Re: Gnus: Error on setting up IMAP accounts

[Marius Hofert]

>> I have trouble setting up Gnus (mail- + newsreader) on GNU Emacs 23.3
>> (on Mac OS X 10.7.2) correctly. Here is what I did so far:
>> 
>> 1) installed Gnus 5.10.10 (in ~/email)
> 
> The gnus version included in emacs 23.3 is probably newer than that
> version.
> 
>> 2) ~/.emacs:
>> 
>> (setq load-path (cons (expand-file-name "~/email/lisp") load-path))
>>    (require 'gnus-load)
>> (require 'info)
>>  (if (featurep 'xemacs)
>>     (add-to-list 'Info-directory-list "~/email/texi/")
>>   (add-to-list 'Info-default-directory-list "~/email/texi/"))
> 
> That's not needed if you simply use the bundled version.

Hi Tassilo,

thanks a lot for your help, it's highly appreciated. 

That's good to know. I removed the above code from .emacs. Now Gnus starts with 
a golden logo (instead of a white one as before) :-)

> 
>> 3) ~/.gnus.el:
>> 
>> (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.gmane.org")); Question 1: what can I 
>> put here if I don't want *any* news?
> 
> (setq gnus-select-method '(nnnil))

Thanks

> 
>> (setq user-mail-address "address@hidden")
>> (setq user-full-name "My Name")
>> ;; setup IMAP accounts
>> (setq 'gnus-secondary-select-methods
>              ^
> That quote is wrong.

Oh wow... great, thanks a ton!

> 
>>  '((nnimap "address@hidden"; primary email account
>>            (nnimap-address "mail.uni.edu"); mail server address
>>            (nnimap-server-port 993); port
>>            (nnimap-authenticator login); authentication method
>>            (nnir-search-engine imap); enable searching mails
>>            (nnimap-stream ssl); use ssl
>>            (nnimap-logout-timeout 1.0); if a connection to an IMAP server 
>> can't be closed, force close after 1s
> 
> Why do you configure that much?  Is that really required?  I guess, no.
> Recent Gnus use SSL or TLS automatically if possible, the nnir search
> engine is set to IMAP automatically, too, and why specifying a logout
> timeout?

I found it in the references I gave. I didn't know that Gnus already uses these 
defaults. 
The timeout is suggested at the bottom of http://gnus.org/manual/gnus_208.html 

> 
>> When starting Gnus via M-x gnus, I obtain:
>> "byte-code: Error in ~/.gnus: symbolp"
>> => Question: What is wrong?
> 
> See above.
> 
>> PS: As references, I used:
>> http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/GnusTutorial#toc1
>> http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/GnusGmail
> 
> These wiki sites can't keep up with the enormous development speed Gnus
> has had lately.  Better use the info docs, because that refer to the
> actual gnus version you are using (also bundled with emacs, C-h i m gnus
> RET).

Good to know, thanks. As a new user, I typically go to the wiki pages for get 
help and background information. I probably should change this :-)

Here is what worked/didn't work:

1) I now use the "internal" version of Gnus (so no entry in .emacs and no 
~/email)

2) ~/.gnus.el is set up as you suggested:

(setq gnus-select-method '(nnnil))
(setq user-mail-address "address@hidden")
(setq user-full-name "My Name")

(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
   '((nnimap "address@hidden"; primary email account
             (nnimap-address "mail.uni.edu"); mail server address
             (nnimap-server-port 993); port
             (nnimap-authenticator login); authentication method
             )
     (nnimap "address@googlemail.com"; secondary email account
             (nnimap-address "imap.googlemail.com"); mail server address
             (nnimap-server-port 993); port
             (nnimap-authenticator login); authentication method
             ))
)

3) ~/.authinfo (as before):
machine mail.uni.edu login mylogin port 993
machine imap.googlemail.com login address@googlemail.com port 993

4) If I start Gnus with M-x gnus, I see:
imap: Connecting to mail.uni.edu # I see this for about 2min; can't do anything 
else with emacs during that time
imap: Connecting to imap.googlemail.com # I see this for as long as I watch... 
The only chance to proceed is to hit C-g 

If I hit C-g I obtain the *Group* buffer saying:
g: nndoc+gnus-help:gnus-help

From there I can send emails via both accounts. But I don't see/receive new 
emails.
Q1: Does this have to do with "subscribing to a mailbox"?
Q2: Why can I send emails without being asked for a password?
Q3: On http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/GnusGmail it is described how to use 
Gmail's SMTP server:
(setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
      smtpmail-starttls-credentials '(("smtp.gmail.com" 587 nil nil))
      smtpmail-auth-credentials '(("smtp.gmail.com" 587 "username@gmail.com" 
nil))
      smtpmail-default-smtp-server "smtp.gmail.com"
      smtpmail-smtp-server "smtp.gmail.com"
      smtpmail-smtp-service 587
      smtpmail-local-domain "yourcompany.com")
Is this required? 

Q4: Considering the output of *Messages* (failures), what am I missing?

Reading /Users/myuser/.newsrc.eld... 
Reading active file via nnnil...done
Reading active file from address@uni.edu via nnimap...
Opening nnimap server on address@uni.edu...
imap: Connecting to mail.uni.edu...failed
Opening nnimap server on address@uni.edu...failed
Reading active file from address@googlemail.com via nnimap...
Opening nnimap server on address@googlemail.com...
imap: Connecting to imap.googlemail.com...failed
Opening nnimap server on address@googlemail.com...failed
Opening nnimap server on address@uni.edu...
Denied server
Opening nnimap server on address@uni.edu...failed
Opening nnimap server on address@googlemail.com...
Denied server
Opening nnimap server on address@googlemail.com...failed
No new newsgroups
Checking new news...
Opening nndoc server on gnus-help...done
Checking new news...done

Q5: I have a file contacts.org containing all contacts in "org-contacts"-form. 
My .emacs contains:
(setq load-path (cons "~/.emacs.d/contacts" load-path))
(require 'org-contacts)
(custom-set-variables
 '(org-contacts-files '("~/org/contacts.org")))
[I found this here: 
http://www.mail-archive.com/emacs-orgmode@gnu.org/msg37143.html]
As mentioned on http://julien.danjou.info/org-contacts.html, this allows for 
completion of addresses. I tried it, but I can't complete addresses defined in 
contacts.org. What else do I have to specify?


Cheers,

Marius