<chapter id="usage-mail">
<title>Using Evolution for Email</title>
<para>
This chapter, and <xref linkend="usage-mail-organize"/>, will
provide you with an in-depth guide to the capabilities of
Evolution as a mail client. For information about how to set up
your mail account, see <xref linkend="config-prefs-mail"/>.
</para>
<note>
<title>If you use IMAP Mail</title>
<para>
If you chose IMAP mail during the setup process, you must
subscribe to your mail folders before you can read mail in
them. Read <xref linkend="usage-mail-subscriptions"/> to find out
how.
</para>
</note>
<sect1 id="usage-mail-getnsend-read">
<title>Reading Mail</title>
<para>
Start the mail client by clicking on the
<guibutton>Inbox</guibutton> icon in the shortcut bar, or by
selecting a mail folder in the folder bar. To read a message,
select it in the message list; if you'd like to see it in its
own window, double-click on it or press
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>O</keycap>
</keycombo>.
</para>
<tip id="spaceandbs">
<title>Reading Mail with the Keyboard</title>
<para>
You can click the spacebar to page down while you're reading
an email, and press backspace to page up in an email. This
may help to make reading your email faster.
</para>
</tip>
<sect2 id="usage-mail-listorder">
<title>Sorting the message list</title>
<para>
<application>Evolution</application> helps you work by letting you sort
your email. To sort by sender, subject, or date, click
on the bars with those labels at the top of the message
list. The direction of the arrow next to the label indicates
the direction of the sort, and if you click again, you'll
sort them in reverse order. For example, click once on
<guilabel>Date</guilabel> to sort messages by date from
oldest to newest. Click again, and
<application>Evolution</application> sorts the list from
newest to oldest. You can also right-click on the message
header bars to get a set of sorting options, and add or
remove columns from the message list. You can find detailed
instructions on how to customize your message display
columns in <xref linkend="usage-mail-organize-columns"/>.
</para>
<tip id="view-headers">
<title>Email Headers</title>
<para>
To look at the complete headers for email messages, select
<menuchoice><guimenu>View</guimenu><guisubmenu>Message
Display</guisubmenu><guimenuitem>Show Full
Headers</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. To see absolutely every
bit, choose
<menuchoice><guimenu>View</guimenu><guisubmenu>Message
Display</guisubmenu><guimenuitem>Show Email Source
</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.
</para>
</tip>
<para>
You can also choose a threaded message view. Select
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>View</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Threaded</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
to turn the threaded view on or off. When you select this option,
<application>Evolution</application> groups the replies to a
message with the original, so you can follow the thread of a
conversation from one message to the next.
</para>
<figure>
<title>Threaded Mail View</title>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Threaded Mail View</screeninfo>
<mediaobject><imageobject>
<imagedata format="PNG" fileref="figures/mail-threaded" srccredit="Aaron Weber"/>
</imageobject></mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</figure>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="usage-mail-getnsend-delete">
<title>Deleting Mail</title>
<para>
Once you've read your mail, you may want to get rid of
it.
To delete a message:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Click the message to select it
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Press delete button or right click on the message and
choose <guilabel>Delete</guilabel>.
</para>
<note>
<title>Why do I still see deleted mail?</title>
<para>
When you press <guibutton>Delete</guibutton> or click
the trash button, your mail isn't actually deleted,
but is marked for deletion. Your email is not gone
until you have expunged it. When you "Expunge" a
folder, you remove all the mail that you have marked
for deletion.
</para>
<para>
If you don't like this behavior, select
<menuchoice><guimenu>View</guimenu><guimenuitem>Hide
Deleted Messages</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. Then,
you will only see deleted messages when you look in
your <guilabel>Trash</guilabel> folder.
</para>
</note>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Actions</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Expunge</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
or press
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>E</keycap>
</keycombo>
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
<note>
<title>Trash is Actually a vFolder?</title>
<para>
Both local and IMAP Trash folders are actually vFolders that
display all messages you have marked for later deletion.
For more information about vFolders, see <xref
linkend="usage-mail-organize-vfolders"/>. Since emptying
your trash expunges the messages in your Trash folder,
choosing <menuchoice> <guimenu>Actions</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Empty Trash</guimenuitem> </menuchoice> is the
same as expunging deleted mail from <emphasis>all</emphasis>
your folders.
</para>
<para>
This is not, however, true for the Trash folder on Exchange
servers, which behaves just the same as it would in
Outlook. That is to say, the Trash folder on an Exchange
server is a normal folder with actual messages in it.
</para>
</note>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="usage-mail-getnsend-undelete">
<title>Undeleting Messages</title>
<para>
To undelete a message:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Select a message you have marked for deletion.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Press <keycombo
action="simul"><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>U</keycap>
</keycombo>
or choose
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Edit</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Undelete</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
</para>
<note>
<title>What does Undelete actually do?</title>
<para>
If you have marked a message for deletion, undeleting
it will unmark it, and the message will be removed
from the Trash folder. However, it can't bring back
messages that have been expunged.
</para>
</note>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="usage-mail-getnsend-get">
<title>Checking for New Mail</title>
<para>
Now that you've had a look around the
<interface>Inbox</interface>, it's time to check for new mail.
Click <guibutton>Get Mail</guibutton> in the toolbar to check
your mail. If you haven't entered any mail settings yet, the
<interface>setup assistant</interface> will ask you for the
information it needs to check your email.
</para>
<para>
The assistant will give you several dialog boxes where you configure:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
your personal information
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
your outgoing email server information
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
your mail account identity name
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
<para>
To check your email, press the <guibutton>Check Mail</guibutton>
button. If this is your first time checking mail, or you
haven't asked <application>Evolution</application> to store your
password, you'll be prompted for the password. Enter your
password and your email will be downloaded.
</para>
<note id="badmailsettings">
<title>Can't Check Mail?</title>
<para>
If you get an error message instead of mail, you probably need
to check your network settings. To learn how to do that, have
a look at <xref linkend="config-prefs-mail"/>, or ask your
system administrator.
</para>
</note>
<tip>
<title>Sharing Mailboxes with Other Mail Programs</title>
<para>
If you want to use <application>Evolution</application>
and another email client, such as
<application>Mutt</application>, at the same time,
here's how:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Download your mail in the other application as
you would normally.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
In <application>Evolution</application>
<menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu><guimenuitem>Mail
Settings</guimenuitem></menuchoice>, and pick the account
you'd like to use to share mail. You may want to
create a new account just for this source of
mail.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Under the <guilabel>Receiving Mail</guilabel>
tab, select the type of mail file that your
other mail application uses, and then enter the
full path to that file.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click the <guibutton>OK</guibutton> button.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</tip>
<!-- NOT FOR 1.0
<sect2 id="usage-mail-getnsend-get-news">
<title>Using Evolution for News</title>
<para>
Newsgroups are so similar to email that there's no reason not
to read them side by side. If you want to do that, add a
news source to your configuration (see <xref
linkend="config-prefs-network-news"/>). The news server will
appear as a remote server, and will look quite similar to an
IMAP folder. When you click <guibutton>Get Mail</guibutton>,
<application>Evolution</application> will also check for news
messages.
</para>
</sect2>
-->
<sect2 id="usage-mail-getnsend-get-attach">
<title>Working with Attachments and HTML Mail</title>
<para>
If someone sends you an <glossterm linkend="attachment">attachment</glossterm>,
a file attached to an email,
<application>Evolution</application> will display the file
at the bottom of the message to which it's attached. Text,
including HTML formatting and embedded images, will appear
as part of the message, rather than at the end of the
message as an attachment.
</para>
<sect3 id="usage-mail-getnsend-get-attach-actions">
<title>Saving or Opening Attachments</title>
<para>
If you get an attachment with an email message,
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> can help you save
it or open it with the appropriate applications.
</para>
<para>
To save an attachment to disk:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Click the downward pointing arrow on the attachment icon
and select <guimenuitem>Save to Disk</guimenuitem>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Choose a location and name for the file.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click <guibutton>OK</guibutton>.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
<para>
To Open an Attachment in a Program:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Open the mail message with the attachment you want to read.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click the arrow next the attachment icon.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select the program you'd like to use. It will start up
and open the document.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
<para>
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3 id="usage-mail-getnsend-get-attach-html">
<title>Inline Images in HTML Mail</title>
<para>
When someone sends you HTML mail that includes an image in
the body of the message (for example, the welcome message in your
Inbox when you first start <application>Ximian
Evolution</application>) <application>Evolution</application>
will display the image inside the message. You can create
messages like this by using the
<menuchoice><guimenu>Insert</guimenu><guimenuitem>Image</guimenuitem></menuchoice>
tool in the message composer.
</para>
<para>
If the image isn't included in the message, but is, instead,
a link to an image, <application>Evolution</application> can
download the image from the Internet for you. However,
<application>Evolution</application> will not display the
image unless you ask it to. This is because remotely hosted
images can be slow to load and display, and can even be used
by spammers to track who reads their email. Having images
not load automatically helps protect your privacy.
</para>
<para>
If you want the images to load for one message, select
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>View</guimenu>
<guisubmenu>Message Display</guisubmenu>
<guimenuitem>Load Images</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>.
If you want <application>Ximian Evolution</application> to
load remotely hosted images more often, go to the
<guilabel>Display</guilabel> tab of the
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Tools</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Mail Settings</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice> dialog.
</para>
<note id="http-proxy">
<title>Loading Images from the Net through an HTTP Proxy</title>
<para>
If you use an HTTP proxy,
<application>Evolution</application> must be able to find
it through the <systemitem>gnome-vfs</systemitem> subsystem
before it can load images from the Internet. This is also
the case if you wish to access weather and news information
through the Summary tool. You can tell the GNOME Virtual
File System about your HTTP proxy in one of two ways:
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term>Configure it with Nautilus</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Open a Nautilus window
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select <menuchoice>
<guimenu>Preferences</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Edit Preferences</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Go to the <guilabel>Navigation</guilabel> tab.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click the <guilabel>Use HTTP Proxy</guilabel>
checkbox and enter the location of your HTTP
proxy in the <guilabel>Location</guilabel> field.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Configure it with the gconftool command</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Open a terminal.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Enter the command
<command>
gconftool --type=bool --set /system/gnome-vfs/use-http-proxy "TRUE"
</command>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Enter the command
<command>
gconftool --type=string --set /system/gnome-vfs/http-proxy-host "your-proxy-url"
</command>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Enter the command
<command>
gconftool --type=int --set /system/gnome-vfs/http-proxy-port "8080"
</command>
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
<para>
For more information about the gconftool command,
read the gconftool man page.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>
</note>
</sect3>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="usage-mail-getnsend-send">
<title>Composing New Email Messages</title>
<para>
You can start writing a new email message by selecting
<menuchoice> <guimenu>File</guimenu>
<guisubmenu>New</guisubmenu> <guimenuitem>
Mail Message</guimenuitem></menuchoice>, or by pressing the
<guibutton>Compose</guibutton> button in the Inbox toolbar.
When you do so, the <interface>New Message</interface> window
will open, as shown in <xref
linkend="usage-mail-newmsg-fig"/>.
</para>
<!-- ==============Figure=================================== -->
<figure id="usage-mail-newmsg-fig">
<title>New Message Window</title>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Evolution Main Window</screeninfo>
<mediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/newmsg" format="PNG" srccredit="Aaron Weber"/>
</imageobject></mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</figure>
<!-- ==============End of Figure=================================== -->
<para>
Enter an address in the <guilabel>To:</guilabel> field. If you
wish, enter a subject in the <guilabel>Subject:</guilabel>, and
a message in the box at the bottom of the window.
Once you have written your message, press
<guibutton>Send</guibutton>.
</para>
<sect2 id="usage-mail-getnsend-send-delay">
<title>Sending Composed Messages Later</title>
<para>
<application>Evolution</application> will send mail
immediately unless you tell it to do otherwise by selecting
<menuchoice> <guimenu>File</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Send
Later</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. This will add your
messages to the <guilabel>Outbox</guilabel> queue. The
"Send Later" feature is particularly useful if you use a
modem to connect to the Internet and pay per-minute
charges: you can remain offline until you need to send
mail, then connect and send all your mail at once. Mail in
the outbox is sent when you click
<guibutton>Send/Receive</guibutton> in the main window.
</para>
<para>
To learn more about how you can specify message queue and
filter behavior, see <xref linkend="config-prefs-mail"/>.
</para>
<para>
You can also choose to save messages as drafts or as text
files. Your options are:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>
Choose
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>File</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Save Draft</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
to store your messages in the drafts folder for later
revision.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
If you'd like to have the message sent later, you
can choose <guimenuitem>Send Later</guimenuitem>. That way,
the message will be added to the queue, and you can send a
batch of messages all at once.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
If you prefer to save your message as a text file,
choose <guimenuitem>Save As</guimenuitem> and then choose a
file name.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="usage-mail-getnsend-offline">
<title>Working Offline</title>
<para>
Offline mode is a tool designed for use with a dialup
connection or for laptop users who do not have a network
connection at all times. It allows you to cache messages
for reference while you are not connected to the
network, and to compose messages and leave them in your
Outbox to be sent the next time you connect to the network.
</para>
<para>
Select
<menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guimenuitem>Work
Offline</guimenuitem></menuchoice> to have
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> disconnect
from the Internet while you work. When you want to
reconnect, choose
<menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guimenuitem>Work
Online</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. Alternativly, you
can click the connection button at the bottom left side
of the window.
</para>
<para>
If you use POP mail, all your messages will be
available to you, because they are stored locally. If
you use IMAP or Exchange mail, messages are stored
remotely, so availability is a little different.
</para>
<para>
Messages that you have read are cached and stored
locally; all read messages will be available to you
even if you are offline. Unread messages will be
downloaded and saved for offline use if they are in a
folder that you have marked as an Offline Folder. To
mark a folder for offline use, select
<menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Preferences</guimenuitem></menuchoice> and
then click the <guilabel>Folders</guilabel> icon. In
the <guilabel>Offline Folders</guilabel> tab, click the
check-box next to the folders that you would like to
use while you are offline. Then, when you select
<guimenuitem>Go Offline</guimenuitem>, Evolution will
fetch their contents and store them for later
reference.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="usage-mail-getnsend-send-compose">
<title>More About Mail Composition</title>
<para>
In the next few sections, you'll see how
<application>Evolution</application> handles advanced email
features, including large recipient lists, attachments, and
forwarding.
</para>
<sect3 id="usage-mail-getnsend-send-attach">
<title>Attachments</title>
<para>
To attach a file to your email:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Push the attach button in the composer toolbar
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select the file you want to attach
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Press <guibutton>OK</guibutton>
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
<para>
You can drag a file from your desktop into the composer window to
attach it as well.
</para>
<para>
To hide the display of files you've attached to the
message, select <menuchoice>
<guimenu>View</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Hide
Attachments</guimenuitem> </menuchoice>; to show them
again, choose <guimenuitem>Show Attachments</guimenuitem>.
</para>
<para>
When you send the message, a copy of the attached file
will go with it. Be aware that big attachments can take a
long time to download.
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3 id="usage-mail-getnsend-send-to-types">
<title>Specifying Recipients for Email</title>
<para>
<application>Evolution</application>, like most email
programs, recognizes three types of addressee: primary
recipients, secondary recipients, and hidden ("blind")
recipients.
</para>
<para>
The simplest way to direct a message is to put the email
address or addresses in the <guilabel>To:</guilabel>
field, which denotes primary recipients. To send mail to
more than one or two people, you can use the
<guilabel>Cc:</guilabel> field.
</para>
<para>
Hearkening back to the dark ages when people used
typewriters and there were no copy machines, "Cc" stands
for "Carbon Copy." Use it whenever you want to share a
message you've written to someone else.
</para>
<para>
<guilabel>Bcc:</guilabel> is a little more complex. You
use it like <guilabel>Cc:</guilabel>, but people on the
<guilabel>Bcc:</guilabel> list are hidden from the other
recipients of the message. Use it to send mail to large
groups of people, especially if they don't know each other
or if privacy is a concern. If your <guilabel>Bcc:</guilabel> field is absent, click
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>View</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Bcc Field</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>.
</para>
<para>
If you frequently write email to the same groups of people,
you can create address lists in the Contact Manager, and
then send them mail as though they had a single address.
To learn how to do that, read <xref
linkend="usage-contact-organize-group-list"/>.
</para>
<tip id="reply-to-per-mail">
<title>Setting Reply-to On a Per-Mail Basis</title>
<para>
<application>Evolution</application> has the ability to
let you specify the Reply-To in an email. Using this, you
can setup a special Reply-To for an email. To do this:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Open a composer window
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Open the Reply-To field by selecting
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>View</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Reply To</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Enter the address you wish to have be the
Reply-To address in the new Reply-To field.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</tip>
</sect3>
<sect3 id="usage-mail-getnsend-send-to">
<title>Choosing Recipients Quickly</title>
<para>
If you have created address cards in the contact manager,
you can also enter nicknames or other portions of address
data, and <application>Evolution</application> will offer a
drop down list of possible address completions from your
address book. If you enter a name or nickname that can go
with more than one card, Evolution will open a dialog box to
ask you which person you meant.
<!-- Also, <application>Evolution</application> will add a
domain to any unqualified addresses. By default, this is
your domain, but you can choose which one mail preferences
dialog. NOTE: Bug filed on this: it's not available now,
but may be in the future.
-->
</para>
<para>
Alternately, you can click on the
<guibutton>To:</guibutton>, <guibutton>Cc:</guibutton>, or
<guibutton>Bcc:</guibutton> buttons to get a list --
potentially a very long one -- of the email addresses
in your contact manager. Select addresses and click on
the arrows to move them into the appropriate address
columns.
</para>
<para>
For more information about using email together with the
contact manager and the calendar, see <xref
linkend="contact-automation-basic"/> and <xref
linkend="usage-calendar-apts"/>.
</para>
</sect3>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="usage-mail-getnsend-send-reply">
<title>Replying to Email Messages</title>
<para>
To reply to a message, press the
<guibutton>Reply:</guibutton> button while it is selected,
or choose <guimenuitem>Reply to Sender:</guimenuitem> from
the message's right-click menu. That will open the
<interface>message composer</interface>. The
<guilabel>To:</guilabel> and <guilabel>Subject:</guilabel>
fields will already be filled, although you can alter them
if you wish. In addition, the full text of the old message
is inserted into the new message, either grey (for
HTML display) or with the > character before each line
(in plain text mode), to indicate that it's part of the
previous message. People often intersperse their message
with the quoted material as shown in <xref
linkend="usage-mail-getnsend-reply-fig"/>.
<!-- ==============Figure=================================== -->
<figure id="usage-mail-getnsend-reply-fig">
<title>Reply Message Window</title>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Evolution Main Window</screeninfo>
<mediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/replymsg" format="PNG" srccredit="Aaron Weber"/>
</imageobject></mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</figure>
<!-- ==============End of Figure=================================== -->
</para>
<para>
If you're reading a message with several recipients, you may
wish to use <guibutton>Reply to All</guibutton> instead of
<guibutton>Reply</guibutton>. If there are large numbers
of people in the <guilabel>Cc:</guilabel> or
<guilabel>To:</guilabel> fields, this can save substantial
amounts of time.
<example>
<title>Using the Reply to All feature</title>
<para>
Susan sends an email to a client and sends copies to Tim
and to an internal company mailing list of co-workers.
If Tim wants to make a comment for all of them to read,
he uses <guibutton>Reply to All</guibutton>, but if he
just wants to tell Susan that he agrees with her, he
uses <guibutton>Reply</guibutton>. Note that his reply
will not reach anyone that Susan put on her
<guilabel>Bcc</guilabel> list, since that list is not
shared with anyone.
</para>
</example>
</para>
<para>
If you're subscribed to a mailing list, and want your reply
to go just to the list, rather than to the sender, choose
<guibutton>Reply to List</guibutton> instead of
<guibutton>Reply</guibutton> or <guibutton>Reply to
All</guibutton>.
<note>
<title>What is a Mailing List?</title>
<para>
Mailing Lists are one of the most popular tools for
group collaboration on the Internet. Here's how they work:
<simplelist>
<member>
Someone sends a message to a single address, like
<email>evolution@ximian.com</email>.
</member>
<member>
That address belongs to a program that distributes
the message to a list of recipients.
</member>
</simplelist>
The mail management program lets individuals subscribe
to or unsubscribe from the list at will, without
requiring the message writers to remember the addresses
of every recipient.
</para>
<para>
Mailing list servers can also let network administrators
control mail flow, list membership, and even moderate
the content of mailing lists.
</para>
</note>
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="usage-mail-getnsend-send-find">
<title>Searching and Replacing with the Composer</title>
<para>
You are probably familiar with search and replace features
in any sort of text-editing software, and if you come from
a Linux or Unix background, you may know what
<guimenuitem>Find Regex</guimenuitem> does. If you aren't
among the lucky who already know, here's a quick rundown of
the automated text searching features that the message
composer makes available to you.
</para>
<para>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term><guimenuitem>Find:</guimenuitem></term>
<listitem><para> Enter a word or phrase, and
<application>Evolution</application> will find it
in your message.
</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><guimenuitem>Find Regex:</guimenuitem></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Find a regex, also called a
<glossterm linkend="regular-expression">regular
expression</glossterm>, in your composer window.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><guimenuitem>Find Again:</guimenuitem></term>
<listitem><para>
Select this item to repeat the last search you performed.
</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><guimenuitem>Replace:</guimenuitem></term>
<listitem><para>
Find a word or phrase, and replace it with
something else.
</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>
<para>
For all of these menu items, you can choose whether or not
to <guilabel>Search Backwards</guilabel> in the document
from the point where your cursor is. For all but the
regular expression search (which doesn't need it), you are
offered a check box to determine whether the search is to
be <guilabel>Case Sensitive</guilabel> when it determines
a match.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="usage-mail-getnsend-send-html">
<title>Enhance your email with HTML</title>
<para>
Normally, you can't set text styles or insert pictures in
emails, which is why email is often regarded as
uncommunicative and cold, and why people often resort to
using far too many exclamation points to convey their
feelings. However, most newer email programs can display
images and text styles as well as basic alignment and
paragraph formatting. They do this with <glossterm
linkend="html">HTML</glossterm>, just like web pages do.
</para>
<note>
<title>HTML Mail is not a Default Setting</title>
<para>
Some people do not have HTML-capable mail clients, or
prefer not to receive HTML-enhanced mail because it is
slower to download and display. Because some people may
prefer not to get HTML mail,
<application>Evolution</application> sends plain text
unless you explicitly ask for HTML.
</para>
</note>
<para> You can change the format of an email message between
plain text and HTML by choosing <menuchoice>
<guimenu>Format</guimenu> <guimenuitem>
HTML</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.
</para>
<para>
To send all your mail as HTML by default, set your mail
format preferences in the mail configuration dialog. See
<xref linkend="config-prefs-mail-composer"/> for more
information.
</para>
<para>
HTML formatting tools are located in the toolbar just above
the space where you'll actually compose the message, and
they also appear in the <guimenu>Insert</guimenu> and
<guimenu>Format</guimenu> menus.
</para>
<para>
The icons in the toolbar are explained in <glossterm
linkend="tooltip">tool-tips</glossterm>, which appear when
you hold your mouse over the buttons. The buttons fall
into four categories:
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term>Headers and lists:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
At the left edge of the toolbar, you can choose
<guilabel>Normal</guilabel> for a default text style
or <guilabel>Header 1</guilabel> through
<guilabel>Header 6</guilabel> for varying sizes of
header from large (1) to tiny (6). Other styles
include <guilabel>preformat</guilabel>, to use the HTML
tag for preformatted blocks of text, and three types
of bullet points for the highly
organized.
</para>
<tip>
<title>Using Bullets to Make Your Email More
Attractive</title>
<para>
Often times, people use asterisks instead of real bullets.
Not only do asterisks look nicer, but
<application>Evolution</application> will word wrap for you,
which makes your text looks nicer.
</para>
</tip>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Text style:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Use these buttons to determine the way your letters
look. If you have text selected, the style will
apply to the selected text. If you do not have text
selected, the style will apply to whatever you type
next. The buttons are:
<itemizedlist mark="none">
<listitem><para>Push <guibutton>B</guibutton> for bold text</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>Push <guibutton>I</guibutton> for italics</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>Push <guibutton>U</guibutton> to underline</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>Push <guibutton>S</guibutton> for a strikethrough.</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Alignment:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Located next to the text style buttons, these three
paragraph icons should be familiar to users of most
word processing software. The leftmost button will
make your text aligned to the left, the center
button, centered, and the right hand button,
aligned on the right side.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Indentation rules:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
The button with the arrow pointing left will reduce
a paragraph's indentation, and the right arrow will
increase its indentation.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Color Selection:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
At the far right is the color section tool. The
colored box displays the current text color; to
choose a new one, click the arrow button just to the
right. If you have text selected, the color will
apply to the selected text. If you do not have text
selected, the color will apply to whatever you type
next. You can select a background color or image by
right-clicking on the message background and
selecting <guilabel>Page</guilabel>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>
<para>
The <guimenu>Insert</guimenu> gives you opinions which let you
spruce up your email to make it more interesting:
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term><guimenuitem>Link:</guimenuitem></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Lets you link some text to a website. Use this tool to put hyperlinks in your HTML
messages. If you don't want special link text, you can just enter the address
directly, and <application>Evolution</application>
will recognize it as a link. To add a link:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Select the text you wish to link from.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Right click on the text and click on <guibutton>Link</guibutton>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Put the URL you want to use in the <guilabel>URL</guilabel> field.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click <guibutton>OK</guibutton>.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
<note>
<para>
If you're typing a webpage address to be automatically formatted, keep in mind that a space terminates the link.
</para>
</note>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><guimenuitem>Image:</guimenuitem></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Lets you put an image alongside text.
</para>
<para>
To insert an image into your email:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Open a new email by clicking <guibutton>New Message</guibutton>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Make sure that you have the
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Format</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>HTML</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
selector checked.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click the <guibutton>Insert Image</guibutton> button in the toolbar, or select
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Insert</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Image</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Choose your image by clicking the <guibutton>Browse</guibutton> button.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Press <guibutton>Insert</guibutton> to insert the image.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><guimenuitem>Rule:</guimenuitem></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Inserts a horizontal line into the text to help divide two
sections.
</para>
<para>
To insert a rule:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Open a new email by clicking <guibutton>New Message</guibutton>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Make sure that you have the
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Format</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>HTML</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
selector checked.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click the <guibutton>Rule</guibutton> button in the <guilabel>Toolbar</guilabel>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select the type of rule. You can use a plain
line, a 3D line, or a yellow line with flowers.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Choose the size of the line, as a percentage of the width of the email window.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Choose the alignment and style. For the plain
line, you can choose the thickness of the line,
and whether it will be shaded, or solid. For the
other types, you can only choose alignment.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click <guibutton>Insert</guibutton> to insert the rule.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Table:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Inserts a table into the text to help divide two
sections.
</para>
<para>
To insert a rule:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Open a new email by clicking <guibutton>New Message</guibutton>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Make sure that you have the
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Format</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>HTML</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
selector checked.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click the <guibutton>Table</guibutton> button in the <guilabel>Toolbar</guilabel>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select the <guibutton>Template</guibutton> you wish to use. Each template has a slightly different feel and layout.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
If you so desire, you may change the other options such as: number of rows, columns, spacing of each cell, and more.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click the <guibutton>Insert</guibutton> button.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
To add a hyperlink to your HTML message:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Select the text you want to display as a link.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Right click on text and select
<guimenuitem>Link</guimenuitem>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Enter the address you wish to link to in the
<guilabel>URL</guilabel> field.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Press <guibutton>OK</guibutton>.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
<para>
To add an image to your HTML message:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Select
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Insert</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Image</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click <guibutton>Browse</guibutton> to select the image
you want to include in your email.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Along the right side of the window, choose the alignment,
border, and other attributes of the image. If you change
the size attributes, the image will be shrunk or stretched
to fit the size you have chosen.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
If you would like to make the image a clickable link,
enter a URL in the <guilabel>Link</guilabel> tab of the
window.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
When you are finished, press
<guibutton>Insert</guibutton> to include the image in
your message.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
<para>
You can insert an image into the background of your message by
right-clicking on the message background and selecting
<guimenuitem>Page</guimenuitem>. From that dialog, you may
also select background color and set other general options
about the html message you are composing.
</para>
<sect3 id="html-templates">
<title>HTML Templates</title>
<para>
<application>Evolution</application> not only allows you to
decorate your email with HTML text and graphics, but
provides you with prebuilt templates for you to use when
making these improvements. You can use these to emphasize a
point or frame an image in an attractive manner.
</para>
<para>
To include a template into your HTML based email:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Create a new email by clicking <guibutton>New Message</guibutton>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Make sure that the
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>
Format
</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>
HTML
</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
selector is checked.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click the <guibutton>HTML Template</guibutton> button in the
<guilabel>Toolbar</guilabel> or select
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>
Insert
</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>
HTML Template
</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select the template type in the
<guilabel>Template</guilabel> selection box. Your
options are <guilabel>Note</guilabel> and
<guilabel>Image Frame</guilabel>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Set the size and alignment of the HTML template.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click <guibutton>Insert</guibutton> to insert it where the
cursor is.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click on the text in the template, and enter the text
you want to use.
</para>
<para>
If you have selected an image frame template,
right-click on the image and select
<guimenuitem>Image</guimenuitem> to select the image
you want to place in the frame.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3 id="composer-tables">
<title>Tables in Email</title>
<para>
<application>Evolution</application> allows you to put
tables in your HTML email to help organize your thoughts.
These tables are a simplified version of what you might find
in a spreadsheet program like
<application>Gnumeric</application>.
</para>
<para>
To include a table in your email:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Create a new email by clicking <guibutton>New Message</guibutton>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Make sure you have the
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>
Format
</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>
HTML
</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
selector checked.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>
Insert
</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>
Table
</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
or click the <guiicon>Table</guiicon> button in the
toolbar.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select the template, or style, you want to use for the
table.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Set the number of rows and columns you want.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click the <guibutton>Insert</guibutton> button.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click in a cell and type to insert text into the table.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
<para>
You can also edit a table after creation. Just right-click
on it and select <guimenuitem>Table</guimenuitem> to open
the table editing window again. Or, you can select items
from the <guimenu>Table Delete</guimenu> and <guimenu>Table
Insert</guimenu> menus.
</para>
<para>
<tip id="table-tip">
<title>Deleting an Entire Table</title>
<para>
You can delete an entire table by right-clicking on
a table or other HTML object in a message, and selecting
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Table Delete</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Table</guimenuitem> </menuchoice>. In an
HMTL message, your signature, templates, and image
inclusions all have tables around them, and you can remove
them completely and quickly with this shortcut.
</para>
</tip>
</para>
</sect3>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="usage-mail-getnsend-fwd">
<title>Forwarding Mail</title>
<para>
The post office forwards your mail for you when you change
addresses, and you can forward a letter if it comes to you by mistake.
The email <guilabel>Forward</guilabel> button
works in much the same way. It's particularly useful if you
have received a message and you think someone else would
like to see it. You can forward a message as an attachment
to a new message (this is the default) or
you can send it <glossterm linkend="inline">inline</glossterm> as a quoted
portion of the message you are sending. Attachment
forwarding is best if you want to send the full, unaltered
message on to someone else. Inline forwarding is best if
you want to send portions of a message, or if you have a
large number of comments on different sections of the
message you are forwarding. Remember to note from whom the
message came, and where, if at all, you have removed or
altered content.
</para>
<para>
To forward a message you are reading, press
<guibutton>Forward</guibutton> on the toolbar, or select
<menuchoice> <guimenu>Message</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Forward</guimenuitem> </menuchoice>. If you
prefer to forward the message <glossterm linkend="inline">inline</glossterm>
instead of attached, select <menuchoice>
<guimenu>Message</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Forward
Inline</guimenuitem> </menuchoice> from the menu. Choose an
addressee as you would when sending a new message; the
subject will already be entered, but you can alter it.
Enter your comments on the message in the
<interface>composition frame</interface>, and press
<guibutton>Send</guibutton>.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="usage-mail-getnsend-ettiquette">
<title>Seven Tips for Email Courtesy</title>
<para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Don't send spam or forward chain mail. If you must,
watch out for hoaxes and urban legends, and make sure
the message doesn't have multiple layers of
greater-than signs, (>) indicating multiple layers
of careless in-line forwarding.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Always begin and close with a salutation. Say "please"
and "thank you," just like you do in real life. You
can keep your pleasantries short, but be pleasant!
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
WRITING IN CAPITAL LETTERS MEANS YOU'RE SHOUTING!
Don't write a whole message in capital letters. It
hurts people's ears.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Check your spelling and use complete sentences. By
default, <application>Evolution</application> will put
a red line beneath words it doesn't recognize, as you
type them.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Don't send nasty emails (flames). If you get one,
don't write back.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
When you reply or forward, include just enough of
the previous message to provide context: not too
much, not too little.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Don't send spam.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="fancy-mail">
<title>Making Your Email More Fancy</title>
<para>
<application>Evolution</application> can do a lot with email
by utilizing the HTML features. Making an email functional
and visually attractive can be challenging. The following
section provides tips to make your mail functional, while
being more visually attractive than ever.
</para>
<sect3 id="sections-bolded-title">
<title>Sections Outlined in Bold</title>
<para>
Indented sections are a great way to categorize and group
your thoughts together. Below is an example of indented
text with headings to help separate your thoughts into the
proper sections:
<figure>
<title>Indented Text with Headlines</title>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo></screeninfo>
<graphic format="PNG" fileref="figures/outline" srccredit="Kevin Breit"/>
</screenshot>
</figure>
</para>
<para>
This message is not only more attractive, but more
informative. Each section is broken down into subsctions.
The title for each section is in bold text, with the
following content indented.
</para>
<para>
You may want to increase the size of your section headlings
instead of merely putting them in bold. Header size 4 is
often the best choice, since it is not too large. You can
change your text to size 4 by selecting it and pressing
Ctrl+4. You can set your text to the normal text size by
hitting Ctrl+0.
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3 id="bulleted-lists">
<title>Bulleted Lists</title>
<para>
Select the <guimenuitem>Bulleted List</guimenuitem> option
from the text style drop-down box to begin making a bulleted
list. <application>Evolution</application> will handle the
word wrap and indentation for you. If you prefer to send
the message in plain text, you can still write it up in
HTML, and <application>Evolution</application> will convert
to a well-formed plain-text bulleted list, using asterisks
instead of HTML bullets.
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3 id="inline-images">
<title>Images In Your Email</title>
<para>
Images can help people to understand your point. You can
even use a HTML Picture Frame Template in
<application>Evolution</application>, which looks very
attractive and sets your image off from the rest of your
message with a border and caption.
</para>
<para>
If you do choose to use images, try to keep them narrow. If
your images are wider than 400 pixels, the image may not fit
in the whole email window, making it hard for your reader to
read the email and view the image. Consider using a smaller
version ("thumbnail") of your image, and offering a link to
the larger version your readers can view in a web browser if
they want.
<figure>
<title>Images in an email</title>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo></screeninfo>
<graphic format="PNG" fileref="figures/small_desktop" srccredit="Kevin Breit"/>
</screenshot>
</figure>
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3 id="color-suggestions">
<title>Coloring Your Text</title>
<para>
Colors can help bring words or sentences out for emphasis. You
should choose your colors carefully though, as the wrong color
can be distracting. Some good colors to use would be:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Light brown
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Dull purple
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Dark red
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<!-- Include a screenshot -->
Notice how these colors are similar saturation <!-- Confirm I am using the right word -->
</para>
<para>
Happy mailing!
</para>
</sect3>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="rsvp-stuff">
<title>RSVPs in Mail</title>
<para>
If you create an event in the calendar component, you can then
send invitations to the attendee list through the
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> email tool. The
invitation card is sent as an attachment in iCal format.
</para>
<para>
If you click on the attachment button and click the
<guibutton>View Inline</guibutton>, <application>Ximian
Evolution</application> will show you information about the
meeting, and let you respond to the meeting in several ways.
Select the response that you would like, and then click the
<guibutton>OK</guibutton> button.
</para>
<para>
Your options are:
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term>Accept:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Select this entry if you will attend the meeting. When you
click the <guibutton>OK</guibutton> button, the meeting will
be entered into your calendar.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Tentatively Accept:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Select this entry if you will probably attend the meeting.
When you click the <guibutton>OK</guibutton> button, the
meeting will be entered into your calendar, but marked as
tentative.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Decline:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Select this item if you will be unable to attend the
meeting. The meeting will not be entered into your calendar
when you click the <guibutton>OK</guibutton>, although your
response will be sent to the meeting host if you have
checked the <guilabel>RSVP</guilabel> box.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>RSVP:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Check this box if you would like your response sent to
the meeting organizers.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="usage-mail-subscriptions">
<title>Subscription Management</title>
<para>
Since IMAP folders exist on the server, and opening them or
checking them takes time, you need fine-grained control over the
way that you use IMAP folders. That's why
<application>Evolution</application> has an IMAP subscriptions
manager. If you prefer to have every mail folder displayed, you
can select that option as well. However, if you'd like to choose
specific items in your mailbox, and exclude others, you can use
the subscription management tool to do that.
</para>
<para>
Here's how:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Select
<menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu><guimenuitem>Subscribe
to Folders</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
If you have accounts on multiple IMAP servers, select the
server where you'd like to manage your
subscriptions. <application>Evolution</application> will
display a list of available files and folders.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select a file or folder by clicking on it. You will want
to select at least the <guilabel>INBOX</guilabel>
folder. Depending upon the way your IMAP server is
configured, the list of available files may include
non-mail folders. If it does, you can ignore them.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click the <guibutton>Subscribe</guibutton> to add it to
the subscribed list.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
When you have subscribed to the folders you want, close
the window.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="encryption">
<title>Encryption</title>
<sect2 id="encryption-whatis">
<title>What is Encryption?</title>
<para>
Encryption is an ancient method of keeping information safe
from prying eyes. <application>Evolution</application> helps
you you protect your privacy by using
<application>gpg</application>, an implementation of strong
<glossterm linkend="public-key-encryption">Public Key
Encryption.</glossterm>
</para>
<note id="pub-priv">
<title>Public Key? Private Key? What is the difference?</title>
<para>
GPG uses two keys: public and private. You can give your
public key to anyone you want to receive
encrypted messages, or put it on a public key server so
that people can look it up before contacting you.
<emphasis>Never give your private key to anyone,
ever</emphasis>. Your private key lets you decrypt any
message encrypted with your public key.
</para>
</note>
<para>
Using encryption takes a bit of forethought. When you send a
message that is encrypted, you must encrypt it using your
intended recipient's public key. To <emphasis>get</emphasis>
an encrypted message, you must make sure that the sender has
your public key in advance. For signing messages, it's
reversed: you encrypt the signature with your private key, so
only your public key can unlock it. When you send it, the
recipient gets your public key and unlocks the signature,
verifying your identity.
</para>
<para>
You can use encryption in two different ways:
<simplelist>
<member>
Encrypt the entire message, so that nobody but the recipient can read it.
</member>
<member>
Attach an encrypted signature to a plain text message, so
that the recipient can read the message without decrypting
it, and only needs decryption to verify the sender's
identity.
</member>
</simplelist>
</para>
<example>
<title>Sending an Encrypted Messagee</title>
<para>
Kevin wants to send an encrypted message to his friend
Rachel. He looks up her public key on a general key
server, and then tells
<application>Evolution</application> to encrypt the
message. The message now reads "@#$23ui7yr87#@!48970fsd."
When the information gets to Rachel, she decrypts it using
her private key, and it appears as plain text for her to
read.
</para>
</example>
<tip id="always-sign">
<title>Always Sign</title>
<para>
You can set <application>Evolution</application> to always sign your email messages:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Open your account preferences.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Open the <guilabel>Security</guilabel> tab.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click the <guibutton>Always sign outgoing messages when using this account</guibutton> button.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</tip>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="encryption-keygen">
<title>Making Encryption Keys</title>
<para>
Before you can get or send encrypted mail, you need to
generate your public and private keys with GPG. Here's how:
</para>
<tip>
<title>GPG Versions</title>
<para>
This manual covers version 1.0.6 of GPG. If your version is
different, this may not be entirely accurate. You may find
out your version number by typing in: <command>gpg
--version</command>.
</para>
</tip>
<para>
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Open a terminal and type <command>gpg --gen-key</command>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Choose the default algorythm, "DSA and ElGamal."
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Choose a key length. The default, 1024 bits, should be
long enough.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Decide if you want your key to expire automatically, and if so, when.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Enter your name, email address, and any additional
personal information you think is appropriate. Do not
falsify this information, because it will be needed to
verify your identity later on.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Next, enter your passphrase. It does not have to be the
same as your email password or your login password. In
fact, it probably shouldn't. Don't forget it. If you lose
it, your keys will be useless and you will be unable to
decrypt messages sent to you with those keys.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Now, GPG will generate your keys. This may take awhile,
so feel free to do something else while it's
happening. In fact, using your computer for something
else actually helps to generate better keys, because it
increases the randomness in the key generation seeds.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
<para>
Once the keys are generated, you can view your key information
by typing <command>gpg --list-keys</command>. You should see
something similar to this:
<programlisting>
/home/you/.gnupg/pubring.gpg
----------------------------
pub 1024D/32j38dk2 2001-06-20 you <you@your-address.com>
sub 1024g/289sklj3 2001-06-20 [expires: 2002-11-14]
</programlisting>
</para>
<para>
GPG will create one list, or keyring, for your public keys
and one for your private keys. All the public keys you know
are stored in the file
<filename>~/.gnupg/pubring.gpg</filename>. If you want to
give other people your key, send them that file.
</para>
<para>
If you wish, you can upload your keys to a keyserver. Here's
how:
<orderedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Check your public key ID with <command>gpg
--list-keys</command>. It will be the string after 1024D on the line
beginning with "pub." In this example, it's 32j38dk2.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Enter the command <command>gpg --send-keys --keyserver
wwwkeys.pgp.net 32j38dk2</command>. Substitute your key ID for
32j38dk2. You will need your password to do this.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
<note id="why-keyserver">
<title>Why Use a Keyserver?</title>
<para>
Keyservers store your public keys for you so that your
friends can decrypt your messages. If you choose not to
use a keyserver, you can manually send your people public
key, include it in your signature file, or put it on your
own web page. However, it's easier to publish them once,
and then let people download them from the keyserver when
they want.
</para>
<para>
If you don't have a key you need to unlock or encrypt a
message, you can have your encryption tool set to look it
up automatically. If it can't find the key, then you'll
get an error message.
</para>
</note>
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="encrypt-getting-key">
<title>Getting and Using Public Keys</title>
<para>
To encrypt a message to your someone else you'll need to use
their public key in combination with your private key.
<application>Evolution</application> does that for you, but
you still need to get their key and add it to your keyring.
</para>
<para>
To get public keys from a public key server, enter the
command:
<command>
gpg --recv-keys --keyserver wwwkeys.pgp.net keyid
</command>, substituting "keyid" for your recipient's ID. You
will need to type in your password, and then their ID will
automatically be added to your keyring. When you send mail to
them, <application>Evolution</application> will allow you to
encrypt your messages.
</para>
<para>
If someone sends you their public key directly, save it as a
plain text file and enter the command <command>gpg
filename</command>. This will add it to your keyring.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="encrypt-evo-integ">
<title>Setting up Evolution's Encryption</title>
<para>
You'll need to open
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Tools</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Settings</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
and select the <guilabel>Mail Accounts</guilabel> button, then
select the account you want to use securely, and click the
<guibutton>Edit</guibutton> button. Then, select the
<guilabel>Security</guilabel> tab in the account dialog. In the
<guilabel>Security</guilabel> tab is a section labeled
<guilabel>Pretty Good Privacy</guilabel>. Enter your key ID
and click <guibutton>OK</guibutton>. Your key is now
integrated into your identity in
<application>Evolution</application>.
</para>
<note>
<title>What is my Key ID again?</title>
<para>
<application>Evolution</application> requires that you know your key ID. If you don't remember it, you can find it by typing <command>gpg --list-keys</command> in a console window. Your key ID will be an eight character string with random numbers and letters.
</para>
</note>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="encrypt-sending">
<title>Sending Encrypted Messages</title>
<para>
As you know, you can use encryption to hide the entire
message, or just to verify your signature. Once you've
generated your public and private keys, and have the public
keys of the people to whom you want to send mail, here's what
to do:
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="sign-msg">
<title>Signing a Message</title>
<para>
To sign a message, choose:
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Security</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>PGP Sign</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
. You will be prompted for your PGP password. Once you enter it,
click <guibutton>OK</guibutton> and your message will be signed.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="encrypt-msg">
<title>Encrypting a Message</title>
<para>
Encrypting a message is very similar to signing a message.
Just choose the menu item
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Security</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>PGP Encrypt</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="unencrypting">
<title>Unencrypting a Received Message</title>
<para>
If you get an encrypted message, you will need to decrypt it
before you read it. Remember, the sender has to have your
public key before they can send you an encrypted message.
</para>
<para>
When you view the message,
<application>Evolution</application> will ask you for your
PGP password. Enter it, and the message will be displayed
properly.
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
</chapter>
