Das 37. Jahr

evolution and thunderbird can not connect to the pop3-server of yahoo mail.
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I had suspected that I was to stupid to install the programs.
But I have them running now, all of them.
Here is, how I made them run. Maybe, somebody else will profit from my experiences. The solutions are rather at the end of the story.
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Starting point:
my official business email runs via Lotus Notes.
my private mail is served at http://yahoo.de since the time that my historical account at ibm. globalservices was not supported anymore.
My main computer at home (old and only AMD 1 GHz) used to tun Ubuntu with the mail program evolution.
Now I had to get a new one that runs (for certain other reasons) Windows 7. (6 core AMD 3.3 GHz)
I have avoided to use Outlook since it existed.
1. choice: why not use evolution for Windows?
Installation no problem, configuration no problem.
Except for the fact, that there were no port settings allowed in the settings options.
Using :995 did not work either. (About this more later)
2. After several attempts I switch my efforts to thunderbird.
Installation no problem, configuration no problem. (even easier than with evolution. Ports are configured to 995 resp 465 automatically.
Fetching data from the mail server? Does not work.
Googling error messages and possible failure reports advise to check for firewall settings.
They are controlled by Norton with Advanced Security.
I set exceptions for both programs thunderbird and evolution.
To no avail.
3. I resignate. I start Outlook which is on my computer anyway.
Outlook works practically at once. I am happy and I am not happy. Should I really administrate my private emails now on outlook?
I don’t like it, but I am an old man. The grave is waiting. I don’t want to spoil my time with silly searches for undocumented features.
I fetch all mails from the last 2 months and delete them on the yahoo server. I feel fine.
CUT
4. Civilization V is out. I spend hours with civilization II. One of the few games I ever played on the computer. (Others were Simcity and Galactic Civilization on OS/2)
I want to see it – just for nostalgic reasons. You can download this game from http://steampowered.com. For this reasons you register, you download the steam-management client „steam“ that runs on your machine.
Starting of steam does not work. After a while an error message tells you: „FAILURE: you have to connect to the Internet first.“
It seems that there is also a firewall problem. I try to except STEAM from the blocking. Norton tells me, that it has no problems with STEAM is allowed to pass.
I look for help at the steam-support site. You also have to register at the support site as a separate user. Strange, but I don’t mind.
„Steam fails to start“ is a support help topic.
It does not tell me anything that I have not tried yet.
5. I would like to give up. But I have paid 50$ (or was it €?) I want to see the game. So I start to google again. In some forum I find a hint among 3 pages of useless tips. STEAM uses a P2P-connection. I go back to Norton settings. There is no indication that Norton blocks P2P. I google again.
There is another hint. Maybe the modem blocks P2P.
Oh my God! I am supposed to change settings on the modem? It’s the typical modem supplied by the TELEKOM company in Austria. Actually the modem is more powerful than is needed. There are even possiblities to connect VoIP-Phones and Backup-Harddisks. Probably, one could use it directly for establishing a NAS.
6. I connect to 10.0.0.138. Yes that’s the IP address for the modem. And I see a tab „firewall“ or „security“. Three different settings. I switch to the lowest protection, highest protection was switched on.
I try to start STEAM again. It works.
3 hours download over twisted telephone copper wires. Although there exist faster connections (telecable) I am quite happy with the 500kByte/s. I don’t download movies or 4,7 GByte everyday.
I practice some piano.
I get civilization running and fiddle a litte bit for half an hour. I like the strategic subtllties, but I would prefer the fast handling of Version II.
7. Today, I start to think: maybe the firewall setting also prevented thunderbird and evolution to connect.
I try thunderbird first.
It works.
8. I try evolution. Receiving mails does not work. Sending works, but what is wrong with retrieving.
9. I look at the error log. „Cannot create directory xxxxxxxx.server-address:995“
Yes, I have different directories, but none has the port at the end. And the colon is forbidden anyway.
I change the pop server setting back to the server address without „:995“. Although it is told by the yahoo help that the port should be set specifically, the setting of the port is „too much“. 995 is standard anyway, if the SSL-encryption is used.
Once I have removed the port address, evolution works too.
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Summary:
A) Different programs work with different methods how to connect to an internet „partner“
B) Firewall settings are not restricted to your computer. There can also be barriers with a „very intelligent“ modem.
C) Although help and support files are valuable, they don’t tell the whole message. The hint about modem settings was not found in any of the regular support pages to the various programs.
D) P2P is a term (peer to peer) that does not appear in Norton with Advanced Security help.
E) There are some more items, I have already forgotten now.
I don’t know know how to transfer the mails from Outlook to Thunderbird without losing the correct heads.
But that is not a real problem. Maybe, I stick to Outlook after all, since I have really become a friend of OneNote now.

In den Neunzigerjahren saß ich oft nächtelang vor dem Computer und überwachte argwöhnlich den Download von irgendwelchen Programmen, die 60 Megabyte groß waren.
Das dauerte Stunden und ich zitterte darum, dass nicht in dieser Zeit das Telefon klingeln würde, denn damit kam gewöhnlich der Download außer Tritt und ich musste wieder von vorne anfangen.
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Aus Nostalgie – und natürlich, weil es mich interessiert, – muss ich mir das Spiel Sid Meier’s Civilization V besorgen. Die erste Generation lief noch unter DOS.
Das Spiel wird über eine Spieleplattform „Steam“ vertrieben. Man kann es auch kaufen, aber die Ungeduld ist groß, also werden 50€ locker gemacht und die Downloadberechtigung eingekauft.
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Die Menge der zu ladenden Daten ist 4,7 Gigabyte, also rund 100 mal so viel, wie das damals war. Die geschätzte Ladezeit wird allerdings nur mehr ungefähr 2 Stunden betragen. Während ich diesen Text schreibe, sind ungefähr 8% bereits geladen.
Mit der für mich affenartigen Rate von 509kB/s.
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Über ein Kabel (Telekabel etc.) würde mich das nicht beeindrucken. Da geht es sogar noch schneller.
Doch über zwei verzwirbelte Kupferdrähte ohne Schirmung, ohne gar nix, mit etlichen Stoßstellen, ist das ein Wahnsinn.
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Echt arg. Und jetzt geh ich Klavier üben. Wenn ich fertig bin, spiele ich dann noch ein bisschen. Hoffentlich! :))