Thunderbird How-To for Public PCs
Written by Elizabeth Charlton
Open Thunderbird
Navigate to \\compsoc1\\apps\thunderbird\ (and run thunderbird.exe)
You can run thunderbird directly with: Start-> Run -> "\\compsoc1\\apps\thunderbird\thunderbird.exe" and press Run.
Configuration
When you open Thunderbird for the first time it will prompt you with a wizard and if you've already configured Outlook Express on the Public PCs then you can choose via this to simply import your settings from Outlook Express, which is the easiest way if it is an option for you. If it isn't then tell Thunderbird not to import settings from anywhere and instead follow this guide to setting up a completely new Email and News account.
Email Account
If it prompts you to set up a new account then choose to set up an email account. If not, go to tools then account settings and click on the "Add Account" button. The type you want to choose from the list given to you is an email account. Now click "Next".
The next panel that comes up concerns your identity. The name you choose to use is up to you - this is what appears in the "from" line of emails you send. Your email address is your login followed by "@kent.ac.uk" - so someone with a login of qwx9 would type qwx9@kent.ac.uk here. Now click "Next".
This panel concerns the servers your email is stored on or leaves by. Click on the circle next to IMAP and your Incoming Server is "imap.kent.ac.uk" (unless you're have a different mailstore - you will know if you have, in which case you subsitute pelican for whichever machine it is you use). In the box next to Outgoing Server you need to type "smtp.kent.ac.uk" . Now click on "Next".
The next panel is very straightforward. All you need do here is make sure the Incoming User Name is set to your login, and the same should be true of Outgoing User Name. Click on "Next" when this is done.
The Account Name on this panel should be set to your login@kent.ac.uk automatically - if not, do this now, then click on "Next".
If you are satisfied that all the settings are correct, click "Finish" and the account will be set up.
News Account
Go to "Tools" and then choose the "Account Settings" option from the drop down list. Click on "Add Account" and choose the "Newsgroup Account" option.
The next panel is about the identity you will use when posting to the newsgroups. The name is up to you - I post as "Trapper", but make sure your email address is your kent one (username@kent.ac.uk).
On the next panel you need to set your news server. In this case it is news.kent.ac.uk.
Next you will need to set your Account Name for this - the standard should be news.kent.ac.uk or something like that. Click next and check through all the information listed is correct, click "Finish" and your news account will be set up.