(Note: These instructions will apply only after we reach Stage 3 of our mail system migration.)

This page is about Squirrelmail in the Classic Linux environment.

As a result of our mail system migration, we recommend that you initialize your Squirrelmail folders. Please follow the instructions below in the Steps to Follow section one time only to do this initialization.

After you have done so, you will end up with four standard folders: INBOX, Drafts, Sent, and Trash. And, in addition, you will have added your own folders to the list.

(Note: These instructions will apply only after we reach Stage 3 of our mail system migration.)

1. Log into Squirrelmail. (For now, use the test version of Squirrelmail at https://squirrelmail-new.rahul.net/sm/. Only after we reach stage 3, you will be able to follow these steps with the normal Squirrelmail on the classic_linux_webmail page.)

2. Go to the Folders menu, and unsubscribe from all folders. You can do this by selecting the subscribed folders near the bottom left of the screen, and then clicking on the Unsubscribe button. Do this for all folders at once if you can, or for one folder at a time. Once you have done so, no subscribed folders will be seen at the bottom left.

3. Go to Options and then Folder Preferences. In the Special Folder Options section near the top of the screen, set all three folders (Trash, Draft, and Sent) to “Do not use …”.

Click on the Submit button to save these choices.

4. Go back to the Folders screen. Now subscribe to the following folders near the bottom right of the screen:

• Subscribe to Drafts. (Don't subscribe to #Mail/Drafts.)
• Subscribe to Sent. (Don't subscribe to #Mail/Sent.)
• Subscribe to Trash. (Don't subscribe to #Mail/Trash.)

If Drafts is missing from the menu, then create it near the top of the screen where it says Create Folder, and then subscribe to it. Likewise, if Sent or Trash is missing, create it first and then subscribe to it.

If at this point you find yourself subscribed to any other folders at the bottom left that you did not see there before, unsubscribe to them.

5. Go again to Options and then Folder Preferences. In the Special Folder Options section near the top of the screen, set Trash Folder to Trash, set Draft Folder to Drafts, and set Sent Folder to Sent.

Click on the Submit button to save these choices.

6. Now click on “(Check mail)” near the top of the blue-grey part of the screen near the left edge.

7. If your folder selections worked correctly, you will see the following folders now listed at the top left of the screen in the glue-grey section:

• INBOX
• Drafts
• Sent
• Trash

These should all be a reddish color. If they are not reddish, then something went wrong. You may want to try these instructions again more slowly.

8. Now you are all set to use Squirrelmail! You can now go back into the Folders menu and subscribe to more folders, or create more folders, as needed.

(Note: These instructions will apply only after we reach Stage 3 of our mail system migration.)

Folders listed with names of the form “#Mail/…” exist inside the “Mail” directory (which in turn is inside your home directory). Folders that are simple names without any “#Mail/” prefix exist inside the “Maildir” directory (which in turn is inside your home directory).

We recommend that for efficiency you always use folders with simple names, i.e., the ones that are inside your “Maildir” directory. These folders use the newer Maildir format which our new servers handle very efficiently and reliably. The older folders with “#Mail/…” names, i.e., the ones that reside in your “Mail” directory, are still supported, so if you have any already, you can still use them. In the long run, we recommend creating new folders of the newer type and moving all messages from the older folders into newer ones with similar names.

For example, if you have an existing folder that appears as “#Mail/travel”, we recommend creating a new one called just “travel”, and moving all messages from “#Mail/travel” into “travel”. Once you have verified that the move was successful, you can delete the “#Mail/travel” folder.

To get technical support with the above procedures, please follow the problem-reporting procedures on the mail system migration page. Be sure to mention which step number (in the Steps to Follow section above) you reached without problems and at which step number you encountered the problem that you are reporting.