, select Tools then Account settings.... Or if you have highlighted the name of the MIT server (e.g., po9.mit.edu), click on View settings for this account. The only settings we show here are those that are needed just to get started.

The following dialog box appears. Highlight the 'Account Name' that you would like to configure. In this example the account name is po9.mit.edu, the name of an MIT server.

Modify the fields. The Account Name need not be the name of the server... the server name is set in the next step.
Select Server Settings.

Set the Server Name to that of your MIT post office server. To determine what it is, go here. Make sure that the SSL button is selected in the Use secure connection field.

Server Certificates

When you click on your Inbox to see your mail, you may be presented with a dialog box asking if you will accept a certificate.

You will not be prompted for this in the future if you choose to Accept this certificate permanently. But note that server certificates are changed periodically for security purposes, so you will need to accept a new one once in a while.

Outgoing SMTP server

Often the default chosen by Thunderbird for outgoing server is to not use a secure connection for outgoing mail. This has to be changed for the MIT server. Go to Tools -> Account Settings.... In the pane that lists your accounts, note the line Outgoing Server (SMTP) listed at the bottom. You can see it in the graphic above. Click on that, and you will enter a dialog box. The list of servers is managed with the buttons on the right. The picture below shows the situation desired for the outgoing servers at MIT.

Once the indicated settings are entered, press OK, Highlight the MIT server in the left hand pane, and use the indicated pull-down box to select the outgoing SMTP server. Note that you can instead designate this as a default server, and specify it that way.

Dave Woodruff

Last modified: Feb 13, 2006