A User's Guide to Ximian Evolution 1.4
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The First Time you Start Ximian Evolution

To start Ximian Evolution, do either of the following:

Select Programs->Evolution from your menu panel.
Type evolution at the command line.

Command Line Options

	Command Line Options
	Evolution has a number of command-line options that you may wish to make use of. You can find the full list by running the commands `man evolution` or `evolution --help`. The most important ones are: To start Evolution in offline mode: `evolution --offline` To start Evolution and begin composing a message to the email address you name: `evolution mailto:joe@somewhere.net` To make your web browser use Evolution as the default email client, enter `evolution "%s"` as the email handler in your web browser or in the GNOME Control Center.

Evolution has a number of command-line options that you may wish to make use of. You can find the full list by running the commands man evolution or evolution --help. The most important ones are:

To start Evolution in offline mode: evolution --offline
To start Evolution and begin composing a message to the email address you name: evolution mailto:joe@somewhere.net
To make your web browser use Evolution as the default email client, enter evolution "%s" as the email handler in your web browser or in the GNOME Control Center.

The first time you run the program, it will create a directory called evolution in your home directory, where it will store all of its local data. Then, it will open a first-run assistant to help you set up mail accounts and import data from other applications.

Using the first-run assistant will take approximately two to five minutes.

Defining Your Identity

The Identity window is the first step in the assistant. Here, you will enter some basic personal information. You can define multiple identities later on with the Tools->Settings tool and clicking the Mail Accounts button.

Full Name: Your full name (Example: John Doe).
Email Address: Your email address (Example: john@doe.com)
Reply-To: If you want to have replies sent to another email address, enter it here (optional).
Organization: The company where you work, or the organization you represent when you send email (optional).

Receiving Email

The Receiving Email lets you determine which you will get your email.

Server Type: There are numerous types of servers from which Ximian Evolution can fetch your mail. Ask your system administrator if you're not sure which of the following are available to you:
- POP: Downloads your email to your hard disk for permanent storage.
- Microsoft Exchange: Available only if you have purchased the Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange, this will allow you to connect to a Microsoft Exchange 2000 server, which stores email, calendar, and contact information on the server.
- IMAP: Keeps the email on your server so you can access your email from multiple systems.
- Standard Unix mbox spool or directory: If you want to read and store mail in the mail spool on your local system, choose this option. You'll need to provide the path to the mail spool you want to use.
- Maildir format mail directories: If you download your mail using qmail or another maildir-style program, you'll want to use this option. You'll need to provide the path to the mail directory you want to use.
- MH format mail directories: If you download your mail using mh or another MH-style program, you'll want to use this option. You'll need to provide the path to the mail directory you want to use.
- Local Delivery: Choose this option if you want to move mail from the spool and store it in your home directory. If you would rather leave mail in your system's spool files, choose the Standard Unix mbox spools option instead. You'll need to provide the path to the mail spool you want to use.
- None: Select this if you do not plan to check mail with this account.

If you selected POP, Microsoft Exchange, or IMAP as your mail server, you'll need to enter some more information:

The host name of your mail server. Ask your system administrator if you're not sure.
The username for the account on that system.
Whether you want to use a secure (SSL) connection. If your server supports it, it's best to enable this security option.
The authentication options supported by your server. If you're not sure, click the Check for supported types button or ask your system administrator.
Whether you'd like Evolution to remember your password.

	Ximian Evolution Talk to Microsoft Exchange?
	If you have purchased Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange, you can access Microsoft Exchange 2000 servers natively. If you do not have the Connector, or if you use an older version of Microsoft Exchange, talk to your system administrator about access to standard protocol services like POP and IMAP.

More Mail Configuration Options

There are more extensive options for mail preferences, especially if you've chosen POP, Microsoft Exchange, or IMAP as incoming mail server type. If you want to set these options after you've created the account, you can select Tools->Configure , click the Mail Accounts button. Then, select the account you want to change and click Edit. See the Section called Mail Options in the chapter called Advanced Configuration for details.

If you chose POP mail:

Checking for new mail: If you would like Evolution to check for new mail automatically, check the box and select a frequency in minutes.
Message Storage: If you'd like to store copies of your mail on the server, check this option.

If you chose Microsoft Exchange:

Checking for new mail: If you would like Evolution to check for new mail automatically, check the box and select a frequency in minutes.
Global Address List/Active Directory: Enter the name of your global catalog server here. You may also choose to limit the server's responses and select a maximum number of results for an address search. A maximum number of results limits the load on your system and on your network.
Mailbox Name: If your active directory user name is different from your Exchange mailbox name, enter the mailbox name here.
Outlook Web Access (OWA) Path: In most cases, the URL for web access is "http://server.company.com/exchange." If your system has a path that is not "exchange," enter the appropriate value here.
Public Folder Server: Enter the name of your organization's public folder server, if any, here.
Apply filters to new messages in Inbox on this server: Check this box to use filters when you visit the Inbox for this account.

If you chose IMAP:

Checking for new mail: If you would like Evolution to check for new mail automatically, check the box and select a frequency in minutes.
If you want Evolution to check for new messages in all your IMAP folders, make sure the Check for new messages in all folders box is selected.
Show only subscribed folders: Check this box if you have more folders in your IMAP view than you want to read.
Override server-supplied namespace: If you like, enter a specific directory where your server stores mail for you. Typical values are "mail" and "Mail." For more information about how to use IMAP mail, see the Section called Subscription Management in the chapter called Using Evolution for Email.
Apply filters to new messages in INBOX on this server: If you'd like your filters to work on this account as well as on locally downloaded mail, check this box.

	What's an IMAP Namespace?
	For IMAP mail servers, your sysadmin may provide you with a specific namespace, the directory on where your server stores mail for you. If you check your IMAP mail and your folder list includes files that don't look like mail folders, you probably need to change your mail namespace. Typical values are "mail" and "Mail." If you prefer, you can choose to subscribe to individual mail folders one at a time. For more information about how to use IMAP mail, see the Section called Subscription Management in the chapter called Using Evolution for Email.

What's an IMAP Namespace?

For IMAP mail servers, your sysadmin may provide you with a specific namespace, the directory on where your server stores mail for you. If you check your IMAP mail and your folder list includes files that don't look like mail folders, you probably need to change your mail namespace. Typical values are "mail" and "Mail." If you prefer, you can choose to subscribe to individual mail folders one at a time. For more information about how to use IMAP mail, see the Section called Subscription Management in the chapter called Using Evolution for Email.

Sending Email

The Sending Email step lets you configure sending email.

Server Type: There are numerous server types that Ximian Evolution supports for sending your mail.
- SMTP: Sends mail directly from your system.
- Microsoft Exchange: Sends mail through a Microsoft Exchange server using the Microsoft Exchange 2000 protocol. Available only if you have are using the Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange. You must have a valid license key purchased from store.ximian.com.
- Sendmail: Uses the Sendmail program to send mail from your system. Sendmail is more flexible, but is not as easy to configure, so you should only select this option if you know how to set up a Sendmail service.

If you choose SMTP, there are a few additional items to enter:

Host: enter your mail sending server's name or IP address here.
Server requires authentication: If your server requires you to enter a password to send mail, check this box.
Authentication Type: Unless you've been told otherwise, your best bet is to leave this set at Password. If you're not sure, ask your system administrator or ISP, or have Ximian Evolution check for you by clicking Check for supported types.
Username: The account name you use when you login to check your email. Normally, this is the part of your email address before the '@' character. For Exchange servers, it is the username you would use to log in to a Windows workstation at your company.
Remember Password: If you prefer to not enter your password every time you check email, press this button.

Account Management

This is a very short section. You can pick two things: the name for the account, and whether it is the default account.

The name you choose for the account is used for display within Evolution, and is not sent with any emails. The suggested name is your email address, but you can use other words or phrases, like "Work," "Personal" or "First Account" if you like.

If you check the box next to the label Make this my default account, Evolution will assume that you will send messages from this most often, and will set the "From" selector to this account whenever you open a new message. Only one account can be the default.

If you have not done so already, you may also be asked to choose a time zone.

Importing Mail (Optional)

If Ximian Evolution finds mail or address files from another application, it will offer to import them. If you're not sure which file format your mail program uses, ask your system administrator. If you want, you can skip this step and return to it at a later time by selecting File->Import.

Ximian Evolution can import the following types of files:

VCard (.vcf, gcrd):: The addressbook format used by the GNOME, KDE, and many other contact management applications. You should be able to export to VCard format from any address book application.
Microsoft Outlook Express 4 (.mbx):: Email file format used by Microsoft Outlook Express 4. For other versions of Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, see the workaround described in the note below.
MBox (mbox):: The email box format used by Mozilla, Netscape, Ximian Evolution, Eudora, and many other email clients.

Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express Users

	Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express Users
	Microsoft Outlook, and versions of Outlook Express after version 4, use proprietary formats that `Ximian Evolution` cannot read or import. For contacts, you may have to email them to yourself and import them that way. For email, there is a simpler workaround: While using Windows, import the files into Mozilla Mail (or another mailer, such as Netscape or Eudora, that uses the standard mbox format). Copy the files to the system or partition you use for `Ximian Evolution`. Use the `Ximian Evolution` import tool to import the files. There's more information about why this works, and how, at the Ximian support website.

Microsoft Outlook, and versions of Outlook Express after version 4, use proprietary formats that Ximian Evolution cannot read or import. For contacts, you may have to email them to yourself and import them that way. For email, there is a simpler workaround:

While using Windows, import the files into Mozilla Mail (or another mailer, such as Netscape or Eudora, that uses the standard mbox format).
Copy the files to the system or partition you use for Ximian Evolution.
Use the Ximian Evolution import tool to import the files. There's more information about why this works, and how, at the Ximian support website.

	Netscape Users
	Before importing mail from Netscape, make sure you select File->Compact All Folders. If you don't, `Ximian Evolution` will import and undelete the messages in your Trash folders.

Exporting Files From Ximian Evolution

	Exporting Files From Ximian Evolution
	Ximian Evolution uses standard file types for all its information, so you should have no trouble taking your information elsewhere if you want. For mail, that's `mbox`, for calendar, `iCal`, and for the address book, vCards in a `.db3` database.

Ximian Evolution uses standard file types for all its information, so you should have no trouble taking your information elsewhere if you want.

For mail, that's mbox, for calendar, iCal, and for the address book, vCards in a .db3 database.

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