1. Writing E-mails

1. Writing E-mails
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KMail is KDE's mail client. It is both full-featured and easy to use. This section focuses on KMail's common features. We encourage you to refer to the integrated help to learn more about its advanced features.

Launch KMail by choosing Internet+Mail → KMail from the main menu.

The first time you run KMail, a wizard appears to help you set up the mail account you will use with KMail. You only need to enter some connection data. Press the Next button to validate the information you entered and proceed with the setup.

1.1. Mail Configuration

Figure 2.1. Mail Account Type

Select the account type from the proposed list and advance to the next step. Please bear in mind that the POP3 protocol downloads messages to the local computer (they can be kept on the server too), while the IMAP protocol doesn't. Both IMAP and POP3 account setups are the same.

Figure 2.2. Your Personal Data

Then you have to provide your account information and fill in your personal data. Note that the name you input in the Real name field is the one that will appear on your outgoing mails.

Figure 2.3. Account Credentials

Then you must give the account credentials: enter your login and password. Your ISP or system administrator should have provided this information together with your e-mail address.

Figure 2.4. Mail Servers

You are finally asked to provide mail server parameters. Again, your ISP or system administrator should have provided you with the incoming and outgoing mail server information. Outgoing servers are usually of the smtp.provider.net form. Incoming POP3 servers are usually of the pop.provider.net or pop3.provider.net forms. Incoming IMAP servers are usually of the imap.provider.net form. The mail.provider.net form is also common for both incoming and outgoing mail servers.

1.2. Mail Client Interface

Figure 2.5. KMail Client Interface

Toolbar. Where the main action buttons lie. See Table 2.1, “KMail's Toolbar Buttons”.

Message List. Where information (subject, date, sender, etc.) about messages stored in the currently selected folder is displayed.

Message View Panel. Where the contents of the currently selected message are displayed.

Folder List. Where all folders are listed. The default folders are inbox (incoming messages), outbox (unsent templates), sent-mail (already sent messages), trash (deleted messages), drafts (draft messages) and templates (templates for writing messages). There is also a special folder named Searches which contains the results of a search for messages.

The following table shows the most important buttons available in KMail's toolbar, their equivalent keyboard shortcuts, and a brief explanation of the functions they provide.

Table 2.1. KMail's Toolbar Buttons

Button	Keyboard Shortcut	Function
	Ctrl-N	Compose a New Message.
	Ctrl-L	Get new messages for all defined e-mail accounts. Keep this button pressed to display a list of all defined accounts. Select the one you want to get mail from to retrieve messages only for that account.
	R	Reply to the author of the selected message. A message-compose window pops up with some fields already set.
	F	Forward (send to a third party) the selected message.
	Del	Delete the selected messages. Deleted messages are moved to the `Trash` folder. You can recover messages moved to the `trash` folder, but deletion from the `Trash` folder cannot be undone: be careful!

	Note
	Some of those buttons have a little black arrow () at the bottom right corner. An additional menu with related actions can be displayed by pressing the mouse button a little longer.

1.3. Composing a Message

Figure 2.6. The Message-Compose Window

Toolbar. This is where the main message composition buttons reside. See Table 2.2, “Message-Composition Toolbar Buttons”.

Message Body. The area where you type the content of your message.

Message Recipients. The list of all recipients of this message. The following options are shown:

To: the principal intended recipient of this message.
CC (Carbon Copy): not-hidden secondary intended recipient(s) of this message. All recipients have access to the mail addresses to which this message is sent.
BCC (Blind Carbon Copy): these recipients are also secondary but are hidden from the other recipients of this message. No recipients of the message have access to the other mail addresses to which this message is sent.

The following table shows the buttons which are mostly used in the message-composition window, their equivalent keyboard shortcuts, and a brief explanation of the functions they provide.

Table 2.2. Message-Composition Toolbar Buttons

Button	Keyboard Shortcut	Function
	Ctrl-Enter	Sends the message immediately (your network connection must be active). A copy of the message is kept in the `sent-mail` folder.
		Queue the message. The message is saved in the `outbox` folder and is sent the next time you request mail to be sent (File → Send Queued Messages).
		Attach a file to the message. This function is also accessible through the Attach → Attach File menu. A standard file dialog pops up. Select the file you want to attach and click on Attach. Repeat for multiple files.

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