What's new in GopherMail 1.5?

• Support for 'virtual hosts'. Same instance of GopherMail can use multiple URLS (i.e, cougarmail.morris.umn.edu).
• Clicking [Messages] gets new mail.
• New user preference to spell check messages on send. Go to [Settings] > [Compose] > check "Spell-check before sending" option.
• New Compose screen buttons appear above as well as below message body.
• Error messages appear larger to be more visible to users.
• IMAP root folder prefix (i.e., mail/ ) is no longer displayed with folder names in drop-down lists.
• To reduce graphical clutter, message list displays small plain bullet for opened messages. Icons for new, deleted, and replied-to remain the same.

What's new in GopherMail 1.3?

• The Compose screen has been redesigned to allow users to view the contents of their addressbook by clicking the [Addresses] button. Simply select any address from the list and add it as a recipient, or click [Directory] to search the University's Directory.
• You can choose the option to compose a new message in a separate window.
• Message list has a more prominent Search/Advanced search tab.
• Address book entries per page maximum has been increased to 1,000 (this is the default).
• Import Webmail Pro addresses! tool now available from [Addressbook] > [Transfer], as well as the Welcome screen.

What are some of the features of GopherMail?

GopherMail is a fully featured Webmail program. Its features include:

• Search on sender, subject, date, size, text.
• View and forward HTML messages.
• Save draft messages.
• Forward attachments.
• Populate address book via U of M directory search.
• Download entire mailboxes (UNIX format).
• Threaded message view.
• Import/export address books.
• Ability to have multiple Personal Identities (or Roles).
• Define personal dictionary words.
• Use nicknames (aliases) for composition.
• Deny senders, set auto-reply options, and more.

How was GopherMail created?

The Office of Information Technology began the GopherMail project with the University of Cambridge's open source Webmail program called Prayer. This open source program has been heavily customized to meet the needs of our user community after usability testing and feedback on a Beta release. Prayer is licensed under the General Public License (GPL) agreement.

How can I copy my WebMail Pro's address book to GopherMail?

This process does NOT merge WebMail Pro, WebMail 3.0, and GopherMail's address books; this process replaces your GopherMail address book with your WebMail Pro address book.

1. Verify that the address book you want to use is WebMail Pro's address book; address books cannot be merged. 
2. Log in to your personal file space using an SFTP client to view the files in your home directory.
3. Delete the .umn_addressbook file from your account's directory. Be sure to back up the file before you delete it.
4. Log in to WebMail 3.0. WebMail Pro's address book is automatically copied to WebMail 3.
5. Make a change to WebMail 3.0's address book, i.e., add an entry. WebMail 3.0 creates the .umn_addressbook file and saves it to your account's home directory.
6. Log out of WebMail 3.0 <-- VERY IMPORTANT STEP!
7. Log into GopherMail. To view your address book, click on [Addressbook].

Where can I go for help?

GopherMail's help screens are available at every step of the way! Just click the question mark found at the top right of every screen in GopherMail to get information about a specific command, feature, or option found on that screen.

For further assistance, please contact the 1-HELP Technology Helpline.

Call 612-301-4357, on campus dial 1-4357, or send an e-mail to help@umn.edu.

Why do I get a "The page cannot be displayed" error when I attempt to go to GopherMail using Internet Explorer?

The page cannot be displayed error will appear for Internet Explorer (I.E.) users who enter "gophermail.umn.edu" in the address bar without the "http://" or "www." I.E. is attempting to use the "gopher" protocol, instead of http. To prevent this error from appearing, enter "http://gophermail.umn.edu" or "www.gophermail.umn.edu" in I.E.'s address bar. Any other Web browser will immediately navigate to GopherMail when the "http://" is omitted from the URL (Web site's address).

What web browsers does GopherMail support?

JavaScript and cookies must be enabled with all of the following browsers: Internet Explorer 6 and above, Firefox 1.x/Netscape 7.x, Firefox 1.5, Opera, Safari 1.x, and Safari 2.x

What web browsers are NOT supported by GopherMail?

Netscape 4.x and older.

What does "Login failed. Status: No such host as <InternetID>.email.umn.edu Please try again" mean?

The user attempting to log in to GopherMail does not have an e-mail inbox. Prospective students are not given an e-mail account until AFTER the enrollment confirmation fee is paid in full.

How much e-mail can I have stored on my account?

There is currently 1 GB (Gigabyte) of storage space in your e-mail account (this is for folders or files). Please keep your inbox under 20 MB.

When I log in to GopherMail, the page that has my oldest, unread e-mail message appears. Is there any way to change that setting?

Yes. An update was put into production in May 2006 that allows users to sort their inbox by most recent mail.

To make this change, log in to GopherMail. Click [Settings] > click [Display] > go to [When I log in, show me:] > select [Most recent message] > click [Change for this a future sessions]. The next time you log in, the page that has your most recent mail will appear.

Why do I only see 10 messages when I log in? I know I have a lot more messages than that! Where are they?

GopherMail divides your mailbox's index into 10 messages per page by default. You can change this by clicking [Settings], then [Display]. Locate the [Messages per page:] field on the left side and change the value to a number from 10 to 100.

Where is my address book?

GopherMail has "Import my address book from Webmail Pro" default option on its [Welcome to the GopherMail Webmail Service] screen available the first time you login. If you want to import your addresses from WebMail Pro, then click [Proceed] and WebMail Pro's address book will be imported. At this time, a new .umn_addressbook file will be created in your Internet account's home directory. This .umn_addressbook file will be shared with WebMail 3.0 (not WebMail Pro). So when you make a change in your GopherMail's address book, the change will appear in your WebMail 3.0's address book. With an update that was put into production in November 2006, you can now import your WebMail's address book at any time by using the "Import from Webmail Pro/3.0" tool. Go to [Addressbook] > [Transfer] > click [Import WebMail Pro addresses!] button. A "Status" messages will appear to let you know how many addresses GopherMail successfully imported from WebMail.

The "Import my address book from Webmail Pro" option did not appear when I logged into GopherMail. Why?

You may already be sharing your WebMail's address book file. This option is only available on GopherMail's [Welcome to the GopherMail Webmail Service] screen. There is an option to turn off this welcome screen in [Settings]. With an update that was put into production in November 2006, you can now import your WebMail's address book at any time by using the "Import from Webmail Pro/3.0" tool. Go to [Addressbook] > [Transfer] > click [Import WebMail Pro addresses!] button. A "Status" messages will appear to let you know how many addresses GopherMail successfully imported from WebMail.

Where can I find my sent mail?

GopherMail automatically creates a "sent-mail" folder for you when you send your first message. If you already have a folder titled "sent-mail," GopherMail will just keep a copy of all your sent mail in that existing folder. Should you ever want to change this option, go to [Settings] and select [Compose] and then locate the [Save copies of sent messages] option, and make your changes accordingly. If you want to use a different folder, you must create the folder first and then enter its name in the [Sent Mail Folder:] field.

Can I save a draft of a message?

Yes, you can. When composing a message, click the [Postpone] button and GopherMail automatically saves it in the "Drafts" folder. If you do not have a "Drafts" folder, GopherMail will automatically create one for you the first time you use the postpone feature.

How do I locate a draft of a message?

Go to [Folders] and then click the [Drafts] folder and a list of your draft messages appear. GopherMail automatically creates this Draft folder when you click the [Postpone] button on the [Compose] screen.

Does GopherMail support international character sets?

GopherMail does not support the viewing or writing of international character sets.

Can I use HTML coding in my messages with GopherMail?

No. While GopherMail supports the viewing of most HTML messages, it does not have an HTML editor.

Is there a way to compose a new message in a separate window?

Yes, go to [Settings] > [Compose] > and check [Compose new messages in a separate window] option > click then click [Change for this and future sessions] button.

Does GopherMail support the viewing of HTML messages?

While viewing HTML is supported, support for composing e-mail with HTML or rich text elements is not planned at this time for GopherMail. Forwarding messages that contain HTML is also supported.

GopherMail attempts to remove all forms of scripting from HTML e-mail as follows:

Specifically, the open and close tags are removed for the following HTML tags: SCRIPT, APP, APPLET, SERVER, OBJECT, HTML, HEAD, BODY, META, TITLE, FRAME, LINK, and IFRAME.

The following HTML attributes are stripped from every tag:

ONLOAD=, ONMOUSEOVER=, and all ON*= attributes; TARGET=, CODE=, CODETYPE=, and LANGUAGE= are removed; TARGET=_blank is added to  all <A> tags.

Image (IMG) tags are removed and replaced with an A tag, in order to keep the HTTP client from automatically loading any images from external Web sites, upon opening a given message. We allow IMG tags, but the SRC argument is a /redirect to prevent "Referrer:" attacks. Like IMP we replace tags with <cleaned_tag>. This way the browser should quietly ignore the noise inside a tag that we want to kill.

If I forward a message that contains HTML, will the recipient receive the message intact?

Forwarding a message that contains HTML is also supported; however, for network security reasons GopherMail will strip out the HTML tags listed (above) in [Does GopherMail support the viewing of HTML messages?]. The message will be forwarded as an attachment.

Can I compose a message using HTML and rich text elements like bold and italics?

Unfortunately, you cannot. Support for composing e-mail with HTML or rich text elements is not planned at this time for GopherMail.

How do I select all of the messages on a page?

Check the box next to pound sign [#] that is in the same row as the column titles to select/deselect all the messages on a page. Selecting messages is not carried over from one page to another.

Is there any way to view the time a message arrived in my inbox index?

Yes. An update was put into production in May 2006 that will list any message you received TODAY with the time; subsequent messages will list the arrival date. The arrival time of the message can be seen when you view the message.

When I am viewing a message and click the next message arrow, why does GopherMail go to a previous message instead of the next and vice versa?

It depends on the way you last sorted your mailbox's index. If you chose a reverse sort order, then viewed a message, and then clicked the next message arrow button, the next message would follow through with your sort order (reverse).

Is there a search feature in GopherMail?

Yes, GopherMail allows you to search by the following within each mail folder:

• From The person's name or e-mail address who sent the message.
• To Any e-mail address or name that appears in the To: field. This can be useful if you are on a list serve and want to find messages that were sent to both you and other parties.
• Cc Any e-mail address or name in the Cc: field.
• Recipient Any e-mail address or name in the To: or Cc: fields.
• Participant Any e-mail address or name in the To:, Cc:, or From: fields.
• Subject Searches the subject line.
• Text Searches the body text and header information which includes fields such as Subject:, From:, To:, Cc:, Bcc:, Date:, Message-Id:, etc.

Can I search all of my mail folders at one time, or do I have to search each individual folder?

GopherMail does not perform its search across folders; you must perform any search folder by folder.

How do I get all my messages to return after I perform a search?

In the [Change to:] drop-down menu, select [Inbox] and then select [Go]. The messages in the Inbox will appear.

When I click the Folders button, why doesn't my Inbox show up?

GopherMail's inbox is displayed in the folder list. To access your account's inbox, choose INBOX in the [Change to:] drop-down menu and press [Go].

How do I create new folders?

To create a new folder (or new mailbox) click [Folders] and then click [Create New Mailbox]. In the [Create folder:] field, enter the name of your folder. Your new mailbox will appear in alphabetical order among your other mailboxes, lowercase names appearing before uppercase names.

Can I create nested folders in GopherMail?

Yes, GopherMail does support the creation of nested folders. Just remember, like any other e-mail program, your folders cannot contain a mix of folders and messages.

Why don't all of my folders appear in the Change to: or the Move Marked to: drop-down menu?

GopherMail gives you the option of selecting favorite folders to make your Change to: and Move Marked to list contain fewer folders. To set a "Favorite" folder, go to [Folders] follow the [Favorite Folders] link, and then select the [Add to Favorites] link next to any folder you want to include in your Change to: list.

To remove a favorite folder from the list, go to [Folders] follow the [Favorite Folders] link, and then follow the [Remove from Favorites] for any folder you want to remove from your Change to: list.

Can I change the folder that appears at the top of my Change to: drop-down menu?

Yes, you can. Any folder that is set as a "Preferred Folder" appears at the very top of your Change to: list, and only one folder can be the "Preferred Folder." To choose a preferred folder, the folder must first be a "favorite folder." Once you have a list of favorite folders, the "Make Preferred" link will appear next to your favorites list. The status of your new preferred folder will be changed to "Current Preferred." INBOX will always have the "Make Preferred" link present.

My INBOX used to always appear at the top of my [Change to:] drop down menu, and now it does not. How can I get it back to the top of the list?

Go to [Folders] and then follow the [Favorite Folders] link. Click the "Make Preferred" link next to INBOX. Your INBOX will now be listed first in the [Change to:] drop-down menu.

Why do I receive the message "Status: Attachment too large" when attempting to attach a file to a new e-mail message?

GopherMail does not allow sending of attachments larger than 10 MB. You can use a mail client such as Mozilla Thunderbird or Microsoft Outlook, which will allow you to send attachments greater than 10 MB. There is no size limit for e-mail attachments received other than your 1 GB mailbox space.

I want to forward a message that already has an attachment to another recipient. Will the attachment automatically forward along with the message?

Yes. Remember that GopherMail does not allow forwarding of attachments larger than 10 MB.

When composing a message, I clicked on the Addressbook button, searched for a contact in the [Name:] field, and then clicked on the Search Directory button. How do I return to my Draft message?

After checking the appropriate [To], [Cc], or [Bcc] box next to the name(s) of recipients and then click [Add marked to draft]. A status message appears near the top of the screen: "Status: Added (# of) addresses to draft." Click [Compose] to return to your draft message.

Normally I use another client to check my e-mail, but I used GopherMail to check my e-mail last time. Now, using my client, I see a message that says DO NOT DELETE THIS MESSAGE. What do I do?

Many users use a POP3 based e-mail client; however, GopherMail is IMAP-based. The IMAP server uses the DO NOT DELETE message to insert settings into your mail folder on the IMAP server. When you check your e-mail with a POP3 client, the message appears. It is safe to delete the message.

What is the best way to enter an address in GopherMail's Addressbook?

There are a few different ways to add entries to your address book.

1. Follow the recipient's link while reading the message. The easiest way is to add an address, is to do it while you are reading the message. Just click any recipient's link found at the top of the message. After clicking on the recipient's link, the Addressbook Entry screen appears. You can enter a nickname for the e-mail address, and then click [Add entry].

2. Use the Addressbook's [Add] link. Click [Addressbook] then follow the [Add] link and then completed the requested information. Click [Add entry] to add it to your address book.

3. Use GopherMail's [Search Directory] field to search the U of M Directory. To use the U of M directory search, find the [Search Directory] field in the Addressbook. Enter the name of the individual in the [Search Directory] field. From the list of possible matches, follow the [Add] link under the [Address Book] column. The Addressbook Entry screen appears, click [Add entry] and the information is added to GopherMail's addressbook.

When searching for a contact using Addressbook's Search Directory, why does "Status: Error: Too many matches, refine search error message" appear?

You need to include more criteria in the search, such as first and last name.

Can I search for entries in my own address book instead of Directory Search?

Yes, you can. Go to [Addressbook] and then follow the [Advanced Search] link found at the top and bottom of the addressbook list. When [Addressbook Search] screen appears, you can enter multiple criteria to include in your search, i.e. Name, Nickname, Address. Once a list of matching entries appears, you can click on the "Compose fresh message" link and the [Compose] screen appears.

Why do some of my Addressbook entries show up looking like " "\"\\\"Lastname, Firstname\\\"\"" instead of an e-mail address?

Importing addresses from Microsoft Outlook can cause this to happen. You can use Addressbook's edit feature to correct this entry.

Can GopherMail import an address book from another e-mail program?

Yes, GopherMail can import two different forms of addressbook files: CSV (comma-separated value) and txt (tab-delimited). To use an addressbook from another e-mail client, you will first need to find a method of saving or exporting the addressbook into either the CSV or TXT (tab-delimited) format.

Can GopherMail export its addressbook so that I can use it in another e-mail program?

Yes, GopherMail can export two different forms of addressbook files: CSV (comma-separated value) and txt (tab-delimited).

When creating a group in GopherMail's address book, it does not use all of the e-mail addresses that I checked. Why?

GopherMail's addressbook cannot select addresses across pages of the address book to create a group. In the [Address(es)] field, enter either the full e-mail address of the group members or the nicknames of existing addressbook entries. Addresses must be separated by commas. Enter a nickname for the group. Then click [Add Entry]. To address an e-mail to the group, enter the group's nickname in any of the recipient's address field(s).

When selecting messages on one page, I noticed that if I navigate to another page, my check marks are deselected from the previous page. Why?

By default, GopherMail does not select messages across multiple pages. To change this option, go to [Settings] and then [Advanced], and then click the "Use persistent marks (slower, sometimes useful)" option.

What is the best way to print a message?

Open the message, and then click the [Download Message] link. Only the text of the message is displayed. Use your browser's print command to print the message. Use the browser's back button to return to GopherMail.

How can I change the appearance of GopherMail?

You can change the appearance of GopherMail by clicking [Settings] and then [General]. In the [Main style:] drop-down menu, select either Marooned or Clean lines. The Clean lines theme is GopherMail's default theme.

Why do I get seemingly random "Page Not Found" errors?

These errors can also occur when you use the browser's back button instead of using the navigation buttons on the page. Some of these errors happen in Internet Explorer.

Are there any plans to incorporate a drop-down menu option for inserting address book entries from the Compose screen?

An enhancement was added in the November 2006 release so that GopherMail users can now view their addressbook from the Compose screen. To view a list of GopherMail addresses for selection, go to [Compose] and then click the [Addresses] button. The addresses and corresponding Nicknames will appear. To add any address as a recipient, simply select the address and then click either the [To], [Cc], or [Bcc] button. You can select multiple addresses by using the [shift] key or [Ctrl] key (Macintosh users need to use the [shift] key or [Apple] key).

How can I download an attachment?

View the message containing the attachment. Attachments are listed as links above the body of the message. Follow the link to save the attachment (attachments are indicated by a paper clip icon). Some older versions of Internet Explorer seem to mishandle certain MIME types; thus, the attachment may not download properly. To work around this issue, try using a different browser (e.g., Firefox or Safari).

Why does GopherMail list the e-mail message as a separate attachment?

When there is an attachment in an e-mail, GopherMail will display the attachment as a link at the top of the message screen. Along with the attachment link, GopherMail will display the body of the message as a text file attachment. (The body of the e-mail is usually listed as item number one.) You can just ignore this link. Enriched text and HTML will also be displayed as an attachment.

How can I get my signature to appear above the text when replying to e-mail messages? When replying to long messages or messages with several threads, my recipients might not scroll down below everyone else's old threads to read my signature.

In GopherMail, your signature is automatically placed at the end of a message. You can copy and paste your signature to another location within the body text if necessary: Select your signature, and then choose Copy from the Edit menu; choose a new location, and then choose Paste from the Edit menu.

When using the spell checker, I noticed that my e-mail's original text does not appear in the spell checker screen. How can I get it to appear?

This is a known issue for some versions of I.E. Updating to the latest version of I.E. should resolve this issue.

Can I add and remove my own words to the spell checker dictionary?

Yes, you can. Go to [Settings] and then [Advanced]. Follow the [Personal Dictionary] link and enter the word in the [Add] field and click [Add]. To remove a word, either click on the word or enter it in the [Remove] field and click [Remove].

Can you explain to me how Identities/Roles work? Will this allow people to "spoof" e-mails and produce spam?

Roles are designed to handle cases where you need to compose, reply to, or forward mail wearing another "hat". Using Roles you can specify what will appear in the [From:] and [Reply-To:] fields of a message and tailor the signature to the role. It's often useful for situations such as a helpline or webmaster, where you'd rather have someone reply to the group rather than yourself, personally. This method is very rarely (if ever) used for bulk e-mail because it's extremely labor-intensive: each message must be sent manually, whereas spammers instead use automated programs to send out thousands at a time.

What does the "Status: [CLOSED] IMAP connection broken (server response)" error mean?

This message appears when you are accessing your e-mail account from an additional e-mail program while using GopherMail. You can select the [Return to in box] button to continue accessing your mail.

What does the "Status: Lost connection to IMAP server (possible concurrent access?)" mean?

This message appears when you are accessing your e-mail account from an additional e-mail program while using GopherMail. You can select the [Reopen Mail in box] button to continue accessing your mail.

What does the "Couldn't connect to session. Maybe it timed out? Click here to login again" error message mean?

GopherMail will shut down automatically after 30 minutes of idle time. To return to GopherMail, follow the Click here to login again link.

What does the "Status: UID may not be zero" error message mean?

This message appears when you are accessing your e-mail account from an additional e-mail program while using GopherMail. You can select the [Reopen Mail in box] button to continue accessing your mail.

What does the "Status: [CLOSED] IMAP connection lost" error message mean?

This message appears when you are accessing your e-mail account from an additional e-mail program while using GopherMail. You can select the [Reopen Mail in box] button to continue accessing your mail.