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same email addresses in different IMAP sources

#209

Let's say that in my setup, I have two IMAP sources:

  • a work account (LMD)

  • a personal account (Gmail)

Each account have its own IMAP and SMTP server.

My problem:

  • when I am physically at work, I am behind a proxy. Behind this proxy, I can send mail through the LMD SMTP server, but I cannot access the Gmail SMTP server (you see where I'm going...)

  • when I am physically outside of work, I am locked out of the proxy. In that case, I can send email through the Gmail SMTP server, but I cannot access the LMD SMTP server.

In Apple Mail, SMTP servers are disconnected from email accounts: You can select an arbitrary SMTP server, no matter what From: address you're using. So when I'm at work, I just select the LMD SMTP server, and when I'm outside work I select the Gmail SMTP server (no matter if I'm using From: LMD or From: Gmail).

In MailMate, you select your From: address and this selects the appropriate SMTP server. In my case, this doesn't work: When I'm physically at work, if I select From: Gmail, the message will try to go through my Gmail SMTP server, which cannot be accessed at that point. Vice-versa outside of work: if I select From: LMD, the message will try to go through my LMD SMTP server, which cannot be accessed there.

I have tried adding my Gmail email address in my LMD IMAP account settings. But then, in the composer window, the From: dropdown shows twice the same address (xxx@gmail.com), without telling me if this address is linked to the LMD IMAP account or the Gmail one (which would help me select the SMTP server). So I don't know which From: I should choose.

TL;DR: When the same email address appears in several IMAP accounts, I'd like the From: dropdown in the composer window to identify the IMAP account to which each email address is linked.

Reported by Vincent Noel · January 5th, 2012 @ 10:45 AM

State: new
Milestone: none
Assigned to: benny benny

Activity

  1. benny
    benny
    • Assigned user set to benny
    • State changed from new to reproduced

    There are two issues here:

    • A bug which means that identical names/addresses in the popup does not work well. It is not just visual. One of them cannot really be selected.
    • The need to use SMTP settings of a different account without actually placing the messages within that account.

    The first issue should be fixed. I'll mark this ticket as reproduced (it is actually a long standing known issue). But that is not going to fix your problem.

    The second issue is more complicated. It is a bit strange that you have access to IMAP behind the proxy, but no access to SMTP. Is that the case? Or do you want to be able to send a message with an identity belonging to an account which you do not really have access to?

    Also, what you really need is to be able to easily switch between SMTP servers. And you need to do this every day. It would be best if this happened automatically and not by explicitly selecting a From address (or SMTP server). Maybe a checkmark setting in the IMAP account settings like the following could do it: “Automatically retry using SMTP settings of other IMAP accounts.”. Just thinking out loud.

    January 5th, 2012 @ 07:21 PM

  2. Vincent Noel
    Vincent Noel

    You are right about the first bug - I couldn't select one of the two same address in the dropdown. I forgot about that.

    To answer your question, it is the case that I can access both IMAP servers anywhere (inside/outside work), but I can only access the work SMTP server inside work and the gmail SMTP server outside work. The proxy blocks access to SMTP ports in both directions, but not to IMAP ports. That's policy, I think.

    I would love if my email client would just switch SMTP servers based on which one is available or not. Based on my experience with Apple Mail (which attempts to do that but does not succeed once in a while), I would say that this must be pretty hard to get right though.

    Thanks for the help!

    January 5th, 2012 @ 08:43 PM

  3. benny
    benny

    Only 4 years later... If this is still an issue for you then see this mailing list post.

    January 15th, 2016 @ 08:52 PM

  4. benny
    benny
    • State changed from reproduced to new

    September 22nd, 2022 @ 11:43 AM

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