Instructions for installing and configuring Mozilla Thunderbird for secure IMAP/SMTP

The instructions and screen shots are from an install/configuration on Windows XP.
Macintosh and Linux install/configuration should be similar.

Download Mozilla Thunderbird for your operating system (Windows, Mac OSX or Linux) at http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/index.html

Run the downloaded file to begin to install Thunderbird on your computer.

Click Next

Click Accept the terms, and then click Next

Choose Standard installation, and click Next

Click Next

Click Finish

Thunderbird will now give you the option to import information from other email programs. Your screen may have different programs to choose from depending on what other email clients Thunderbird finds that it is able to import from. If you have email addresses you would like imported from another program, you can choose to import. With IMAP though, unless you have stored messages on the local computer, with the exception of sent messages, all messages will be stored on the Grinnell College email server.

If you wish to import, make the appropriate selection, and then click Next

Type in your name as you would like it to appear on emails sent, and your Grinnell College email address in the appropriate fields and click Next

Choose IMAP, and type imap.grinnell.edu for incoming server and smtp.grinnell.edu for outgoing server

Verify/type in your Grinnell College username in each field, and click Next

You can name this however you would like the account to be seen in Thunderbird, and then click Next

Verify the information and click Next

Thunderbird will now ask you for your password to download messages. Click Cancel, as we need to make some additional changes to the settings that were not configured in the basic install.

Click on Tools, and then Account Settings as shown below

Click on Server Settings, and then choose SSL under the Security Settings section. This will change the default port from 143 to 993.

Next click on the Outgoing Server (SMTP) tab, highlight the Default SMTP server in the box, and click the Edit button

In the description, you can rename it if you like.
Change the port to 587 from port 25
Check Use name and password, and type in your username in the User Name field.
Choose TLS under Use secure connection:
Click OK

Verify the settings made, and click OK

You should now be configured to have a secure connection to the IMAP server, and be able to connect to the Grinnell College secure SMTP server wherever you are connected at.