Introduction

A new email system has been installed on Seneca's Learn server.  The installation of this software has changed the way in which you can access electronic mail on Learn.  Below are frequently asked questions which will help you understand IMAP, how to get the client software and how to configure it so that you can use the IMAP protocol to retrieve your email.

The old Learn email system consisted of the standard Unix Sendmail and Pine as an email client.  Pine allowed you to access your email while connected to Learn through a Telnet session.  Although this interface was sufficient at the time,  newer protocols improved on Sendmail and email clients.

IMAP is one of the newer email transport protocols.  The old Learn email system consisted of the standard Unix Sendmail and Pine as an email client.  The new mail system supports Unix Sendmail but more importantly, it supports IMAP, which is the preferred mail delivery method.

IMAP stands for Internet Message Access Protocol. IMAP allows users to read and manage e-mail via a program called an IMAP mail client. We've set up Netscape's Communicator 4.0 software in all the labs which includes an updated web browser called Navigator, a web page editor called Composer, a News client for accessing various newsgroups and an IMAP client. Netscape's IMAP mail client, called Messenger, enables you to create rich HTML mail messages because you use Composer to create your mail.  Composer allows you to  include various fonts and font sizes, graphics and even links to other web pages in your email messages.  The client also allows you to save, open and view file attachments such as a word processor document or a spreadsheet, and print messages to your local printer.

IMAP is suitable for users who need to access their e-mail from a variety of locations such as home, campus, and elsewhere. By centralizing storage and access, users, such as students in a lab environment, will not need to be concerned about having mail scattered among different computers. Unlike the older POP3 protocol which downloaded all of your email,  IMAP stores your email on a central server and only downloads email headers.  It only retrieves email messages when you ask.  Email folders are also stored on the server and never brought down to your client unless requested.

We recommend that you start to use Netscape's IMAP client to access your email here at Seneca.   If you have a computer at home, you can also install Communicator and access your email from home.  Installation and configuration information for home computers is noted below.

For this Fall, 1997 semester,  we suggest that ICA001 users refrain from using IMAP due to the subject content.  Pine is taught in class so it's better to use Pine for the time being.  ICA001 will update it's subject curriculum to include Netscape Communicator's email client in future semesters.  It may be possible to use Netscape Messenger, but you will need to have approval from an ICA technician.

All accounts are still set up to retrieve new mail using Pine on Learn.  This will not change unless you request to change to IMAP mail delivery.  If you do elect to go with IMAP mail then you will NOT receive any new email through Pine.  New mail will go to your IMAP mailbox for you to read.

The Pine mailbox and any folders are NOT compatible with the IMAP server.  Therefore, if you wish to use Netscape Messenger in the labs or at home to access your previous mail, you will have to forward any of your email back to your account so that it is picked up by the IMAP server.  You can not forward email until you complete the instructions below.  Forwarding will be discussed later.

If you have a computer at home,  you'll also have to install Netscape Communicator and configure it for IMAP.  The Pine email client on Learn will still be available to you to access your old email so that you can remove and or forward any email from your previous Pine mailbox to your new IMAP mailbox.
 

The answer is ... Not really.  The old POP server used to use the Pine mailbox and  folders.  This allowed you to use POP at home and use Pine here at school.  This seemed to be okay but there were problems synchronizing email messages.  Depending upon how your POP client was set, you either got all your email at home and removed it from your Pine mailbox or you got the email at home and left the Pine mailbox alone.

The new IMAP server supports two modes.  It emulates a Unix mail server which is what Pine uses and it's a POP3/IMAP server which is what Netscape's integrated email clients use.  You must switch to POP3/IMAP for mail delivery before you can access your email through a POP client.  The new mail server does support POP as an email protocol but it's basically there for older versions of Netscape which do not have the integrated IMAP client.  It's basically an enhanced replacement for POP, so there's no need to use it. IMAP is superior and is recommended.

First off, you'll have to get a copy of Netscape Communicator 4.0 or above.  This version has the integrated IMAP client.  Older versions have the POP client and will not work with IMAP.  See "How do I get and configure Communicator for home use?" for more information.

Once it's configured, start up Netscape Communicator.  See "Communicator is running, now what?"  to continue.

Start up Netscape Communicator.  When you start Communicator in a lab, you'll notice that it asks for your Learn "user code" and "password".  This is an authentication screen that will set Netscape's preferences for mail automatically.  You won't need to configure Communicator with your settings each time.

Once Communicator is running, you can use IMAP by clicking on "Communicator" on the menu bar and selecting "Messenger Mailbox".  You can also go to the lower right corner of the Communicator's browser window and click on the  "Letter in Tray" icon (it's to the right of the "Navigator Steering wheel").  If you need to, click on the toolbar button "Get Msg" and enter your Learn user code and password to log into the IMAP server.  This will fire up an IMAP mail session.  If this is your first time, you'll see a single email message in you Inbox.  This message has the web location for the Seneca Student Intranet Account Manager site.  This site allows you to change your password, some information about yourself and most importantly, the mail delivery type.  The mail delivery option must be selected before your new mail can be accessed through IMAP.  Details are within that mail message.
 

Sit back, relax and wait for the mail to flow.  Any of your new mail will be sent to your IMAP mailbox and can be retrieved by Netscape Communicator.  Remember, you will not get any new mail in Pine but you can forward your previous email from the inbox or from folders.

Forwarding mail back to yourself is as simple as forwarding a message to a classmate.  You simply forward the message to your current email address.  If you have folders, you'll need to go into them and forward any mail that you wish.

Because the mail server knows that you're now an IMAP mail user, it takes the old message and puts it into your new IMAP mailbox.  It will NOT put anything in your Pine mailbox again, even though it was originally sent to you and you received it in Pine.

Note: Once you've forwarded any email that you need to forward, please remove all of your folders and clear out your Pine mailbox.  It's taking up valuable resources which can be better utilized.

You can use any IMAP client that you wish.  It does not matter to the server.  If you use Netscape Communicator as an email client at home, it will just make it easier for you at Seneca because you'll be used to the familiar interface.  You can, however, use any IMAP client that you wish.

Students are licensed to use Netscape Communicator for free for home use.  If you use Seneca's PPP lines, your time limit will not allow you to download  the full release.  If you have your own Internet Service Provider (ISP) then you'll be able to download it with no problems.

There are two ways to get Netscape Communicator.
1. Go to the Netscape Client Download Site and download the latest copy of Netscape Communicator.
2. If you have a CD-ROM drive, go down to the Microcenter in the Newnham Campus annex.  They can sell you a CD-ROM disk with a copy of Netscape Communicator.  This service will be available shortly.
 To install and configure Netscape Communicator, you can read this README.TXT file.  This file is located on the CD-ROM disk for you to read as you install this software.

If you have any questions about configuration or installation, please call the help desk