Can't download emails to thunderbird

[#1]

@Townman 

There is an anomaly using curl with a password with a $ in it, the character following the $ gets removed

With a password  of sunnyday$12 would become sunnyday2

I found this issue wilt both microsoft and Debian versions of curl

Hope that makes sense

[#2]

I've now TWICE posted the smtp curl command output but it doesn't seem to appear here.  Is there something 'special' I need to do when posting stuff like that?  The POP3 curl commands came through OK.

[#3]

Not particularly ... there must be something therein triggering the spam filter.  Try pasting as a code sample...

[#4]

OK I give up.  When I say Post on the smtp curl output I can see the post.  I don't know if anyone else can but then when I return the post has disappeared.

[#5]

Here's an attempt at postin the IMAP curl output:

curl -v imaps://imap.free-online.net -u ???:???
* Rebuilt URL to: imaps://imap.free-online.net/
*   Trying 217.46.26.35...
* TCP_NODELAY set
* Connected to imap.free-online.net (217.46.26.35) port 993 (#0)
* successfully set certificate verify locations:
*   CAfile: /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt
  CApath: /etc/ssl/certs
* TLSv1.3 (OUT), TLS handshake, Client hello (1):
* TLSv1.3 (IN), TLS handshake, Server hello (2):
* TLSv1.2 (IN), TLS handshake, Certificate (11):
* TLSv1.2 (IN), TLS handshake, Server finished (14):
* TLSv1.2 (OUT), TLS handshake, Client key exchange (16):
* TLSv1.2 (OUT), TLS change cipher, Client hello (1):
* TLSv1.2 (OUT), TLS handshake, Finished (20):
* TLSv1.2 (IN), TLS handshake, Finished (20):
* SSL connection using TLSv1.2 / AES256-GCM-SHA384
* Server certificate:
*  subject: jurisdictionC=GB; businessCategory=Private Organization; serialNumber=03279013; C=GB; L=Sheffield; O=Plusnet plc; CN=mail.plus.net
*  start date: Aug 19 00:00:00 2024 GMT
*  expire date: Aug 18 23:59:59 2025 GMT
*  subjectAltName: host "imap.free-online.net" matched cert's "imap.free-online.net"
*  issuer: C=US; O=DigiCert Inc; CN=GeoTrust EV RSA CA G2
*  SSL certificate verify ok.
< * OK [CAPABILITY IMAP4 IMAP4REV1] perdition ready on mail.free-online.net 0002a2ad
> A001 CAPABILITY
< * CAPABILITY IMAP4 IMAP4REV1
< A001 OK CAPABILITY
> A002 LOGIN nexar suirax
< A002 OK LOGIN Ok.
> A003 LIST "" *
< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "INBOX.Spam"
* LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "INBOX.Spam"
< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "INBOX.Drafts"
* LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "INBOX.Drafts"
< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "INBOX.Trash"
* LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "INBOX.Trash"
< * LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "INBOX.Sent"
* LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." "INBOX.Sent"
< * LIST (\Marked \HasChildren) "." "INBOX"
* LIST (\Marked \HasChildren) "." "INBOX"
< A003 OK LIST completed
* Connection #0 to host imap.free-online.net left intact
purvez@127:~$ 

[#6]

Oh well it looks like the IMAP one stayed.

[#7]

So the conclusion is that the cURL diagnostics work for IMAP and SMTP but not for POP3 on your platform / for your account.

We can therefore probably rule out any issue with special characters in the account's password (though you have not indicated if your password uses any of the known to be nasty ones (&, $ and possibly \ and /).

I thing this needs deeper diagnostics from core Plusnet support.  I'll see if I can get more engagement via escalation.

[#8]

@Purvez 

I have just done a refresh on your mail component, could you try configuring the client again and let us know if this made any difference?

Thanks,

Lex

[#9]

@Purvez 

Seeking answers ... my tests looking like this...

> PASS ?????
< +OK logged in.
> LIST
< +OK POP3 clients that break here, they violate STD53.
1 1526
2 27126
3 2207
4 5122
5 2242

Yours look like this...

> PASS ????
< -ERR failed: Connection Negotiation Failure
* Access denied. -
* Closing connection 0

I have done some digging on the STD53 flag and discovered that it relates to the possibility of questionable expectations of the POP3 client in response to the LIST command and the +OK response.  Without going into the full details old clients expect something which need not be there and sulk if it is not.

I note that your tests do not affirm login success and it is unclear what is the nature of the negotiation failure.  That is staring to look as bad a a generic email client "password" failure.

You have not mentioned which special characters you are using in the password - there could be merit in changing the password if the email component reset makes no difference.

[#10]

Sorry I had to step away.  I tried downloading again after the reset but no difference.

My password is a simple set of characters.

[#11]

For the time being (at least) can you function with an IMAP client?

[#12]

@Townman 

Having a free-online account, is there any testing I can do for you? I run a Oracle Vbox server and could create a ubuntu 18.04 guest build if required

[#13]

@Townman 

I'd be happy to work with any protocol which allowed me to download my emails on to Thunderbird.  I tried setting up an IMAP account but I don't know all the settings.  If you can help with that then I'll try and set it up and see if it works.

Thanks

[#14]

@Purvez 

• IMAP: imap.free-online.net port: 993
  curl.exe -v imaps://imap.free-online.net -u userID:password

Encryption is TLS/SSL.

To be pedantic, IMAP does not DOWNLOAD in the same sense as does POP3 which (without fiddles) downloads and REMOVES mail from ONLY the server's inbox folder.  POP3 keeps sent items only on the device which sent the email.

IMAP Synchronises the content of the client and server's mail FOLDERS (including sent, deleted, draft and others), thereby the entirety of what has been received and sent can be seen on all clients connecting to the server.  You might want to supplement that (on one IMAP client) to periodically archive to local store the content of the server folders and then remove that content from the server to manage utilisation of the storage allowance.

[#15]

@Townman 

ubuntu build 18.04 

I had install curl, shows as version 7.58.0 (x86_pc-pc-linux-gnu)

TB build version 78.13.0.(64-bit) was the build version.

update to ubuntu 18.04 resulted in TB changing to version 102.11.0.(64-bit)

I used all these commands, with no errors

Brand: Free-Online - encryption supported: Yes

IMAP: imap.free-online.net port: 993
curl.exe -v imaps://imap.free-online.net -u userID:password
POP3: mail.free-online.net port: 995
curl.exe -v pop3s://mail.free-online.net -u userID:password
SMTP: relay.free-online.net port: 587
curl.exe -v smtp://relay.free-online.net:587 -u userID:password --ssl-reqd

EDIT: deleted some of the post..