Meet Mozilla Thunderbird - a convenient free email client.

To view account options, select Edit Tools > Account Settings in the Thunderbird menu or click the menu button and select SettingsPreferences And Account Settings from the submenu, then select Server settings for an account from the list on the left. The connection to the incoming mail server is configured at the top right of the page.

Your email service provider can give you information about connecting to their servers (probably on their website). Make sure your account settings match this information.

Are you suddenly unable to receive mail? Has this worked before?

Check the service status of your Internet provider. (Many providers have a status or alert page on their website.) He may have technical problems.

If your ISP provides a web-based email interface, try logging in and viewing your email. If you are seeing your messages, the problem is likely related to your account configuration.

If you recently updated Thunderbird, the firewall component of your Internet security suite may be blocking the new version of Thunderbird from accessing the Internet. When this happens, IMAP folders may also disappear. describes some basic information about antivirus products and their known incorrect interactions with Thunderbird.
Remove Thunderbird from your firewall's list of trusted or recognized programs, then add it manually (or when prompted). Otherwise, refer to the documentation for your security/firewall/antivirus package for instructions on how to change the firewall component of that product.

If you recently updated Thunderbird to version 38, check to see if you were affected

How do you like to view your email? Many people use a web browser out of habit, without thinking about whether they need an alternative, but some remain faithful to the good old email programs because they know a lot about them.

is a free application for working with email correspondence and newsgroups from the creator of the Firefox web browser. According to the developers, it combines the best qualities of various email clients, including the “classics of the genre” Microsoft Outlook and The Bat. I propose to get to know it better to understand whether it is worth attention or just one of many.

Why is an email client better than a browser?

Several reasons to install a separate program for working with mail or use it together with a browser:

Access to correspondence in the client program does not depend on the stability of the Internet connection.
Using the program reduces the consumption of web traffic, since it downloads only letters, and the browser downloads page design elements and advertising.
The application interface can be configured according to your needs. Web services have very limited functions.
The programs have better developed functions for searching and filtering messages.
Client programs contain more useful tools than any web service.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of Mozilla Thunderbird

Strengths

Built-in account setup wizard. The user can afford not to know what SSL, TLS, SMTP, IMAP, POP3 are and how to configure them correctly - the program will do it for him. It is enough to remember your email address and password for the mailbox.
Opening folders and emails in tabs is similar to opening web pages in a browser. This means that to work with one message you do not have to close everything else.
Unlimited number of connected mailboxes.
Convenient sorting of letters: you can use both general and individual catalogs for correspondence between different accounts. And also - configure the display of the same letters in different folders (although physically they will be in the same one).
Reminder function to attach an attachment to a letter if you mentioned it in the message.
Support for skins and extensions that are installed without leaving the application.
Russian-language interface.
Built-in antispam filter, calendar and task scheduler.
Phishing protection – a warning when you go to sites whose address differs from the one specified in the letter.
Accelerated filtering: you just started typing a word in the search bar, and the application is already producing results.

And what users don't like too much

Message headers are not always displayed correctly.
Tabs cannot be dragged back and forth with the mouse.
The attachment reminder function does not always work (it’s just that the word “attachment” is taken into account only in the nominative case).

First launch and setup

Installing Mozilla Thunderbird is nothing special. When you turn it on for the first time (immediately after installation), the account setup wizard starts and offers a choice of:

Connect an existing one.
Put it aside for later.

Let's look at how it works using the example of connecting an existing account, because you probably already have at least one.

In the window " Welcome to Thunderbird» check « Skip(create a new account) and use my existing email».

Enter your mailbox address and password. Click " Continue».

After entering, click " Ready».

If desired, change the mailbox settings: click " Tincture by hand"and specify the required servers, ports, protocols, authentication methods and the rest that is shown below. If you do not know the purpose of these parameters, leave everything as is.

This will complete the wizard’s work, and you will find yourself in the main program window. By the way, it is very reminiscent of the Firefox browser window. On the left is the folder panel. In the frame below is a context menu opened by clicking on this panel. At the very top is a tab bar (like in a browser). Below it are functional buttons, the purpose of most of which, I think, is clear. In the main part of the window there is a menu for quick access to the main functions.

Two icons surrounded by a frame on the right open the calendar and task scheduler:

Behind the button in the form of three stripes is the main menu of Mozilla Thunderbird. I think the bulk of the tools collected here are easy to understand without explanation. Among other things, it contains a button to go to the add-on installation section. We should get to know him better.

Those who have at least once installed plugins and extensions in the browser will not have to explain for a long time how to install them in Thunderbird: this is done in exactly the same way as in Mozilla Firefox. By default, the program has one single extension – Lightning (Calendar). If you want to install anything else, click " Get add-ons", select what you like and click " Add to Thunderbird».

And below I showed how the function “ Quick filter" As soon as I started typing the word “coupon”, 3 messages were immediately found where this word was mentioned in the topic title.

General impression of the program

Using the Mozilla Thunderbird email client turned out to be convenient and easy. Loading incoming emails took just a few minutes. Create and send a new message (button " Create") also went without incident, however, the address book had to be imported from M$ Outlook manually, since the program did not want to do it itself. And this was the only thing that prevented me from starting work right away. In general, the application takes almost no time to master, which is good news.

In my immodest opinion, the product meets the expectations of users - both experienced and beginners, and also ranks far from last among its competitors. Try it, I hope you like it too.

Also on the site:

Meet: Mozilla Thunderbird - a convenient free email client updated: May 4, 2016 by: Johnny Mnemonic

Mozilla Thunderbird is one of the most popular solutions for working with email correspondence.

The main income of open source products is advertising, which is also found in Mozilla Thunderbird.

Advice! In the next settings item, we will be asked to create an account on the gandi.net service. This is not the most convenient service, and it does not have a Russian-language interface, so we select the “Skip this and use my existing mail” option.

In the next window, we will need to indicate the address and password of an account already registered on any service, as well as enter a name that will be automatically attached as a signature to your letters (this function can be disabled in the future).

For most popular e-mail services, Mozilla Thunderbird will automatically select the necessary settings; you just have to choose between the IMAP and POP3 message forwarding protocols.
The difference between them is that when using POP3, copies of emails are stored on your hard drive, which allows you to use the client even when there is no Internet, but this can take up a significant amount of your computer's memory.
Since Wi-Fi and high-speed Internet are now widespread, it would be more advisable to use IMAP.

This completes the basic settings. All you have to do is wait a few minutes for the program to download all messages from the server.

Managing anti-spam filter and anti-phishing protection

On the modern Internet there is a large amount of annoying advertising and a variety of malware, so the Mozilla Thunderbird email client has built-in protection against spam and viruses, which can be activated as follows:

Click on the control icon (three bars in the right corner of the program control panel), select “Settings”, and then go to the protection tab.

In the anti-spam tab, you can specify what to do with advertising messages (delete or move them to the Spam folder), automatically mark them as read, and also activate the built-in adaptive filter, which will recognize advertising mailings and place them in the spam list .
The “Fraudulent emails” section makes it possible to activate a function that notifies the user that the sent message may be phishing.

And the “Working with Antivirus” tab will allow you to give your antivirus program access to scan emails, which will provide you with an increased level of protection.

Mozilla Thunderbird is a free multi-platform email client that allows users to exchange emails with friends, family and work colleagues. Thanks to its wide functionality, this program can be used both at home and at work, and thanks to special extensions and add-ons, it can be easily customized to suit your own requirements. Let's figure out how to use Thunderbird and what functionality the client offers us immediately after installation.

Thunderbird is part of the standard set of programs in most modern Linux distributions, so most often does not need to be installed. If you don’t have this program by default, then you need to open a terminal and enter in the line:

sudo apt-get install thunderbird

After this, confirm the installation of the program and wait until all procedures are completed. Stable versions are always available in the basic Linux repositories, so no additional resources are required. Thunderbird can also be installed through the application center (Ubuntu, Mint and other distributions aimed at the average user).

Since Thunderbird is available on all modern operating systems, the email client can be installed on Windows and even Mac OS. To do this, just follow the link https://www.mozilla.org/ru/thunderbird and download the appropriate installer. The official website will automatically detect your OS and select the most optimal version. The subsequent setup process looks exactly the same as in Linux.

Program interface

Externally, Thunderbird looks like most similar programs. By default, the left side of the window contains all your mail folders, and on the right are message previews, links to RSS feeds, news groups, and much more. The menu bar contains links to the most popular user actions, such as receiving mail, filter, address book, chat and tag filter.

All these elements can be edited and changed based on your own preferences. Just right-click and select “Configure” from the context menu.

How to set up Thunderbird

Setting up Thunderbird is one of the most important steps. The program contains many functions that may be difficult to understand at first, so after the first launch we are greeted by a special wizard. At this stage, you can both register a new mailbox and use an existing one.

After clicking on the appropriate button, setting up mail in Thunderbird will begin. Here you just need to enter your e-mail, name, which will be displayed on the left side of the window, and password.

After entering the data, Thunderbird will check your credentials and, if possible, adjust the necessary settings for connecting to the mail service. Here the user can choose which protocol to use - IMAP or POP3. The first one provides remote access to letters on the server, the second one will download all letters to a PC.

When using corporate mail or a little-known service provider, you will need to enter the parameters for sending/receiving messages yourself using the “Manual Configuration” button. As soon as the data is entered, the program will automatically check the configuration and you can get started right away.

If you use several accounts, then click the menu button in the upper right part of the window, go to “Settings - Account Settings” and in the lower left part of the window select “Add account”

After this, carry out the setup according to the same scheme as before.

Synchronizing emails

Initially, Thunderbird downloads all letters and folders that are on your mail server, but later the user can independently choose which folders need to be synchronized. To do this, click on the account name on the left side of the window and open its settings.

Go to the Sync & Storage category and then choose the settings that suit you best. In the "Advanced" menu, you can mark specific folders for your account, messages from which will be sent to your computer.

When finished, click the “Ok” button, and to ensure that all subfolders are displayed correctly, restart the client. The Thunderbird mail setup can be considered complete at this stage.

Searching for messages in folders

Searching in Thunderbird can be done using both the quick input line and the quick filter. To find the desired contact or message, just start typing the word in the appropriate field.

The search system in Mozilla Thunderbird is clear and accessible even to users who have not previously worked with the program.

Creating mail messages

There are several ways to write a message in Thunderbird:

click the “Create” button in the main program window, and then enter all the necessary recipient data;
right-click on the address of the desired contact and select “Send” from the context menu.

The message creation window is a simple editor with basic capabilities. The user can attach files to the letter, select the size, color and type of font, and also add emoticons to the letter.

It is worth paying attention to several recipient input fields - here you can select several recipients at once, as well as add hidden copies that will be sent to individual mailboxes.

Working with contacts

Using Thunderbird is made easy by its extensive address book. To add a new contact, you need to click on the name of the sender/recipient with the left mouse button and select the appropriate item.

If you have not previously sent or received messages to a particular recipient, you can add it manually through the “Address Book - Create” menu. The contact card contains all the necessary information, and if necessary, it can even be supplemented with a photograph.

Expanding the capabilities of Thunderbird with add-ons

Working with Thunderbird is made easier by the ability to modify the program to suit your own needs. To do this, the developers have created a whole add-on center, where users can find all the most useful extensions, from design themes to almost separate programs.

You can find the update center by clicking on the “Menu - Add-ons” button. The most popular plugins will immediately appear in front of you, and if necessary, you can open the full version of the site, where everything is divided into categories.

Good day, dear readers and other individuals.

I thought and thought and suddenly realized that by some unknown miracle I had bypassed the mail topic. No, of course, I wrote briefly about , mentioned about , and on Twitter I talked a little about my love for , but from a programmatic point of view, I forgot to devote time to any particular email client. Strange. I'm correcting myself :)

As you already understood, today we will talk about mail, or more precisely about a program that allows you to receive, store, sort this mail and generally do a variety of indecent things with it. Many of you will certainly be surprised, they say, why do we need a program if in the modern world everything has long been integrated at the browser level - take it, go in and use it.

However, as an old-school person (my email started back in Windows 2000) and just a professional, I believe that email clients have a number of advantages over browser-based solutions. I will tell you about them (advantages) (and even show you a little), and also, in fact, I will teach you how to install, configure and powerfully use such a wonderful email client as Thunderbird.

Advantages of local mail over browser mail

Before we begin, as promised, I will first talk about what I see as the advantages of local, so to speak, software mail from the one that lives in the browser.

Firstly, this is support for several mailboxes at once and in different services. I don’t know how it is for anyone, but I have more than ten email"s that live on a bunch of different domains: @ gmail, @mail, @yandex, @website etc. Naturally, running from box to box in the browser, even if I have direct bookmarks made on them, will still be torturous: while you log in, while you check everything new, while you reply... It’s long and tedious.

Next, of course, is functionality. Whatever one may say, the mail that lives “on the other side” will always be far from the locally installed program. The point is that the same Thunderbird, as well as Firefox, contains a bunch of plugins without which, personally, I can’t imagine working with mail at all. There is mail markup, quick replies (with one click on the keyboard) using pre-prepared templates, normal linking to an organizing calendar, a full-fledged address book with the ability to independently fill it in with various information and notes (as well as clear export), and amazing (in terms of quality, clarity and convenience) search for messages, and clear support RSS, and all sorts of external amenities like design styles, fonts, buttons, etc., etc.

In general, there is a lot of stuff that mail sent to the server side (i.e., to the browser) still needs to grow and grow. By the way, a complete selection, from me, of powerful plugins for Thunderbird it will be, but later, and will be released either as a separate article or in several (ala the way they are released for Firefox).

@mail
Connection security: STARTTLS
Port (for POP): 110

@gmail And @yandex
Connection security: SSL/TLS
Port (for POP): 995
Authentication method: Normal password

When finished, you can press the button " Retest"..

AND " Create an account"(after testing is completed). The wizard will check the password and, if everything is correct, create an account, after which we will see something like this:

Now let's configure where our mail will be stored on the disk.

Mail file storage location

It is better not to leave the initially proposed path, because it is buried somewhere in the depths of the system and, in case of problems with it, it will not always be possible to find and restore the folder later, and therefore it would be good to designate your own, which is what we will do now.

On the "tab" Local folders"press the button" Review" and set the folder we created, say, with the name _mail somewhere on the disk. Having done this, click on " OK".

Of course, you can set up various rules for this very sorting (the default is “by date”, but there are also a variety of options, for example: “by sender”, “by topic”, etc., which, I think, you have already seen on screenshot before last).

Message filters in Thunderbird

We've sorted out the visual sorting. Let's look at filters and try to create some of them.

Let's say that we receive a huge number of emails with a mention in the subject line of a certain website " Notes from Sys.Admin"and we want all these letters to be placed in a folder we created in advance @from_site(the folder is created by right-clicking on, say, the “Inbox” item). To do this, go to " Menu - Message filters".

Here we select from the drop-down list the box for which filters will be applied, and then click on the button " Create".

In the window that appears, fill in the appropriate fields, namely:

Filter name: enter something that will let you know what the filter is
Topic content t: in this example I enter " Notes from Sys.Admin"
In the field, move the message to: Select the folder we created from the drop-down list. In my case it's @from_site

Done, press the button " OK". You can immediately check the operation of the filter by selecting for the field " Run selected filters in a folder"the folder where we want to apply the created filter (in this case it is "Inbox") and click on the button" Launch".

If everything was done correctly, then all mail will be sorted in accordance with the rule you specified.
Naturally, as in the case of sorting, you can create filters of very different directions and variations, and you can configure filtering according to several rules at once, for which you use the “+” button in the list and set a new rule.

Over time, when you set up all the filters you need, you will be terribly pleased with how significantly your comfort when working with mail has increased.

Afterword

That's how things are.

It turned out quite voluminous, but this is not the end :) Especially for Thunderbird, as under Firefox, there are various useful extensions designed to make your life more convenient, but we’ll talk about them next time.

Stay with the project and you will learn a lot of new and useful things;)

As always, if you have any questions, additions, thoughts, thanks, etc., I will be glad to hear them in the comments to this post.