Set up iCloud on Thunderbird email [on hold]

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(Originally in Spanish, I'm sorry if the translation is not perfect. Thanks to Ian C.)

Setting up a mail account iCloud does not support Thunderbird settings. This app uses a different folder map that used by iCloud, so you have to make some small changes.

First of all, if you have previously tried to install iCloud account with insactisfactorious results, it is recommended before deleting the account from Thunderbird, and delete any file on that account:

{user} / Library / Thunderbird / Profiles / xxxxxxxxxxx / ImapMail /

imap.mail.me.com (folder)
imap.mail.me.com.msf

Then:

1. Configure iCloud account in Thunderbird.

It's a little more complicated than it should. This is not Apple's fault. They work well with their own email program (Apple Mail), and they don't need to change their configuration for a third party program. Therefore it is something that should be corrected for future versions of Mozilla Thunderbird.

– New email account > name, email and password Messages: ... looking configuration: your mail provider ... based ISP ... ... trying usual data server names ... ... default Thunderbird "proposes " a configuration.

The default data show like:

Incoming:   IMAP
Server Name: .icloud.com *
Port: Auto
SSL: Auto Detect
ID: Autodetect

Outgoing:   SMTP
Server Name: .icloud.com *
Port: Auto
SSL: Auto Detect
ID: Autodetect

Username: Incoming: {username} (without @ icloud.com
Outgoing: {username} without @ icloud.com

• NOTE: .icloud.com IS INVALID.

Must be:

Incoming: imap.mail.me.com (including imap.)
Port: 993
SSL: SSL / TLS
ID: Password Normal

SMTP: smtp.mail.me.com:587 (by putting the following options and disappear)
Identification : Password standard in both inbound and outbound.

Names, let SIN @ icloud.com

You can press OK now.

2. Folders structure

Thunderbird automatically creates files in the aforementioned path where we erase all traces of the previous configuration with only 4 files:

Drafts.msf
INBOX.msf
Sent.msf
Templates.msf

On the website of iCloud: http://ift.tt/rEAY77 deposite yourself an email either in each of the folders: Inbox, Drafts, Sent, Archived, Trash and Spam. For this to work, there must be at least one file in each folder, including drafts (Drafts), we can move any mail, and if it is "virgin" account, with no messages, create multiple drafts by yourself, save them and move to each of the other "basic" folders, which has its own icon in iCloud. Other way, Thunderbird does not show that folder because it thinks that folder does not exists or is not used.

Click OK in the Settings window, quit Thunderbird and reopen it. In doing so the program reads back the files from the server iCloud.

Thunderbird, by default with an account, create a folder structure. These do not match the iCloud.

Thunderbird / iCloud (ok):

Archives / Archive
Drafts / Drafts
INBOX / Mailbox
Junk / Junk
Sent / Sent Messages
Templates / -not any
Trash / Deleted Messages

If we not previously changed the IMAP root folder from Thunderbird, maybe other folders that were previously created may be displayed is them were not entirely eliminate, either by caching or for any other reason.

The problem is that if we select Thunderbird he select folders "default", he goes CREATE its own folders, with the Thunderbird-style names, not with those who iCloud recognized as good. This means that, for example, display a "Thrash" folder in the iCloud web, and a "Deleted Messages" in Thunderbird (as the other types any other relevant). Since we can not CREATE the correct folders because if you try to do that, iCloud tells us that ALREADY THERE, let them inside ANOTHER FOLDER:

For example, create a folder that call "hello" (or any other). Within create the following folders: Archive Drafts Sent Messages Deleted Messages

In Thunderbird, do this: click Settings > Server Settings > Advanced ... For the "iCloud" IMAP server directory features: hola

Un-check "Show only subscribed folders".

(Remember to quit Thunderbird each time you make any change to be shown, them are not instantly displayed)

We can see, while we are changing emails from the web in iCloud, as they appear different messages in each folder, to see how it behaves.

Already changed ROOT IMAP and created the folders with the correct names, proceed to link them:

1) In Server Configuration > Server Settings > When you delete a message: Move it to this folder: Deleted Messages in iCloud.

2) In Conf. > Copies & Folders, we must make one by one by selecting the folders with the correct names: – When sending messages, automatically: Add copy: Other: Sent Messages in iCloud – Archives, Save message files: Other: Archive – Drafts and templates: – Drafts (this being the only one that match between TB and iCloud, so use the default). – Templates, there's not that folder in iCloud, then create one for that function, both in iCloud root folder, and inside the folder "hello" that we have provisionally created, named Templates.

3) In Spam > Destination and retention > Move messages to spam: Folder "spam" in: iCloud. Here both the same name: Junk, so no problem.

Click OK. Exit and reenter Thunderbird. If you have not left loose folders assigned to something, you delete or change to a site outside of "hello". We'll see then where to place them.

When we back to Configuration, we will see only this folders: – Inbox (Because it is the "root" this "folder" is not shown in iCloud) – Drafts – Templates – Sent Messages – Archive – Deleted Messages

Well, if there's everything "clean" now, we can back to change the IMAP ROOT to the iCloud root folder. So we go to Conf. > Config. server > Advanced ... and remove the word "hello" from where we had set. OK. OK. GET OUT. Back into Thunderbird.

Folders previously created by us now are into a folder named "hello", within which are all those listed.

It could be that appeared a new folder called Notes. This is because if we turned off the option to synchronize notes in iCloud (both PC and mobile), iCloud makes notes in a folder visible in the email account, but not from Apple Mail or from the website of iCloud. Forget it.

Now you might have correctly configured each folder between iCloud and Thunderbird.