[kde-linux] Kmail Problems. Was: Installing KDE4 on Sid

[Gaffer.]

On Tuesday 29 January 2008 21:01, Anne Wilson inscribed thus:
> On Tuesday 29 January 2008 20:37:56 Gaffer. wrote:
> > Hi Anne,
> >
> > I've changed the thread name to something more in keeping.
> >
> > On Tuesday 29 January 2008 20:16, Anne Wilson inscribed thus:
> > > On Tuesday 29 January 2008 19:50:40 Gaffer. wrote:
> > > > To be honest I don't like Gnome either, but there are so many
> > > > issues cropping up at the moment, in particular the sudden
> > > > refusal by Kmail to send any mail at all following automatic
> > > > updates.
> > >
> > > Don't take this wrong, but it doesn't sound like a kde issue at
> > > all...
> >
> > I'm not convinced.
> >
> > > > It is not affecting all my clients, only a few.
> > > >  Unfortunately I have not been able to pin down any
> > > > particular cause yet.
> > >
> > > If kde were to blame, wouldn't all your clients be affected?
> >
> > Most of my affected clients are disparate individuals spread
> > across a wide ranging age group.  One is in their 90's,  But I
> > agree that they are only a small proportion of the total.
>
> I'd totally discount age - age and wisdom are  unrelated :-)

I agree.  I was just trying to illustrate the range of users that I 
look after.

> > > You may have covered some of this in another thread, so please
> > > bear with me, when I ask you to update us.  Can you define
> > > 'clients' - in terms of whether they are all on separate boxes
> > > or some are users on one box - specifically whether those that
> > > do/don't have problems share a box, and any other physical
> > > possibilities of similar circumstances.
> > >
> > > Can you give us a summary of your attempts to track it down? 
> > > It may give us some ideas to help you.
> > >
> > > Anne
> >
> > Common factors:-
> >
> > The only ones that are affected are using SuSE 10.3  (could just
> > be a SuSE problem).
>
> Sounds a bit like it.  Have you talked about this on a SuSE-user
> list?  Have you searched their bug list?

I found nothing that helped.

> > All the ones affected are using "Talktalk or Onetel" as their
> > ISP.
>
> Do any unaffected ones use either of those?

Yes 95% of my clients use this ISP.  I say "this" because they are all 
part of the "Carphone Warehouse"

> > A clean re-install of 10.3 clears the problem until the machine
> > updates via the "opensuseupdater"
> >
> > Putting their Login/Password into a laptop running SuSE 10.2 on
> > their own connection allows normal operation.
>
> Both of those seem to point to a SuSE bug.

I agree, but I've not been able to find where in the configs they are 
different.

> > Not all users are affected.  at the moment I have 8 who are. 
> > Another 4 are temporarily using web mail as a fix.

As of a few minutes ago I have another one who can receive Email but 
her replies have remained in the outbox.

> Are they all using 10.3?

Yes.  The ones on earlier versions don't have this problem.  I'm 
tempted to go back to installing 10.2 on new builds.

> > On a couple of machines I found that IPV6 had been turned on, but
> > turning it off made no difference.  I did find that turning IPV6
> > on did stop Email working and screwed up web browsing for me, so
> > I assume it would for others.
> >
> > I think thats about it.
>
> IPv6 has been known to cause problems, but it doesn't always.  It's
> probably wiser to turn it off while troubleshooting.

I always turn IPV6 off when doing an install.  Although I know users 
not running SuSE that have it turned on.

Just thinking about IPV6 for a moment.  I originally thought that all 
this could be an ISP problem, primarily because they have been doing 
a very large amount of work in this area recently and Email became 
very flaky and non existent for varying periods of time.

Another thing that I noticed, was that old Emails would suddenly 
appear in the inbox.  Sometimes months old.   Would the ISP 
implementing IPV6 on some servers but not on others cause this 
problem?

Of course the ISP denies that there are any problems with a particular 
user, but their web page says otherwise.

> I think you are going to get your best help from the SuSE lists,
> but perhaps our conversation will help you put together a good
> report for them.  Of course, if a bug has been reported there may
> also be a work-around while an update is being prepared.  How long
> has this been going on?
>
> Anne

Over the past 4 or five weeks, certainly this side of Christmas.

-- 
Best Regards:
             Derrick.