Difference between revisions of "Learn Thunderbird"

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==Saving the file==
 
==Saving the file==
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In Thunderbird, each mail is stored as a file with a .eml extension
  
 
==Export and publishing files==
 
==Export and publishing files==

Revision as of 03:55, 14 October 2016

Introduction

ICT Competency

Connecting and learning

Educational application and relevance

Thunderbird is an email client. It will help teachers and students to share information and resources with one another. The emails in thunderbird are like a library, since emails (and resources) can be categorized and stored and searched and retrieved later.

Version

Thunderbird Version 45.2.0 on Ubuntu GNU/Linux

Configuration

Thunderbird needs to be configured on your computer, by providing the email account, incoming and outgoing server information to your computer. Any paid email provider will give you this information. Free (mufta) email provider such as gmail also provides this information. In our illustration below, we will take gmail (from google) for configuring on Thunderbird on your computer.

Configuration of Thunderbird on your computer can be done in two parts. 1. Configuring your gmail to allow mail download to your computer / mail client 2. Configuring your Thunderbird mail client, this consists of four steps

Overview of Features

Thunderbird is an email client, which does the usual functions of mailing – receiving, sending and storing emails. Mails can be stored in folders and sub folders to categorize mails based on subjects or senders or time periods or a combination of these. Files can be attached and shared with others. Emails can be searched easily by providing information on different elements such as sender, receiver, date etc. Mail ids can be connected to form ‘mailing-lists’ (such as google groups), by which, mail sent to the list id will be sent to all members of the group, this is ideal to create ‘professional learning communities’ of teachers with a common interest or need.

Other similar applications

Other free email clients include Evolution, Kmail, Claws mail etc. Microsoft Outlook is a proprietary email client, so is gmail.

Development and community help

Working with the application

Functionalities

Thunderbird_1_Configuring_gmail_for_enabling_download_to_thunderbird.png


Thunderbird_2_Configuring_Thunderbird_on_your_computer_1st_step.png



Step 1- Configuring your gmail to allow mail download to your computer / mail client

You can read your Gmail messages from a client or device that supports POP, like Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird. To enable POP in Gmail: Sign in to Gmail. Click the gear icon in the upper-right and select Mail settings at the top of any Gmail page. Click Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Select Enable POP for all mail or Enable POP for mail that arrives from now on.

Step 2- Configuring your Thunderbird mail client – incoming server

To add a new mail account in Thunderbird, follow the steps: When you open Thunderbird for the first time you need to create a mail account (your existing e-mail account). Go to File → New → Mail Account.

Thunderbird_3_Configuring_Thunderbird_on_your_computer_2nd_step.png


Thunderbird_4_Configuring_Thunderbird_on_your_computer_3rd_step.png


Step 3-Configuring your Thunderbird mail client – step 2 providing the email account / id and password Step 4-Configuring your Thunderbird mail client – step 3, setting up the incoming server settings.
Thunderbird_5_Configuring_Thunderbird_on_your_computer_4th_step.png


Thunderbird_6_Seeing_receiving_and_sending_email.png


Step 5-Configuring your Thunderbird mail client – this is the screen Step 6-On opening Thunderbird, you will see the ‘mail folders’ on the left side. Selecting any folder will display the mails in the folder.

Click on Get messages (for receiving), and Write (for replying)

Thunderbird_7_creating_folders.png


Thunderbird_8_tagging_emails_as_reminders.png


Step 7-Categorizing mails by storing in folders and sub folders. Right click on any folder to create a ‘sub-folder’ to that folder. Step 8-Tagging mails for setting reminders
Thunderbird_9_saving_mail_as_draft.png


Thunderbird_10_Sending_mail_when_offline.png


Step 9-Storing a mail drafts folder if still not completed.

(A mail can be saved before sending in the ‘Drafts’ folder)

Step 10-Sending a mail to ‘Outbox’ folder, when off-line, to send later when connected to Internet (A mail once ready to be sent, can be saved in the ‘Outbox’ folder by typing CTRL-SHIFT-ENTER at same time, this will save the message in the Outbox folder. This is useful to do, if you do not have connectivity at that time. Later, when you get connected to the Internet, you can right click on the Outbox folder to ‘send unsent messages’.
Thunderbird_11_message_filters.png


Thunderbird_12_search_mails.png


Step 11-You can create a ‘mail filter’ by clicking on Tools → Message Filters – New. You can move any mail satisfying your condition (a particular sender email id) to a specified folder etc. This feature can be used to move ‘group’ or mailing list emails to a separate folder, without flooding your inbox

Filters can be setup by person, by subject line, by list Filters are executed in the order displayed. In case of multiple filters, you can set priority for running the filters.

Step 12-One of the powerful uses of a mail client is to be able to search for any mail (or set of mails) by providing parameters. For instance, if you want a resource shared by a particular teacher few months ago, you can search for mails in the relevant folder, by giving the sender id and specifying that the mail had attachments. The retrieved results will be shown in a window and mails in this list can be opened. The parameters for search include -

Sender id, Receiver id, With / without attachments, Size of file, Age of mail etc You can also have combinations of parameters using both “AND” and “OR” claus.





File formats for creation

Saving the file

In Thunderbird, each mail is stored as a file with a .eml extension

Export and publishing files

Advanced features

Installation

Method of installation Steps
From Ubuntu software Centre Steps
From Terminal Steps
From the web Steps
Web based registration Steps

The application on mobiles and tablets

Ideas for resource creation

References

How to use template

{{subst:Explore_an_application}} on the page you create for your tool. Page Name should be "Learn ToolName"