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<appendix id="evolution-faq">
<title>Frequently Asked Questions About Ximian Evolution</title>
<para>
Here are some frequently asked questions about the
<application>Evolution</application> groupware suite from
Ximian. If you have a question that's not listed, you can
contact us at evolve@ximian.com.
</para>
<sect1 id="faq-features">
<title>Features</title>
<qandaset>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
How can I use Evolution with Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
If your server uses standard open protocols like IMAP,
POP, and SMTP, you can use Evolution with it. You can
share addresses with vCards and calendar items with iCal
appointments. We hope to have support for the
proprietary segments of Exchange and Notes severs
eventually, but this will come after Evolution 1.0.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Can I use Evolution with KDE?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Evolution will work fine in KDE. You will need to
install all of the GNOME libraries that it depends on.
Also, certain configuration options, such as default
fonts and the message editor keybinding behavior, must be
changed using the GNOME Control Center application (this
will also run from within KDE).
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
How can I remove or rename a folder?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
We're going to add a good way to do this soon. In the
mean time, you have to remove it by hand.
</para>
<para>
All the folders are stored in
<filename>~/evolution/local</filename>. Each folder is a
directory containing the data files, as well as a
<filename>subfolders</filename> directory that contains
all its subfolders. So for example if you have a
subfolder of the <filename>Inbox</filename> called
<filename>Foo</filename>, you can run the following
command to get rid of it (and all it subfolders):
</para>
<programlisting>
rm -rf ~/evolution/local/Inbox/subfolders/Foo
</programlisting>
<para>
You should do this after exiting Evolution.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Why doesn't drag and drop between folders seem to work?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
The implementation isn't finished, although it's planned
to be finished soon.
</para>
<para>
In the meantime, you can copy the folders' contents by
hand from the shell (please do this after quitting
Evolution). For example:
</para>
<programlisting>
cp -r ~/evolution/local/Inbox/subfolders/Foo ~/evolution/local/Inbox/subfolders/Bar
</programlisting>
<para>
Likewise, you can use <command>mv</command> to rename or
move folders.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Can I read mail from a mailbox file created by some other
application (e.g. Mutt) without importing mail from it?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
No, but it's a planned feature.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Can Evolution sync with my Palm OS (tm) device?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Yes. However, it is not yet stable enough for general
release and we do not yet ship Evolution with Palm
synchronization enabled default. Until we do, you will
need to compile this in yourself. Check the
<filename>README</filename> file for additional
information on the requirements. Full compatibility and
synchronization for calendar and addressbook applications
on Palm devices will be implemented and shipped soon.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
What is the difference between a virtual folder (vfolder)
and a regular folder?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
A virtual folder is like a saved search: it is a view of
your mail. Regular folders actually contain the mail
messages. You can have one message be in multiple virtual
folders, but only in one regular folder. See the section
in the Evolution manual about virtual folders for more
information.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Can Evolution spell-check messages while I compose them?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Yes. The Evolution composer is able to highlight
mis-spelled word on the fly as you type them, and also
give you suggestions for possible corrections. In order
for this to work you need the
<filename>gnome-spell</filename> component, which is not
shipped with Ximian GNOME yet.
</para>
<para>
If you are brave enough, you can check out module
<filename>gnome-spell</filename> from the GNOME CVS and
compile it yourself. Check out its README file for a list
of <filename>gnome-spell</filename>'s requirements for
compilation.
</para>
<para>
Note that you don't need to recompile Evolution after
installing <filename>gnome-spell</filename>; it will be
picked up automatically.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Why can't I see the images that are contained in some HTML
mail messages.
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Evolution currently doesn't support this, but it's a
planned feature. It will be an option: many people like
to turn off the images because they use up bandwidth and can
be used to spy on your email reading habits.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Can I change the font that Evolution uses to compose and
display mail messages?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
You have to change the GtkHTML settings for that: in the
GNOME Control Center, go to the "HTML Viewer"
configuration page, which is under the "Document Handlers"
category.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
How do I import my Outlook <filename>.pst</filename> files into Evolution?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
You cannot import these files directly into Evolution
because the <filename>.pst</filename> format is a
proprietary format. However, Mozilla Mail on Windows can
convert them into the <type>mbox</type> format, which can
then be imported by Evolution.
</para>
<para>
To start importing your Outlook mail to Evolution, run
Mozilla Mail on Windows and select the
<menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guimenuitem>Import...</guimenuitem></menuchoice>
to begin. Then select that you wish to import Mail from
Outlook. Once Mozilla has imported all your mail, reboot
your computer into Linux.
</para>
<para>
Mount your Windows partition in Linux and run Evolution to
begin importing your mail. Select
<menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guimenuitem>Import
File...</guimenuitem></menuchoice> to start importing. Set
the file type to MBox (mbox) and click on
<guibutton>Browse</guibutton> to select the mail you want
to import.
</para>
<para>
If you are the only user on Windows, the mail files will
be stored in <filename>/mnt/c/windows/Application
Data/Mozilla/Profiles/default/XXXX/Mail/imported.mail/</filename>
where <filename>/mnt/c/</filename> is your windows
partition mount point and XXXX is some collection of
numbers and digits ending in <filename>.slt</filename>.
</para>
<para>
If there is more than one user, the file will be in
<filename>/mnt/c/windows/Profiles/USERNAME/XXXX/Mail/imported.mail/</filename>
where USERNAME is your Windows username.
</para>
<para>
For each mail folder in Outlook, Mozilla will convert the
folder into one mbox file. To import all your mail, import
all the files without a <filename>.msf</filename>
extension.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
If Mozilla can import <filename>.pst</filename> files, why can't Evolution?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Mozilla on Windows accesses the <filename>.pst</filename>
files through the <filename>MAPI.DLL</filename>, which is
only avaliable on Windows. <filename>MAPI.DLL</filename>
is the only way to access <filename>.pst</filename> files
and Evolution cannot use this DLL in Linux.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Will there be a server? How about a text-based or web-based front end?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Of course, we can't comment on unannounced future product
plans, but Evolution's architecture would permit the
existence of that kind of software. If there is enough
demand for such software we will consider moving in that
direction.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Will Evolution make a good mocha?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Only espresso is planned, but you can easily plug in a chocolate component.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
</qandaset>
</sect1>
<!-- Section: Getting and compiling -->
<sect1 id="get-and-compile">
<title>
Getting and Compiling Evolution
</title>
<qandaset>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Where can I get the latest Evolution release?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
There are two ways to install the latest Evolution
release:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
If you have Ximian GNOME installed, you can start
Red Carpet, Ximian's software updating system, and
subscribe to the Evolution channel. This will let
you install a binary for the latest release, and
will also warn you when a new version has been made
available.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
If you want to compile from source, you can
download the latest official Evolution tarball
from:
</para>
<para>
<ulink url="ftp://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/unstable/sources/evolution">
ftp://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/unstable/sources/evolution</ulink>
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Are binary snapshots available?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Yes, if you have Ximian GNOME installed. Just run Red
Carpet and subscribe to the Evolution Snapshot channel.
</para>
<para>
You can check the status of snapshots at
<ulink url="http://primates.ximian.com/~snapshot">http://primates.ximian.com/~snapshot</ulink>.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Why isn't a new snapshot available today?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Sometimes the build might fail because of problems with
the source on CVS. In this case, just wait for next day's
snapshot.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
How do I get Evolution from CVS?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
If you already have
<ulink url="http://cvs.gnome.org">GNOME CVS</ulink> access,
simply check out the following modules: evolution,
gtkhtml, gal.
</para>
<para>
If you don't have a CVS account, you can use anoncvs
instead. Bear in mind that anoncvs is only synchronized once
a day, and code received from anoncvs may not be latest
version available.
</para>
<para>
Before using the anoncvs server, you have to log into it.
This only needs to be done once. Use this command:
</para>
<programlisting>
cvs -z3 -d :pserver:anonymous@anoncvs.gnome.org:/cvs/gnome login
</programlisting>
<para>
Then you can retrieve the modules needed to compile Evolution
using the following command:
</para>
<programlisting>
cvs -z3 -d :pserver:anonymous@anoncvs.gnome.org:/cvs/gnome co evolution gtkhtml gal
</programlisting>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
How should I compile Evolution avoiding conflicts with my
existing GNOME installation?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
The best way is to install Evolution into a separate prefix.
In order to specify a non-default installation prefix, you
can pass the <parameter>--prefix</parameter> option to
<filename>configure</filename> or
<filename>autogen.sh</filename>. For example:
</para>
<programlisting>
cd /cvs/evolution
./autogen.sh --prefix=/opt/gnome
</programlisting>
<para>
If you install Evolution and the Evolution libraries in a
non-standard prefix, make sure you set the appropriate
environment variables in the startup script for Evolution:
</para>
<programlisting>
export PATH=/opt/gnome:$PATH
export GNOME_PATH=/opt/gnome:/usr
</programlisting>
<para>
You may also need to add <filename>$prefix/lib</filename>
(e.g. <filename>/opt/gnome/lib</filename>) to your
<filename>/etc/ld.so.conf</filename>. Of course, this will
not work for systems which do not use ld.so.conf, such as
HP-UX.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
I get the error message: <computeroutput>make: *** No rule
to make target
`all-no-@BUILD_INCLUDED_LIBINTL@'</computeroutput>
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
You probably have <filename>gettext</filename> 0.10.36 or
later installed. Try downgrading to 0.10.35;
unfortunately, 0.10.36 introduced some incompatibilities
with the current <filename>xml-i18n-tools</filename>.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
</qandaset>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="faq-trouble">
<title>Troubleshooting</title>
<qandaset>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
I get <computeroutput>Cannot initialize the Evolution
shell</computeroutput>.
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
There are a number of things that can cause this error.
Check that:
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
<filename>oafd</filename> is listed in your <envar>PATH</envar>
environment variable.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<filename>GNOME_Evolution_Shell.oaf</filename> and
the other
<filename>GNOME_Evolution_*.oaf</filename> files are
readable and installed in
<filename>$prefix/share/oaf</filename>, where
<filename>$prefix</filename> is one of the prefixes
listed in <envar>GNOME_PATH</envar> or
<envar>OAF_INFO_PATH</envar>. (These variables are
supposed to contain $PATH-like colon-separated lists of
paths. If the installation prefix for Evolution is
different from that). Run `oaf-slay' once before running
`evolution' again if you change $GNOME_PATH or
$OAF_INFO_PATH.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<filename>evolution</filename>,
<filename>evolution-mail</filename> and the other
<filename>evolution-*</filename> executables are in your
$PATH.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
I get <computeroutput>Cannot open composer window</computeroutput>.
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
This actually means that Evolution cannot activate the HTML
editor component from GtkHTML. The comments in the previous
answer still apply; also make sure that
<command>gnome-gtkhtml-editor</command> is in your
<envar>PATH</envar>.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
I get <computeroutput>Cannot open composer window</computeroutput>.
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
This actually means that Evolution cannot activate the HTML
editor component from GtkHTML. The comments in the previous
answer still apply; also make sure that
<command>gnome-gtkhtml-editor</command> is in your
<envar>PATH</envar>.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
I updated Evolution and now my addressbook information is gone!
What should I do?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Evolution uses the <filename>libdb</filename> library to
handle the addressbook database. Two versions of
<filename>libdb</filename> can be used with Evolution: version
1.88 and version 2.
</para>
<para>
Unfortunately, an Evolution executable that is linked against
a certain version of <filename>libdb</filename> will only be
able to read addressbook files written by another Evolution
executable that is linked with the same version of the
library. If your addressbook is not readable by Evolution
anymore, it probably means that you used to have Evolution
linked with a certain version of <filename>libdb</filename>,
but now it gets linked to a different version.
</para>
<para>
Because of the way <filename>libdb</filename> is designed, it
is not easy for Evolution to automatically do the conversion
between the two formats. But, if your Evolution used to be
linked against version 1.85 and now is linked to version 2,
there is a very simple way to convert the database and recover
your data.
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
First of all, check the format of the database using the
<command>file</command> command:
</para>
<programlisting>
file ~/evolution/local/Contacts/addressbook.db
</programlisting>
<para>
You want version 1.85 there. If your version is 2, then
your current Evolution is probably linked against
version 1.85 and you cannot convert the database to the
old format. To do that, follow these instructions:
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Quit Evolution.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Make a copy of the addressbook database for backup
purposes.
</para>
<programlisting>
cd ~/evolution/local/Contacts
cp addressbook.db addressbook.db.backup
</programlisting>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Convert the contacts to the new format using
<command>db_dump185</command> and
<command>db_load</command>:
</para>
<programlisting>
db_dump185 ~/evolution/local/Contacts/addressbook.db.backup | db_load ~/evolution/local/Contacts/addressbook.db
</programlisting>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Restart Evolution.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Evolution reported an error when trying to retrieve from my
local spool in <filename>/var/spool/mail/username</filename>. Why?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Evolution doesn't have an external helper for moving mail,
so <filename>/var/spool/mail/</filename> must be writable
by you. Try this:
</para>
<programlisting>
chmod 1777 /var/spool/mail
</programlisting>
<para>
We're working on a solution to this problem now.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Evolution crashes reporting that it couldn't allocate N
billion bytes; how do I fix this?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
This usually happens when a component tries talking a
certain version of a CORBA interface to another component
that supports a different version. For example, this can
happen when you recompile and install a single component
without recompiling/installing the rest of Evolution.
</para>
<para>
If you run into this problem, make sure all the components
are compiled and installed at the same time. This also
applies to GtkHTML upgrades; after upgrading and
installing a newer GtkHTML, always re-compile and
re-install Evolution against it.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
What is <command>killev</command> and why do I need to use it?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Evolution is actually made up of several components that run
as separate processes. Evolution's shell is not very good
at cleaning up stale processes, so it is possible that
sometimes already-running components cause unexpected and/or
broken behavior.
</para>
<para>
It's always a good idea to run <command>killev</command>
after a crash in Evolution, especially if the Evolution
shell itself crashed. (If a component crashes instead, you
should try to exit the shell cleanly first, so you give a
chance to the other components to clean things up properly.)
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
What is <command>oaf-slay</command> and why do I need to use it?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
<command>oaf-slay</command> is an utility which comes with
OAF, the Object Activation Framework that is used in the
GNOME Desktop to activate components. It will kill the
object activation daemon (<command>oafd</command>) as well
as all the active components on the system.
</para>
<para>
Using <command>oaf-slay</command>
<command>oaf-slay</command> is quite drastic and can cause
problems with other programs that use oaf, especially with
<application>Nautilus</application>. To avoid problems, do
not run <command>oaf-slay</command> while you are in GNOME.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
</qandaset>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="faq-debugging">
<title>Questions about Bugs and Debugging</title>
<para>
Find a bug? Here's how to help us fix it!
</para>
<qandaset>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Where should I report bugs for Evolution?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
You can use the GNOME Bug Report Tool
(<command>bug-buddy</command>), or report bugs to the
Ximian bug reporting system (Bugzilla), located at <ulink
url="http://bugzilla.ximian.com">http://bugzilla.ximian.com</ulink>.
</para>
<para>
Please use the query function to check if a bug has been
submitted already, so that we avoid duplicate reports.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
What is a stack trace (backtrace) and how do I get one?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
A stack trace is a list of the chain of function calls
that lead to some point in the program. Typically, you
want to get a stack trace when Evolution crashes or
hangs and you want to try to figure out where in the
code that happened and why. For this reason, stack
traces are extremely useful for the Evolution
developers, so it's important that you learn how to get
them, and include them in crash reports. The
<application>bug-buddy</application> tool can get and
submit a stack trace for you. If you want to do it by
yourself, here's how:
</para>
<para>
First of all, in order to get a stack trace, your
executable (and possibly the libraries) must be compiled
with debugging symbols. Debugging symbols are created by
default if you compile from CVS, and are included in the
snapshot builds. If you decide to compile by yourself
with some custom CFLAGS value, make sure -g is included
in them.
</para>
<para>
Finally, you must put the component that crashes through
<application>gdb</application>, the GNU debugging tool.
To do so, make sure all the components are dead (exit
Evolution and run <command>killev</command>), then run the
following command:
<programlisting>
<command>gdb name-of-component</command>
</programlisting>
Where "name-of-component" is the name of the component that
crashed.
</para>
<para>
Then, at the gdb prompt, type r (for "run") and wait a
few seconds to make sure the component has registered
with the name service. Then start
<application>Evolution</application> normally from a
different terminal.
</para>
<para>
When you have started
<application>Evolution</application>, reproduce the
crash, and go back to the terminal where you ran gdb. If
the component crashed, you should have a prompt there;
otherwise, just hit Control+C. At the prompt, type
<command>info threads</command>. This will give you a
screen that looks like this:
</para>
<para>
<programlisting>
(gdb) info threads
8 Thread 6151 (LWP 14908) 0x409778fe in sigsuspend () from /lib/libc.so.6
7 Thread 5126 (LWP 14907) 0x409778fe in sigsuspend () from /lib/libc.so.6
6 Thread 4101 (LWP 1007) 0x409778fe in sigsuspend () from /lib/libc.so.6
5 Thread 3076 (LWP 1006) 0x409778fe in sigsuspend () from /lib/libc.so.6
4 Thread 2051 (LWP 1005) 0x409778fe in sigsuspend () from /lib/libc.so.6
3 Thread 1026 (LWP 1004) 0x409778fe in sigsuspend () from /lib/libc.so.6
2 Thread 2049 (LWP 1003) 0x40a10d90 in poll () from /lib/libc.so.6
1 Thread 1024 (LWP 995) 0x40a10d90 in poll () from /lib/libc.so.6
</programlisting>
For the most part, only
<application>evolution-mail</application> will have more
than one thread.
</para>
<para>
Now, for each of the threads listed, type the following commands:
<programlisting>
thread N
bt
</programlisting>
Where 'N' is the number of the thread (in this example, 1
through 8).
</para>
<para>
Cut and paste all the output gdb gives you into a text
file. You can quit gdb by typing
<userinput>quit</userinput>
</para>
<para>
If you prefer, you can start gdb while a process is
running. You'll want to do this right after a crash dialog
appears, but before hitting "OK" or "Submit bug report".
Start <application>gdb</application> as above, but instead
of using <userinput>r</userinput>, type <userinput>attach
PID</userinput> where PID is the process ID of the
component you want to debug.
</para>
<para>
If that sounds too complicated, you can always use
<command>bug-buddy</command> to get and submit the stack
trace.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
</qandaset>
</sect1>
</appendix>
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