Appendix A Troubleshooting Ximian Evolution

This appendix provides troubleshooting information for Ximian Evolution.

Starting Evolution From a Command Line

When you start Evolution, the last folder that you used is displayed. For example, if you display Inbox, then quit Evolution, the next time that you open Evolution, Inbox is displayed.

You can start Evolution from a command line, and specify the folder that you want to open. The following table lists some typical Evolution folders, and the commands that you use to start Evolution with that folder displayed:

Importing Email From Outlook and Outlook Express

The following email applications use proprietary formats that Evolution cannot read or import:

• Microsoft Outlook

• Versions of Outlook Express higher than version 4

To import email from Microsoft Outlook and versions of Outlook Express higher than version 4, use the following workaround:

1. In Windows, import the Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express emails into an email application that uses the mbox format. For example, import the emails into Mozilla, Netscape, or Eudora.

2. Copy the emails to the system or partition you use for Evolution.

3. Use the Evolution Import Assistant to import the emails.

Importing Email From Netscape 4.x

Before you import email from Netscape Version 4.x, choose File -> Compact All Folders from the Netscape Messenger window. If you do not perform this action, Evolution imports and undeletes the messages in your Trash folders.

Importing Contacts From Outlook Express

To import contacts from versions of Outlook Express higher than version 4, perform the following steps:

1. In Outlook Express, export each of your contacts and contact lists as Vcard-format files.

2. In Outlook Express, attach each of the Vcard-format files to a message, then send the message to your Evolution account.

3. In Evolution, receive the message.

4. In Evolution, to import a contact or contact list from the message, click on the right arrow icon at the left side of the attachment button, then choose View Inline. The contact or contact list is displayed in the message. Click on the Save to addressbook button to import the contact or contact list.

   Repeat this step to import other contacts or contact lists from the message.

Exporting Data from Evolution

Evolution uses standard formats to store data. You can export data easily from Evolution to other applications. The following table lists the formats that Evolution uses to store data:

Pasting Into the Subject Field

You cannot use the Ctrl + V shortcut keys to paste content into the Subject field of an email message. Instead, use the Shift + Insert shortcut keys.

Signing Secure Messages

When you add an encrypted signature to an email message, you might see the following error:

Failed to GPG sign: Broken pipe
gpg: skipped '<KEY>': secret key not available 
gpg: signing failed: secret key not available

To correct this error, perform the following steps:

1. Open the following file: $HOME/.gnupg/gpg.conf

2. Comment out the following line: use-agent

Sun Java System Calendar Server Issues

When you use Evolution with Java System Calendar Server, you might experience the following issues:

• You cannot use Evolution to modify or delete an appointment within a series of appointments from a Calendar Server account. Calendar Server does not support this function.

• The Preview sections for recurring appointments behave differently for local calendar folders and Calendar Server folders. In a local folder, open a simple recurring appointment, then click on the Recurrence tab. You can use the Preview section. In Calendar Server folders, the Preview section in the Recurrence tab is disabled because you cannot modify or delete an appointment within a series of appointments.

• In local folders, Calendar displays the tasks that are in the local Tasks folder. In Calendar Server folders, Personal Calendar displays the tasks that are in the the default tasks folder. You can change your default tasks folder. For more information about how to change your default tasks folder, see Setting Folders Preferences. After you change your default tasks folder, you must restart Evolution for the change to take effect.

• Calendar Server supports only one reminder for each appointment or meeting. However, you can add multiple reminders for each appointment or meeting to your local calendar.

• The time zones in Evolution are not the same as the time zones on Calendar Server. This time zone disparity causes some problems when dealing with time zones that exist only in Evolution.

  For example, the Asia/Urumqi time zone is available in Evolution, but not available in Calendar Server. When you create a new appointment in the Asia/Urumqi time zone, Evolution saves the appointment in the default time zone for Calendar Server.

• If you select an incorrect protocol for your Calendar Server account, Evolution does not allow you to correct the protocol in the Evolution Settings dialog. To correct the protocol setting for a Calendar Server account, perform the following steps:

  1. Right-click on your  Calendar Server folder, then choose Forget Password from the popup menu.

  2. Quit and restart Evolution.

  3. Click Cancel on the Enter Password dialog.

  4. Select the correct protocol for your Calendar Server account from the Evolution Settings dialog.

PDA Issues

When you use PDAs with Evolution, you might experience the following issues:

• When you use a USB port to synchronize, your computer might become immobilized. For example, the Caps Lock LED and Scroll Lock LED might blink. This problem might occur because of problems with the USB module, problems with the kernel, or hardware issues.

• You cannot synchronize Evolution with a Pocket PC directly. However, you can use other open source tools, such as Sync and MultiSync to synchronize your Evolution contacts with you Pocket PC.

Mozilla Web Browser

To configure Mozilla so that Evolution does not start when you choose Send Link or Send Page, perform the following steps:

1. Open one of the following files:

   $HOME/.mozilla/<profilename>/<random>/prefs.js

   Configures Mozilla for an individual user.

   /usr/lib/mozilla-1.4/defaults/pref/all.js

   Configures Mozilla for all users.

2. Locate the following line in the file:

   pref("network.protocol-handler.external.mailto", true)

   Change this line to the following in the file:

   pref("network.protocol-handler.external.mailto", false)

CDE Calendar

You cannot use Evolution with the CDE Calendar application.