Evolution is the default mail client installed in Ubuntu. More than just an mail client, it’s a complete groupware tool that allows the user to manage contacts, tasks, notes and calendars. Evolution can be started in three different ways:

Click on the (envelope) icon in the top panel.

Go to Applications menu -> Internet -> Evolution Mail.

Executing the following command in a terminal window: evolution

 

G-MAIL SETTINGS AND EVOLUTION

Evolution must be setup to manage your Gmail account.

NOTE: Hotmail is very restrictive but Evolution has adapted itself and what used to be a puzzle, is now simple. Check out later for an article on setting a hotmail account with Evolution.

 

 

Pop Mail Settings in Gmail Account

First of all, a Gmail account must be set in order to receive emails in Evolution.

To do this:

1. Log into the Gmail account and load the inbox.

2. Click on the “Settings”, right in the inbox.

3. Select “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” in the top bar

4. Under “POP Download”, there are three options:

Enable POP for all mail (even if already downloaded) -> this option will make Evolution download all the mail from the inbox or that is stored on the server.

Enable POP for mail that arrives from now -> most appropriate option, to receive new mail only.

Disable POP -> default option

Select any of the first two previous options

5. Choose between “keep a copy on server” or “deleted after download”

6. Click on “Save Changes”

 

 

 

Set Up Evolution To Receive G-Mail Messages

1. Evolution Welcome window opens, click Forward.

2. This program allows for restore from a file previously created with Evolution.

3. Enter name and email address to be used.

Check the box “Make this my default account (if available)” if desired.

The two spaces below can be left blank.

Click Forward.

 

4. Set incoming mail options, leaving them as follows:

Mail Type: POP

Server: pop.gmail.com: 995

User: username@gmail.com

Use secure connection: SSL

Authentication type: Password

Remember my password: Optional.

 

 

 

5. Receiving Options can be left as default, or can be modified for example, to not having to manually delete mail.

6. Configure outgoing mail as follows:

Server type: SMTP

Server Configuration / Server: smtp.gmail.com: 465

The server requires authentication: Check the box

Security: SSL

Authentication / Type: Plain

User: username@gmail.com

Remember password: Optional.

 

 

 

7. Enter the name to be used to identify the account.

 

8. Select  the time zone.

An Evolution account has been configured, now the user can start receiving mail and reply.

 

Evolution Components

 

There are four available areas when Evolution is open:

 

Zone 1: Folder tree showing distributed mail.

Zone 2: List of emails in a specific folder.

Zone 3: Displays the selected message from the list above.

Zone 4: There are a number of buttons that allow the user to change the operating mode of Evolution. Available modes are Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, Tasks:

Contacts to store information about user’s contacts. There are many types of data that can be associated with a particular contact, even a photo. Interestingly, if we set a date of birth, the Calendar component will show the contact’s birthday.

 

With Calendar, the user can schedule meetings and events that it needs to be aware of. It can be set to notify the proximity of an event. Data from online calendars like Google Calendar can be imported.

 

Notes are a kind of digital Post-It. All kind of information we collect can become calendar events. They are also fine for quick notes of things that the user is dealing with.

 

Tasks: When the user has pending things to do, the best option is to point them in this component to avoid forgetting. At any time, status of a task can be checked.

 

The calendar system is integrated with Evolution, so that it shows Tasks and Quotes of the day we select.

 

Activating Spam Detection In Evolution

 

Evolution detects spam. In fact, the folder tree contains a folder with an icon that looks like a crumpled piece of paper. The spamassassin package must be installed, it’s the filter that Evolution uses to decide if a message is spam or not.

 

Installation:

sudo aptitude install spamassassin

 

After installing the package, it must be configured to run in daemon mode. To do this, edit the file /etc/default /spamassassin as root. Issue the following command in a terminal:

 

sudo gedit /etc/default/spamassassin

 

And the line that says:

 

# Change to one to enable spamd

ENABLED = 0

 

Has to be changed to:

 

# Change to one to enable spamd

ENABLED = 1

 

Now start the daemon with the following command:

sudo /etc/init.d/spamassassin start

From now on the process will run when the computer starts. Evolution must be restarted if it was running.