<chapter id="usage-mainwindow"> <title>Getting Started with Ximian Evolution</title> <sect1 id="what"> <title>What is Ximian Evolution, and What Can It Do for Me?</title> <para> Information is useless unless it's organized and accessible; it's hardly even worth the name if you can't look at it and be <emphasis>informed</emphasis>. The goal of <application>Ximian Evolution</application> is to make the tasks of storing, organizing, and retrieving your personal information easier, so you can work and communicate with others. That is, it's a highly evolved <glossterm linkend="groupware">groupware</glossterm> program, an integral part of the Internet-connected desktop. </para> <para> In other words, <application>Ximian Evolution</application> is a tool to help you get your work done. </para> <para> <application>Ximian Evolution</application> is Free Software. The program and its source code are released under the terms of the <citetitle>GNU General Public License</citetitle> (GPL, see <xref linkend="apx-gpl" />), and the documentation falls under the <citetitle>Free Documentation License</citetitle> (FDL, see <xref linkend="apx-fdl" />). For more information about the GPL and the FDL, visit the Free Software Foundation's website at <ulink url="http://www.fsf.org">http://www.fsf.org</ulink>. </para> <para> <application>Ximian Evolution</application> can help you work in a group by handling email, address and other contact information, and one or more calendars. It can do that on one or several computers, connected directly or over a network, for one person or for large groups. </para> <para> With <application>Ximian Evolution</application>, you can accomplish your most common daily tasks faster. For example, it takes only one or two clicks to enter an appointment or an address card sent to you by email, or to send email to a contact or appointment. <application>Ximian Evolution</application> makes displays faster and more efficient, so searches are faster and memory usage is lower. People who get lots of mail will appreciate advanced features like <link linkend="usage-mail-organize-vfolders"><trademark>VFolders</trademark></link>, which let you save searches as though they were ordinary mail folders. </para> </sect1> <sect1 id="usage-mainwindow-starting"> <title>The First Time you Start Ximian Evolution</title> <para> To start <application>Ximian Evolution</application>, do either of the following: <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para> Select <menuchoice><guimenu>Programs</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Evolution</guimenuitem> </menuchoice> from your menu panel. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Type <command>evolution</command> at the command line. </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> <para> <note> <title>Command Line Options</title> <para> Evolution has a number of command-line options that you may wish to make use of. You can find the full list by running the commands <userinput>man evolution</userinput> or <userinput>evolution --help</userinput>. The most important ones are: <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para> To start Evolution in offline mode: <userinput>evolution --offline</userinput> </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> To start Evolution and begin composing a message to the email address you name: <userinput>evolution mailto:joe@somewhere.net</userinput> </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> To make your web browser use Evolution as the default email client, enter <userinput>evolution "%s"</userinput> as the email handler in your web browser or in the GNOME Control Center. </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> </note> </para> <para> The first time you run the program, it will create a directory called <filename>evolution</filename> in your home directory, where it will store all of its local data. Then, it will open a first-run assistant to help you set up mail accounts and import data from other applications. </para> <para> Using the first-run assistant will take approximately two to five minutes. </para> <sect2 id="first-step"> <title>Defining Your Identity</title> <para> The Identity window is the first step in the assistant. Here, you will enter some basic personal information. You can define multiple identities later on with the <menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Configure</guimenuitem></menuchoice> tool and clicking the <guibutton>Mail Accounts</guibutton> button. <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para> Full Name: Your full name (Example: John Doe). </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Email Address: Your email address (Example: john@doe.com) </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Reply-To: If you want to have replies sent to another email address, enter it here (optional). </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Organization: The company where you work, or the organization you represent when you send email (optional). </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> </sect2> <sect2 id="second-step"> <title>Receiving Email</title> <para> The <guilabel>Receiving Email</guilabel> lets you determine which you will get your email. <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para> Server Type: There are numerous types of servers from which <application>Ximian Evolution</application> can fetch your mail. Ask your system administrator if you're not sure which of the following are available to you: <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para> POP: Downloads your email to your hard disk for permanent storage. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Microsoft Exchange: Available only if you have purchased the Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange, this will allow you to connect to a Microsoft Exchange 2000 server, which stores email, calendar, and contact information on the server. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> IMAP: Keeps the email on your server so you can access your email from multiple systems. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Standard Unix mbox spool or directory: If you want to read and store mail in the mail spool on your local system, choose this option. You'll need to provide the path to the mail spool you want to use. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Maildir format mail directories: If you download your mail using qmail or another maildir-style program, you'll want to use this option. You'll need to provide the path to the mail directory you want to use. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> MH format mail directories: If you download your mail using mh or another MH-style program, you'll want to use this option. You'll need to provide the path to the mail directory you want to use. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Local Delivery: Choose this option if you want to move mail from the spool and store it in your home directory. If you would rather leave mail in your system's spool files, choose the <guimenuitem>Standard Unix mbox spools</guimenuitem> option instead. You'll need to provide the path to the mail spool you want to use. </para> </listitem> <!-- not using this anymore <listitem> <para> Directory Tree of mbox files: If you wish to use a directory tree full of mbox files, select this option and enter the directory you wish to use. This option is useful if you wish to use pine or other email clients at the same time as Evolution, while storing mail on your local system in mbox format. </para> </listitem> --> <listitem> <para> None: Select this if you do not plan to check mail with this account. </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> <para> If you selected POP, Microsoft Exchange, or IMAP as your mail server, you'll need to enter some more information: <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para>The host name of your mail server. Ask your system administrator if you're not sure.</para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>The username for the account on that system. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>Whether you want to use a secure (SSL) connection. If your server supports it, it's best to enable this security option. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>The authentication options supported by your server. If you're not sure, click the <guilabel>Check for supported types</guilabel> button or ask your system administrator. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>Whether you'd like Evolution to remember your password. </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> <para> <tip id="exchange-info"> <title>Ximian Evolution Talk to Microsoft Exchange?</title> <para> If you have purchased Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange, you can access Microsoft Exchange 2000 servers natively. If you do not have the Connector, or if you use an older version of Microsoft Exchange, talk to your system administrator about access to standard protocol services like POP and IMAP. </para> </tip> </para> </sect2> <sect2 id="more-mail-options"> <title>More Mail Configuration Options</title> <para> There are more extensive options for mail preferences, especially if you've chosen POP, Microsoft Exchange, or IMAP as incoming mail server type. If you want to set these options after you've created the account, you can select <menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Configure </guimenuitem></menuchoice>, click the <guibutton>Mail Accounts</guibutton> button. Then, select the account you want to change and click <guibutton>Edit</guibutton>. See <xref linkend="config-prefs-mail"/> for details. </para> <variablelist> <varlistentry> <term>If you chose POP mail:</term> <listitem><para> <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para>Checking for new mail: If you would like <application>Evolution</application> to check for new mail automatically, check the box and select a frequency in minutes. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Message Storage: If you'd like to store copies of your mail on the server, check this option. </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> </listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>If you chose Microsoft Exchange:</term> <listitem><para> <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para>Checking for new mail: If you would like <application>Evolution</application> to check for new mail automatically, check the box and select a frequency in minutes. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>Mailbox Name is Different from Login Name: If your active directory user name is different from your Exchange mailbox name, check this box and enter your mailbox name here. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Override Outlook Web Access Path: In most cases, the URL for web access is "http://server.company.com/exchange." If your system has a path that is not "exchange," check the box and enter the custom path here. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>Create a Global Address List folder: If you want to use your organization's Active Directory or Global Address List, leave this box checked. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Active Directory Server Name: Enter the Active Directory server name here. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>Limit number of Responses: Select a maximum number of results for an address search. A maximum number of results limits the load on your system and on your network. </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> </listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>If you chose IMAP:</term> <listitem> <para> <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para>Checking for new mail: If you would like <application>Evolution</application> to check for new mail automatically, check the box and select a frequency in minutes. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>If you want <application>Evolution</application> to check for new messages in <emphasis>all</emphasis> your IMAP folders, make sure the <guilabel>Check for new messages in all folders</guilabel> box is selected.</para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>Show only subscribed folders: Check this box if you have more folders in your IMAP view than you want to read.</para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Override server-supplied namespace: If you like, enter a specific directory where your server stores mail for you. Typical values are "mail" and "Mail." For more information about how to use IMAP mail, see <xref linkend="usage-mail-subscriptions"/>.</para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>Apply filters to new messages in INBOX on this server: If you'd like your filters to work on this account as well as on locally downloaded mail, check this box.</para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> </listitem> </varlistentry> </variablelist> <note id="imap-namespace"> <title>What's an IMAP Namespace?</title> <para> For IMAP mail servers, your sysadmin may provide you with a specific namespace, the directory on where your server stores mail for you. If you check your IMAP mail and your folder list includes files that don't look like mail folders, you probably need to change your mail namespace. Typical values are "mail" and "Mail." If you prefer, you can choose to subscribe to individual mail folders one at a time. For more information about how to use IMAP mail, see <xref linkend="usage-mail-subscriptions"/>. </para> </note> </sect2> <sect2 id="third-step"> <title>Sending Email</title> <para> The <guilabel>Sending Email</guilabel> step lets you configure sending email. <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para> Server Type: There are numerous server types that <application>Ximian Evolution</application> supports for sending your mail. <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para> SMTP: Sends mail directly from your system. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Microsoft Exchange: Sends mail through a Microsoft Exchange server using the Microsoft Exchange 2000 protocol. Available only if you have are using the Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange. You must have a valid license key purchased from <ulink url="http://store.ximian.com">store.ximian.com</ulink>. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Sendmail: Uses the Sendmail program to send mail from your system. Sendmail is more flexible, but is not as easy to configure, so you should only select this option if you know how to set up a Sendmail service. </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Host: If you chose <guilabel>SMTP</guilabel> or <guilabel>Microsoft Exchange</guilabel>, enter the server's name or IP address here. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Server requires authentication: If your server requires you to enter a password to send mail, check this box. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Authentication Type: Unless you've been told otherwise, your best bet is to leave this set at <guilabel>Password</guilabel>. If you're not sure, ask your system administrator or ISP, or have <application>Ximian Evolution</application> check for you by clicking <guibutton>Check for supported types</guibutton>. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Username: The account name you use when you login to check your email. Normally, this is the part of your email address before the '@' character. For Exchange servers, it is the username you would use to log in to a Windows workstation at your company. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Remember Password: If you prefer to not enter your password every time you check email, press this button. </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> </sect2> <sect2 id="step-three-b"> <title>Account Management</title> <para> This is a very short section. You can pick two things: the name for the account, and whether it is the default account. </para> <para> The name you choose for the account is used for display within Evolution, and is not sent with any emails. The suggested name is your email address, but you can use other words or phrases, like "Work," "Personal" or "First Account" if you like. </para> <para> If you check the box next to the label <guilabel>Make this my default account</guilabel>, Evolution will assume that you will send messages from this most often, and will set the "From" selector to this account whenever you open a new message. Only one account can be the default. </para> <para> If you have not done so already, you may also be asked to choose a time zone. </para> </sect2> <sect2 id="fourth-step"> <title>Importing Mail (Optional)</title> <para> If <application>Ximian Evolution</application> finds mail or address files from another application, it will offer to import them. If you're not sure which file format your mail program uses, ask your system administrator. If you want, you can skip this step and return to it at a later time by selecting <menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guimenuitem>Import</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. </para> <para> <application>Ximian Evolution</application> can import the following types of files: <variablelist> <varlistentry> <term>VCard (.vcf, gcrd):</term> <listitem> <para> The addressbook format used by the GNOME, KDE, and many other contact management applications. You should be able to export to VCard format from any address book application. </para> </listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>Microsoft Outlook Express 4 (.mbx):</term> <listitem> <para> Email file format used by Microsoft Outlook Express 4. For other versions of Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, see the workaround described in the note below. </para> </listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>MBox (mbox):</term> <listitem> <para> The email box format used by Mozilla, Netscape, Ximian Evolution, Eudora, and many other email clients. </para> </listitem> </varlistentry> </variablelist> </para> <para> <note> <title>Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express Users</title> <para> Microsoft Outlook, and versions of Outlook Express after version 4, use proprietary formats that <application>Ximian Evolution</application> cannot read or import. For contacts, you may have to email them to yourself and import them that way. For email, there is a simpler workaround: <orderedlist numeration="arabic"> <listitem> <para> While using Windows, import the files into Mozilla Mail (or another mailer, such as Netscape or Eudora, that uses the standard mbox format). </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Copy the files to the system or partition you use for <application>Ximian Evolution</application>. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Use the <application>Ximian Evolution</application> import tool to import the files. There's more information about why this works, and how, at the Ximian <ulink url="http://support.ximian.com">support website.</ulink> </para> </listitem> </orderedlist> </para> </note> <note> <title>Netscape Users</title> <para> Before importing mail from Netscape, make sure you select <menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guimenuitem>Compact All Folders</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. If you don't, <application>Ximian Evolution</application> will import and undelete the messages in your Trash folders. </para> </note> </para> <tip> <title>Exporting Files From Ximian Evolution</title> <para> Ximian Evolution uses standard file types for all its information, so you should have no trouble taking your information elsewhere if you want. </para> <para> For mail, that's <filename>mbox</filename>, for calendar, <filename>iCal</filename>, and for the address book, vCards in a <filename>.db3</filename> database. </para> </tip> </sect2> </sect1> <sect1 id="importing-mail-from-clients"> <title>Importing Mail from Other Mail Clients</title> <para> Chances are, you already have your email in another mail program and don't want to lose the information. The following section describes how to import mail from specific mail clients. </para> <sect2 id="mutt"> <title>Importing Mail from mutt</title> <para> <application>mutt</application> is a text-based mail client which is shipped with many Linux and Unix distributions. <application>mutt</application> uses the standard mbox, maildir, and MH file formats, which makes importing your mail into <application>Evolution</application> easy. By default, <application>mutt</application> uses the mbox file format. <orderedlist numeration="arabic"> <listitem> <para> Open <application>Ximian Evolution</application> </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Click <menuchoice> <guimenu>File</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Import</guimenuitem> </menuchoice> or press <keycombo action="simul"> <keycap>Ctrl</keycap> <keycap>I</keycap> </keycombo>. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Click <guibutton>Next</guibutton>. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Select <guibutton>Import a Single File</guibutton> </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Click <guibutton>Browse</guibutton> and select the file you would like to import from. By default, your email is stored in <filename>~/mbox</filename> for the mbox format and <filename class="directory">~/Maildir</filename> for the Maildir format. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> When prompted for what folder in <application>Evolution</application> to import to, select a folder. You can also create a new folder and drop it in there. </para> </listitem> </orderedlist> </para> </sect2> <sect2 id="kmail"> <title>Importing Mail from KMail</title> <para> KMail is the mail client which is shipped with the KDE desktop environment. KMail uses the standard mbox file format, which means that importing your mail into <application>Evolution</application> is easy. <orderedlist numeration="arabic"> <listitem> <para> Open <application>Ximian Evolution</application> </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Click <menuchoice> <guimenu>File</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Import</guimenuitem> </menuchoice> or press <keycombo action="simul"> <keycap>Ctrl</keycap> <keycap>I</keycap> </keycombo>. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Click <guibutton>Next</guibutton>. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Select <guibutton>Import a Single File</guibutton> </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Click <guibutton>Browse</guibutton> and select the file you would like to import from. By default, KMail stores its information in the Mail directory of your home directory. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> When prompted for what folder in <application>Evolution</application> to import to, select a folder. You can also create a new folder and drop it in there. </para> </listitem> </orderedlist> </para> </sect2> </sect1> <sect1 id="ui-intro"> <title>What's What in Ximian Evolution</title> <para> Now that you've gotten the first-run configuration out of the way, you're ready to get down to work. Here's a quick explanation of what's going on in your main <application>Ximian Evolution</application> window. </para> <figure id="preface-basic-interface"> <title>The Ximian Evolution Main Window</title> <screenshot> <screeninfo>Inbox</screeninfo> <mediaobject> <imageobject> <imagedata fileref="figures/mainwindow-pic" format="PNG" srccredit="Kevin Breit"/> </imageobject> </mediaobject> </screenshot> </figure> <para> <inlinemediaobject> <imageobject> <imagedata fileref="figures/full-1" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Menu Bar</guilabel> </para> <para> The <guilabel>menu bar</guilabel> gives you access to nearly all the features that can be found in <application>Ximian Evolution</application>. </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-2" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Toolbar</guilabel> </para> <para> The <guilabel>Toolbar</guilabel> gives you fast and easy access to the most used features in each component. </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-3" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Shortcut Bar</guilabel> </para> <para> The <guilabel>Shortcut Bar</guilabel> lets you go to your favorite components with the click of a click of a button. </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-4" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Status Bar</guilabel> </para> <para> Periodically, <application>Ximian Evolution</application> will need to quietly display a message, or tell you the progress of a task. This most often happens when you're checking or sending email. These progress queues are shown here, in the <guilabel>Status Bar</guilabel>. </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-5" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Search Tool</guilabel> </para> <para> The <guilabel>Search Tool</guilabel> lets you search through your email with precision so you can easily find what you're looking for. </para> <sect2 id="usage-mainwindow-shortcutbar"> <title>The Shortcut Bar</title> <para> <application>Ximian Evolution</application>'s most important job is to give you access to your information and help you use it quickly. One way it does that is through the <interface>shortcut bar</interface>, the column on the left hand side of the main window. The large buttons with names like <guilabel>Inbox</guilabel> and <guilabel>Contacts</guilabel> are the shortcuts, and you can select different groups of shortcuts by clicking the rectangular group buttons. </para> <para> Take a look at the <guilabel>Shortcut Bar</guilabel> The shortcut buttons in that category are: <variablelist> <varlistentry> <term> <guibutton>Summary</guibutton>:</term> <listitem> <para> Start your day here. The Ximian Evolution <guilabel>Summary</guilabel> gives you a quick summary of new or important messages, daily appointments and urgent tasks. You can customize its appearance and content, and use it to access Ximian Evolution services. </para> </listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term> <guibutton>Inbox</guibutton>:</term> <listitem> <para> Click the <guibutton>Inbox</guibutton> button to start reading your mail. Your Inbox is also where you can access Ximian Evolution's tools to filter, sort, organize, and search your mail. </para> </listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term><guibutton>Calendar</guibutton>:</term> <listitem> <para> The Calendar can store your appointments and task lists for you. Connected to a network, you can use it to keep a group of people on schedule and up to date. </para> </listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term><guibutton>Tasks</guibutton>:</term> <listitem> <para> A full-size view of your calendar's task pad. </para> </listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term><guibutton>Contacts</guibutton>:</term> <listitem> <para> The Addressbook holds contacts, with address, phone, and other personal information. Like calendar information, contact data can be synchronized with hand-held devices and shared over a network. </para> </listitem> </varlistentry> </variablelist> </para> </sect2> <sect2 id="usage-mainwindow-folderbar"> <title>Folders and The Folder Bar</title> <para> The <interface>folder bar</interface> is a more comprehensive way to view the information you've stored with <application>Ximian Evolution</application>. It displays all your appointments, address cards, and email in a tree that's a lot like a <glossterm linkend="filetree">file tree</glossterm>-- it starts small at the top, and branches downward. On most computers, there will be three or four folders at the base. First, of course, is the <guilabel>Summary</guilabel>, a customizable summary of your information. Below that are your <guilabel>Local Folders</guilabel>, which hold all the <application>Ximian Evolution</application> data that's stored on your computer. After that are your network servers: <glossterm linkend="ldap">LDAP</glossterm> servers that host shared contact directories, and <glossterm linkend="imap">IMAP</glossterm> mail folders to which you subscribe. Lastly, there are <guilabel>vFolders</guilabel>, or virtual folders, discussed in <xref linkend="usage-mail-organize-vfolders"/>, </para> <para> A typical <guilabel>Local</guilabel> folder contains the following folders: <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Calendar</guilabel>, for appointments and event listings. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Contacts</guilabel>, for address cards. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Drafts</guilabel>, for messages you started and didn't finish. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Inbox</guilabel>, for incoming mail. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Outbox</guilabel>, for messages you have written but not yet sent. This will be empty unless you use <application>Ximian Evolution</application> while offline. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Sent</guilabel>, for sent mail. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Tasks</guilabel>, for your task list. Portions of your task list are reflected in the calendar, as well as in the summary folder. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Trash</guilabel>, a vFolder view of all the messages you have marked for deletion but not yet <glossterm linkend="expunge">expunged</glossterm>. </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> <tip id="foldertips"> <title>Navigating without the Folder Bar or the Shortcut Bar</title> <para> You don't need the folder bar or the shortcut bar to move around the main window. You can use the <keycap>Tab</keycap> key to switch from one part of the window to another. When you hide the folder bar, there is a menu on the left side of the window just below the toolbar to move about the folder tree, even with the folder and shortcut bars hidden. </para> </tip> <para> If you get large volumes of mail, you'll want more folders than just your Inbox. To create a new folder: <orderedlist numeration="arabic"> <listitem> <para> Select <menuchoice> <guimenu>File</guimenu> <guisubmenu>New</guisubmenu> <guimenuitem>Folder</guimenuitem></menuchoice> or press the keyboard shortcut <keycombo action="simul"> <keycap>Shift</keycap> <keycap>Ctrl</keycap> <keycap>E</keycap> </keycombo>. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Select the name of the folder in the <guilabel>Folder Name</guilabel> field. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Select the folder type. The available options are. <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para> Calendar </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Contacts </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Mail </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Tasks </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Choose the location of the new folder. </para> </listitem> </orderedlist> </para> <sect3 id="subfolders"> <title>Subfolders</title> <para> <application>Ximian Evolution</application> lets you nest folders inside of each other, so that you can have a detailed organizational system. </para> <note> <title>Folders Have Limits</title> <para> Calendars must go in calendar folders, mail in mail folders, and contacts in contact folders. </para> </note> <para> Right-clicking will bring up a menu for just about anything in <application>Ximian Evolution</application>. If you right-click on a folder, you'll have a menu with the following options: <itemizedlist> <listitem><para><guimenuitem>View</guimenuitem>, to view the folder. </para></listitem> <listitem><para><guimenuitem>Open in New Window</guimenuitem> to view the folder in another window. </para></listitem> <listitem><para><guimenuitem>Move</guimenuitem>, to move the folder to another location. </para></listitem> <listitem><para><guimenuitem>Copy</guimenuitem>, to duplicate the folder. </para></listitem> <listitem><para><guimenuitem>Delete</guimenuitem>, to delete the folder and all its contents. </para></listitem> <listitem><para><guimenuitem>Rename</guimenuitem>, to change its name. </para></listitem> <listitem><para><guimenuitem>Create New Folder</guimenuitem>, to create another folder in the same location. </para></listitem> <listitem><para><guimenuitem>Add to Shortcut Bar</guimenuitem>, to add the folder to your shortcut bar. </para></listitem> <listitem><para><guimenuitem>Properties</guimenuitem>, to view or change the folder properties. </para></listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> <para> You can also rearrange folders and messages by dragging and dropping them. </para> <para> Any time new mail arrives in a mail folder, that folder label is displayed in bold text, along with the number of new messages in that folder. </para> </sect3> </sect2> <sect2 id="usage-mainwindow-menubar"> <title>The Menu Bar</title> <para> The <interface>menu bar</interface>'s contents will always provide all the possible actions for any given view of your data. If you're looking at your Inbox, most of the menu items will relate to mail; some will relate to other components of <application>Ximian Evolution</application> and some, especially those in the <guimenu>File Menu</guimenu> will relate to the application as a whole. </para> <para> <variablelist> <varlistentry> <term> <guimenu>File</guimenu>:</term> <listitem><para> Anything related to a file or to the operations of the application generally falls under this menu: creating things, saving them to disk, printing them, and quitting the program itself. </para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term> <guimenu>Edit</guimenu>:</term> <listitem><para> The <guimenu>Edit</guimenu> menu holds useful tools that help you edit text and move it around. </para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term> <guimenu>View</guimenu>:</term> <listitem><para> This menu lets you decide how <application>Ximian Evolution</application> should look. Some of the features control the appearance of <application>Ximian Evolution</application> as a whole, and others the way a particular kind of information appears. </para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term> <guimenu>Actions</guimenu>:</term> <listitem><para> Holds actions which maybe applied to a message. Normally, if there is only one target for the action -- for example, replying to a message -- you can find it in the <guimenu>Actions</guimenu> menu. </para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term> <guimenu>Tools</guimenu>:</term> <listitem><para> Tools for configuring, changing, and setting up go here. For mail, that means things like and the <guimenuitem>Virtual Folder Editor</guimenuitem>. For the <interface>Calendar</interface> and the <interface>Contact Manager</interface>, it's color, network, and layout configuration. </para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term> <guimenu>Search</guimenu>:</term> <listitem><para> Select menu items here to search for messages, or for phrases within a message. You can also see previous searches you have made. In addition to the <guimenu>Search</guimenu> menu, there is a text entry box in the toolbar that you can use to search for messages. </para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term> <guimenu>Help</guimenu>:</term> <listitem><para> Select among these items to open the <application>Help Browser</application> and read the <application>Ximian Evolution</application> manual. </para></listitem> </varlistentry> </variablelist> </para> <para> Once you've familiarized yourself with the <interface>main window</interface> you can start doing things with it. We'll start with the <guilabel>Summary</guilabel>, which provides a quick overview of your <application>Ximian Evolution</application> information. </para> </sect2> <sect2 id="basics-summary"> <title>Introducing the Summary</title> <para> The Ximian Evolution Summary provides you with a quick run-down of important information: your appointments for a given day, how much new mail you have, headlines from selected news services, and so forth. To see the Summary, click on the <guibutton>Summary</guibutton> button in the shortcut bar, or select the <guilabel>Summary</guilabel> folder in the folder bar. </para> <para> <figure> <title>The Evolution Summary</title> <screenshot> <graphic format="PNG" fileref="figures/summary" srccredit="Kevin Breit"/> </screenshot> </figure> </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-1" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Weather Summary</guilabel> </para> <para> Shows you the latest weather updates from hundreds of cities around the world. </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-2" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>News Feeds</guilabel> </para> <para> Displays up to the minute news from your favorite websites. </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-3" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Mail Summary</guilabel> </para> <para> Shows you how many email messages you have in your selected folders, waiting to be read. </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-4" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Calendar Summary</guilabel> </para> <para> Shows you your calendar. </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-5" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Tasks</guilabel> </para> <para> Shows your pending tasks </para> <para> To add additional services to your Summary, or to edit the existing services, select <menuchoice> <guimenu>Tools</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Configure</guimenuitem> </menuchoice> and click the <guibutton>Summary Settings</guibutton> button. </para> </sect2> <sect2 id="basics-mail"> <title>Introducing Email</title> <para> <application>Ximian Evolution</application> email is like other email programs in several ways: <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para> It can sort and organize your mail in a wide variety of ways with folders, searches, and filters. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> It can send and receive mail in HTML or as plain text, and makes it easy to send and receive multiple file attachments. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> It supports multiple mail sources, including <glossterm linkend="imap">IMAP</glossterm>, <glossterm linkend="pop">POP3</glossterm>, and local <filename>mbox</filename> or <filename>mh</filename> spools and files created by other mail programs. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> It lets you guard your privacy with encryption. </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> <para> However, <application>Ximian Evolution</application> has some important differences. First, it's built to handle very large amounts of mail. Both the <link linkend="usage-mail-organize-filters">filtering</link> and <link linkend="usage-mail-organize-search">searching</link> functions were built for speed and efficiency on large volumes of mail. There's also the <application>Ximian Evolution</application> <link linkend="usage-mail-organize-vfolders">vFolder</link>, an advanced organizational feature not found in mainstream mail clients. If you get a lot of mail, or if you keep every message you get in case you need to refer to it later, you'll find this feature especially useful. </para> <para> Here's what the mailer looks like: <!-- ==============Figure=================================== --> <figure id="usage-mail-intro-fig"> <title>Ximian Evolution Mail</title> <screenshot> <screeninfo>Inbox</screeninfo> <mediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/mail-inbox" format="PNG" srccredit="Kevin Breit"/> </imageobject></mediaobject> </screenshot> </figure> <!-- ==============End of Figure============================== --> </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-1" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Email Viewer</guilabel> </para> <para> This is where your email is displayed. </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-2" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Message List</guilabel> </para> <para> The <guilabel>Message List</guilabel> displays all the emails that you have. This includes all your read, unread, and email that is flagged to be deleted. </para> <para> If you find the <interface>view pane</interface> too small, you can resize the pane, enlarge the whole window, or double-click on the message in the <interface>message list</interface> to have it open in a new window. To change the sizes of a pane, just click and hold on the divider between the two panes. Then you can drag up and down to select the size of the panes. </para> <para> Just like with folders, you can right-click on messages in the message list and get a menu of possible actions: you can move, delete, or undelete them, and create filters or vFolders based on them. </para> <para> Most of the mail-related actions you'll want to perform are listed in the <guimenu>Message</guimenu> menu in the menu bar. The most frequently used ones, like <guimenuitem>Reply</guimenuitem> and <guimenuitem>Forward</guimenuitem>, also appear as buttons in the toolbar. Almost all of them are also located in the right-click menu and as keyboard shortcuts, which tend to be faster once you get the hang of them. You can choose whichever way you like best; the idea is that the software should work the way you want, rather than making you work the way the it does. </para> <para> For an in-depth guide to the email capabilities of Ximian Evolution, read <xref linkend="usage-mail"/>. </para> </sect2> <sect2 id="basics-calendar"> <title>Introducing the Calendar</title> <para> To begin using the calendar, select <guibutton>Calendar</guibutton> from the <interface>shortcut bar</interface>. By default, the calendar starts showing today's schedule on a ruled background. At the upper right, there's a monthly calendar you can use to switch days. Below that, there's a <guilabel>Task</guilabel> pad, where you can keep a list of tasks separate from your calendar appointments. The day view in the calendar looks like this: <!-- ============== Figure ============================= --> <figure id="usage-calendar-fig"> <title>Ximian Evolution Calendar View</title> <screenshot> <screeninfo>Ximian Evolution Contact Manager Window</screeninfo> <mediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/calendar" format="PNG" srccredit="Aaron Weber"/> </imageobject></mediaobject> </screenshot> </figure> <!-- ============== End of Figure ============================= --> </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-1" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Appointment List</guilabel> </para> <para> The <guilabel>Appointment List</guilabel> is responsible for showing you all of your scheduled appointments, whether they are all day appointments or simply one time appointments that last a half an hour. </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-2" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Task List</guilabel> </para> <para> The <guilabel>Task List</guilabel> compliments the <guilabel>Appointment List </guilabel> as it keeps track of tasks which don't have a time associated with them. Tasks can have complex notes associated with them, and you can also note their completeness on a percentage scale. </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-3" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Calendar Window</guilabel> </para> <para> The <guilabel>Calendar Window</guilabel> has a graphical representation of the calendar, so you can select what days to view in the <guilabel>Appointment List</guilabel>. </para> <para> For more information about the calendar read <xref linkend="usage-calendar"/>. </para> </sect2> <sect2 id="basics-contacts"> <title>Introducing the Address Book</title> <para> The <application>Ximian Evolution</application> address book can handle all of the functions of an address book, phone book, or Rolodex. Of course, it's a lot easier to update <application>Ximian Evolution</application> than it is to change an actual paper book. <application>Ximian Evolution</application> also allows easy synchronization with hand-held devices and functions with <glossterm linkend="ldap">LDAP</glossterm> directories on a network. </para> <para> Another advantage of the <application>Ximian Evolution</application> address book is its integration with the rest of the application. For example, you can create an address card from an email just by right-clicking on the sender's email address. </para> <para> To open your address book, click on <guibutton>Contacts</guibutton> in the shortcut bar, or select one of your contacts folders from the folder bar. <xref linkend="usage-contact-fig"/> shows the address book in all its organizational glory. By default, the address book shows all your cards in alphabetical order, in a <glossterm linkend="minicard">minicard</glossterm> view. You can select other views from the <guimenu>View</guimenu> menu, and adjust the width of the columns by clicking and dragging the gray column dividers. </para> <para> The address book looks like this: <figure id="usage-contact-fig"> <title>Ximian Evolution Contact Interface</title> <screenshot> <screeninfo>Ximian Evolution Contact List Window</screeninfo> <mediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/contact" format="PNG" srccredit="Kevin Breit"/> </imageobject></mediaobject> </screenshot> </figure> </para> <para> <inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-1" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Contact List</guilabel> </para> <para> The <guilabel>Contact List</guilabel> lists your contacts. </para> <para> For detailed instructions on how to use the address book, read <xref linkend="usage-contact"/>. </para> </sect2> </sect1> </chapter>