'''[http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/ Mozilla Thunderbird]''' is a cross-platform e-mail, Usenet, and RSS reader from Mozilla. It supports both POP and IMAP, and can be used with Virginia Tech's e-mail service. The following steps outline how to set up a use Thunderbird with Virginia Tech 's e-mail account with services. Thunderbird 3 is the latest version, and is far easier to set up. However version 2 is still in wide use so Thunderbird 2is covered as well. The last steps about SSL  ''Note that the following screenshots are from an Ubuntu machine, however they are essential still applicable to sending mail from off-campus with some [[Internet service providers]] such as Verizonmost other operating systems, including Windows and Mac OS X. The largest difference in the illustrations is that the Account Settings dialog box is located in the Tools menu in the Windows and Mac OS X versions rather than in the Edit menu.''

=== Thunderbird 3 ===Version 3 attempts to set up your account automatically with as little input needed from the user as possible. Even so, the outgoing (SMTP) server will not be detected correctly due to the unconventional address CNS uses for it, so it will need to be entered in manually. Fortunately this can be done without having to go through extra steps. If you have no existing accounts, Thunderbird will display the Mail Account Setup box. If not, navigate to <code>Edit/Tools > Account Settings...</code>, click <code>Account Actions</code>, and click <code>Add Mail account...</code> from the drop-down list. [[File:Thunderbird 3 - Mail Account Setup.png]] Enter what you want others to see in the <code>From:</code> line of messages when they receive mail from you in the <code>Your name</code> field. Your full name is recommended. Enter '''pid@vt.edu''' for the e-mail address, replacing '''pid''' with your Virginia Tech PID. Enter your password in the <code>Password</code> field. Click <code>Continue</code> to tell Thunderbird to try and find any possible mail servers on vt.edu. [[File:Thunderbird 3 - detection fail.png]] Thunderbird will find the IMAP server, and fail to find the outgoing SMTP server. If you want to use IMAP, you can leave this as it is. I you want the POP service instead, change '''imap.vt.edu''' to '''pop.vt.edu'''. Change the <code>Outgoing:</code> field to '''auth.smtp.vt.edu'''. The other settings will be corrected automatically, so they may be left as they are. [[File:Thunderbird 3 - corrections.png]] Click <code>Re-test Configuration</code>. Thunderbird will try again with the new settings, and will correctly configure the account. [[File:Thunderbird 3 - detection success.png]] Click <code>Create account</code> to finish. === Thunderbird 2 ======= Adding the account with the account wizard ====We will need to add the VT e-mail account using the account wizard. If you have no other accounts in Thunderbird, the account wizard should start up automatically. If not, go to the <code>Edit </code>/<code>Tools</code> menu, click on <code>Account Settings</code>, and click the <code>Add account... </code> button to make it appear. NOTE: In Windows this is in the Tools menu, and in Mac OS X is probably in the Thunderbird menu.

<code>Email account </code> should be automatically selected. If not, select it and click <code>Next</code>.

The <code>Name </code> field will list whatever you put here in the <code>From: </code> line of those who receive e-mail from you using Thunderbird. You should probably go ahead and enter Entering your full name hereis recommended. Enter <code>'''pid@vt.edu</code> ''' for the e-mail address, replacing '''pid ''' with your Virginia Tech PID. Then click <code>Next</code>.

Be sure the <code>POP </code> button is selected, enter <code>'''pop.vt.edu</code> ''' for the incoming server, and then enter '''auth.smtp.vt.edu ''' for the outgoing server. If you want to leave your messages on the server and use IMAP instead, click the <code>IMAP </code> button and enter '''imap.vt.edu ''' for the incoming server. Note that if you have accounts in Thunderbird already, the software will default to the outgoing server of one of your previous accounts. We This will need to fix this be fixed later if that is the case. Click <code>Next</code>.

Make sure your PID is entered in both fields and click <code>Next</code>. If there are previous accounts, only the first field will appear.

The Knowledge Base says to call your account '''VT Mail''', but you can really call it anything you want. Thunderbird defaults to the e-mail address. Change it if you want and click <code>Next</code>.

Make sure to uncheck the <code>Download messages now </code> box, since we will need to make some extra changes need to be made before we can connectconnecting. If you chose the IMAP optionwas chosen, or if you have an account has been set up an account before, the box will be absent. Click <code>Finish</code>.

==== Enabling SSL ====Sadly Thunderbird does not ask in the wizard if your the mail server uses SSL, and assumes that it does not. However, the VT mail server doesuse SSL, so we this will need to enable this be enabled before we messages can connect to itbe downloaded. While it is not absolutely necessary to setup set up SSL SMTP (outgoing mail) if you will mail is only ever send mail sent from on-campus, setting it up is recommended.

Get to the <code>Account Settings dialog </code> box.

Click <code>Server Settings </code> on the left, and click on the <code>SSL </code> button to the right.

Now click on <code>Outgoing Server (SMTP) </code> on the left, find '''auth.smtp.vt.edu ''' in the list, click on it and click the <code>Edit... </code> button. If you had to skip entering it in when you made the account, click <code>Add... </code> and enter it in now. In any case make sure that the <code>SSL </code> button is selected, <code>Use name and password </code> is checked, and your PID is in the <code>User Name </code> field. You may optionally enter in a description if you wish. Click <code>OK </code> when you're done.

If you added the outgoing server in the wizard, you can go ahead and click <code>OK </code> in the Account Settings dialog box. If you had to add the outgoing server here, go back to your account by clicking on the account name on the left and selecting the '''auth.smtp.vt.edu ''' option from the drop-down list. Then click <code>OK</code>.

Now click the <code>Get Mail </code> button in the toolbar, enter your PID password when asked, and wait for the mailbox to fill upThunderbird will download your mail..