path: root/help/C/evolution-faq.sgml

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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>
            Right-click on the folder and select the
            <guimenuitem>Delete</guimenuitem> or
            <guimenuitem>Rename</guimenuitem> items.
      </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 nearly done.
      </para>

      <para>
        In the meantime, right-click on the folders or messages
        you want to move, and select the
        <guimenuitem>Move</guimenuitem> or
        <guimenuitem>Copy</guimenuitem> options.
      </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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