Computing & Information Services

Mozilla Thunderbird

Learn how to set up the official (non-modified) version of Mozilla Thunderbird here. If you have not already downloaded Mozilla Thunderbird from the Mozilla website, you may be interested in obtaining Reed's customized Thunderbird, which features a shorter setup process. Setup instructions specific to Reed's customized version are available on the download page.

If you've already completed the setup procedure, you may be more interested in learning how to use Thunderbird.

Obtaining Thunderbird

Mozilla Thunderbird is a free open source e-mail client developed and provided by the Mozilla Foundation. Official releases may be found on the Mozilla Thunderbird Homepage.

Download Reed's Customized Thunderbird

Reed maintains an up-to-date modified version of Thunderbird with customizations to ensure easy setup to work on the Reed IMAP system. This package is provided as a convenient download. Simply save the appropriate package and follow the instructions to install and run Thunderbird.

Initial Setup on Linux

Linux users may find the following instructions helpful.

  • If you downloaded Thunderbird from Reed's server, decompress and unTAR the archive with the following command:
    $ tar xvjf thunderbird-reed-1.5.0.2.tar.bz2 (or whatever your Thunderbird file is named).
  • The decompressed package should now be in a directory called Thunderbird, which you can move to a desired location with the command:
    $ sudo mv thunderbird/ / Desired/ Directory/ NameHere
  • If you do not have sudo installed, you will need to switch to the root user to modify anything below /usr or /opt. To do this, type:
    $ su -
    Enter password
    # mv thunderbird/ /opt/lib/
  • Make a symbolic link from /opt/lib/thunderbird/thunderbird (the executable file) to somewhere your PATH will search for commands, e.g. /opt/bin. Make sure the directory you choose is in your PATH by running the command echo $PATH;.
    If it isn't there, you may need to edit your ~/.bashrc or similar file). You can accomplish this with the following command:
    $sudo ln -s /opt/lib/thunderbird/thunderbird /opt/bin/thunderbird
  • Run Thunderbird by typing in:
    $thunderbird &

Setting Up Thunderbird

For those who are not using Reed's customized version, extra steps may be required while setting up your account. The following instructions will be useful for those who already have downloaded the official version of Thunderbird from Mozilla, or already have Thunderbird installed and want to add their Reed account to a pre-existing profile. It should be noted that though Thunderbird's interface is designed to be virtually identical across all platforms, differences nevertheless exist. In particular, when called to bring up Preferences, OS X users should look under the Thunderbird menu, while Windows users should open Tools > Options.

  1. This step is for users who have already set up other e-mail accounts on Thunderbird and are trying to set up a Reed account in Thunderbird. Open Thunderbird. Expand the Tools menu and select Account Settings.
  2. Click the button that says " Add Account...". You should be presented with an Account Wizard page.

    Thunderbird New Account Setup

  3. From the options listed, select " E-mail Account". Then click Next.
  4. Next, you must set up an identity for your account. Enter your name and e-mail address in the appropriate fields and click Next. Remember to use your Reed e-mail address.

    Thunderbird Account Identity

  5. In the Server Information screen, select IMAP for the server type. Then type in " imap.reed.edu" in the Incoming Server field. If you are setting up your first account on Thunderbird, you will be presented with an additional field for your Outgoing Mail Server. Fill that field in with " smtp.reed.edu". If this is not your first account, don't panic. You will be able to specify additional outgoing mail servers later. Click Next to continue.

    Thunderbird Server Information

  6. In the User Name panel, enter your network username. This is simply the username you would use to log into Webmail, or otherwise, your e-mail address without the @reed.edu portion. The bit about SMTP servers may be left till later in the setup. Click Next to go on.
  7. In the Account Names panel, enter a name for your account. This option is completely up to you - it will display as your account name in the Thunderbird interface. Click Next to go to the last step.
  8. This next screen should summarize the settings you have entered. If anything looks amiss, go back and correct it. Otherwise, finish the setup by clicking Finish.

    Thunderbird Settings Summary

  9. Thunderbird may ask you for a password while attempting to check the account or notify you that it could not check the account. Cancel the checking for now. Go to Tools > Account Settings again. In the left hand pane where your accounts are listed, select Server Settings. Use the following settings:

    • Server Type: IMAP Mail Server (should NOT be POP).
    • Server Name: imap.reed.edu
    • Port: 993
    • User Name: Your Reed account usernae (there should not be @reed.edu appended).
      • Use Secure Connection: SSL
      • Use secure authentication: Not selected.

      Thunderbird Server Settings

    • Server Settings: Fill in by your own personal preferences. Press OK to save these changes.

  10. Now we must set up your SMTP server so that your client can send mail using Reed's server. In Thunderbird, go once again to Tools > Account Settings. Select Outgoing Server (SMTP) at the very bottom of the left hand accounts pane. If you already have an SMTP server set up, we must add a new one so that messages from your Reed account actually are sent from your username@reed.edu. To do this, Add... a new SMTP server. Use the following settings:

    • Description: Arbitrary setting, set it according to your personal preference.
    • Server Name: smtp.reed.edu
    • Port: 587
    • Use Name and Password: Selected.
    • User Name: Your Reed network name.
    • Use Secure Connection: TLS, if available.

    Thunderbird SMTP Settings

  11. Click OK to save your settings.

    Now you should be able to send and receive mail from the Reed servers. To test this, try selecting your Reed e-mail account and clicking Get Mail on the top toolbar. You will need to enter your network password. Any questions about your Reed network username or password should be directed to CUS.

  12. A final, optional component to configure is the LDAP so that Thunderbird can find a recipient's e-mail address using their name (Reed's customized Thunderbird may already have this set up). To do this, go to Tools > Account Settings. Under your account name, select Composition and Addressing. Under Addressing, choose "Use a different LDAP server:" and then click Edit Directories.... Add a new LDAP directory server and configure it with the following settings:

    • Name: Arbitray setting, fill it in according to personal preference.
    • Hostname: ldap.reed.edu
    • Base DN: ou=people,dc=reed,dc=edu
    • Port Number: 389
    • Bind DN: Leave blank.
    • Use Secure Connection (SSL) Unchecked.

    Click OK to save the settings.

    Thunderbird LDAP Settings

Now that you've completed the setup for Thunderbird, why not learn how to use it?