Re: [gentoo-user] Creating accounts in Thunderbird

[Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon@gmail.com>]

On 03/02/2013 15:05, Michael Hampicke wrote:
> Am 03.02.2013 13:54, schrieb Alan McKinnon:
>> On 03/02/2013 14:37, Michael Hampicke wrote:
>>> Am 03.02.2013 13:32, schrieb Alan McKinnon:
>>>> On 03/02/2013 14:30, Michael Hampicke wrote:
>>>>> Am 03.02.2013 12:51, schrieb Alan McKinnon:
>>>>>> Test driving this newfangled thunderbird thingy, trying to create the
>>>>>> last of my several accounts.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> This account does not need SMTP settings, i never send from it.
>>>>>> But the create Account Wizard insists on trying to validate passwords
>>>>>> and every setting other under the sun.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> How do I get Thunderbird to act like software and not assume it know
>>>>>> better than I do?
>>>>>> All I want is for it to accept what I put in the textbox and use it,
>>>>>> *and*do*nothing*else.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Is there some magic config file where I can bypass the wizard?
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> In the account wizzard, just click on manual config, enter all your
>>>>> settings, that's all. Just tested it with TB18.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Tried that, TB17 insists on verifying the password and won't continue
>>>> until the check passes.
>>>>
>>>> Doesn't this software have a --justdowhatisay option?
>>>>
>>>> It's a frigging email account for deities sake, it won't break things.
>>>> It's not launch codes for ICBMs....
>>>>
>>>
>>> Have you tried clicking on "advanced settings" then? This should close
>>> the account wizzard - but create your account.
>>>
>>
>> I'm starting to suspect a bug in the wizard. The "advanced settings"
>> starts greyed-out and the only way I found to activate it was to make
>> all the textboxes (IMAP and SMTP server plus ports) blank and select
>> something other than "Auto" for all the auth types.
>>
> I re-checked this. You are right, advanced settings starts greyed out
> (have not noticed that before, I only clicked on it after I manually
> have filled out all the fields)
>
>> Then advanced config gives me an alarming popup with red background
>> about unsafe (i.e. not encrypted) connections but al least the "Done"
>> control is active. Click that and it wants to verify the password, bu
>> this never succeeds.
> True, it should really let you finish the configuration at this time,
> even when the auth failes. The only option you now have is to use the
> advanced button.
>
>>
>> This is TB17:
>>
>>       Installed versions:  17.0.2(02:09:12 14/01/2013)(alsa crypt dbus
>> ipc jit ldap libnotify lightning minimal startup-notification wifi
>> -bindist -custom-cflags -custom-optimization -debug -gconf -mozdom
>> -selinux -system-sqlite LINGUAS="en_GB -ar -ast -be -bg -bn_BD -br -ca
>> -cs -da -de -el -es_AR -es_ES -et -eu -fi -fr -fy_NL -ga_IE -gd -gl -he
>> -hr -hu -hy_AM -id -is -it -ja -ko -lt -nb_NO -nl -nn_NO -pa_IN -pl
>> -pt_BR -pt_PT -rm -ro -ru -si -sk -sl -sq -sr -sv_SE -ta_LK -tr -uk -vi
>> -zh_CN -zh_TW")
>>
>>
>> Do you use TB18 direct from mozilla.org, or perhaps from an overlay
>> somewhere?
>>
>
> I use thunderbird-bin. I suspect it's the version from mozilla.org
>

So what we have here is a piece of FOSS software that is too fucking 
clever for it's own good. It's applying insane validation checks to 
things that are not in any spec at all:

- I want two IMAP accounts. One runs locally on port 143. The other one 
is also local, and just happens to use the same username. It also runs 
on a different port which uses ssl magic to tunnel through into the 
corporate network. A mail client has no business deciding it will not 
add the second account because it already has something for that 
username and host. So fucking what? I'll run 19 imap servers on 
localhost if I feel like it, it's no business of Mozilla if I do

- I don't *actually* need to give a valid password for a mail client to 
configure the account. So what if I don't have the password right now? 
Maybe I'll get it later. Just add the damn thing to your config and stop 
refusing to continue if you can't validate the password! That becomes my 
problem not Mozillas!

- When I change data in a textbox on a dialog and the "Advanced config" 
button ungreys, I sorta kinda expect it to do something. Like maybe let 
me add stuff that is out of the ordinary. i sorta kinda don't expect it 
to do nothing nothing whatsoever at all and sit there having no effect.

- Wizards are fine for helping out Aunt Tilly. But for the love of Pete, 
give advanced users a way to bypass the thing and enter information that 
has not occurred to Mozilla devs yet. It;'s not hard to come out with 
scenarios that any wizard does not cater for.

Rant over. Now where is Thunderbirds bugzilla?