Pine doesn't work

[steamer]

I hear tell bolt.sonic.net is gone for good, replaced by sh.sonic.net. OK got it, but when I get past login and password and invoke PINE I get the message:
Segmentation fault
...and I'm back at the command prompt! Is there no way I can read email via shell any more? I write a newsletter and I can't even get to my subscriber's list! Some help would be appreciated.

[steamer]

I hear tell bolt.sonic.net is gone for good, replaced by sh.sonic.net. OK got it, but when I get past login and password and invoke PINE I get the message:
Segmentation fault
...and I'm back at the command prompt! Is there no way I can read email via shell any more? I write a newsletter and I can't even get to my subscriber's list! Some help would be appreciated.

[joemuller]

I'm not sure why 'pine' isn't working properly yet, but I was able to run 'alpine' just now.

If you have not done so, you'll need to adjust your .pinerc file to use IMAP access - run 'alpine_help.sh' on the server for details.

-- Joe

[kevin]

I have used Alpine, (Pine previously). on Sonic since shortly after Sonic started in 1994. Today when I logged on to Alpine, (I've tried multiple tiles on three different computers), I can access and see my message list but once there I am unable to do anything other than page to the bottom of my message list using the space bar... and even that doesn't work if I hit some other key first. I can't compose, mark as delete or un-delete or access my other folders or addressbook. I called Sonic Support and the tech just suggested that I post in this forum.

I am not an Unix expert and in fact Alpine is the only program I use. When I joined Sonic in 1994 Pine was the only email client available. I liked it and have continued to use it 90% of the time. I only used Webmail when I have attachments to up or download. I would appreciate it if someone here could help me get it working again.
Thanks!

[joemuller]

Hi Kevin,

There's 3 settings that need to be configured so Alpine can talk to Sonic's IMAP servers - these are 'inbox-path', which it looks like you found, and 'folder-collections', which despite its name, is the bit that actually determines how different mailboxes are accessed, and finally 'user-domain'. The syntax for these is below: (substitute SONIC_USERNAME for your login/user name)

Code: Select all

inbox-path={imap.sonic.net:993/ssl/user=SONIC_USERNAME}
folder-collections={imap.sonic.net:993/ssl/user=SONIC_USERNAME}INBOX.[],
user-domain=sonic.net

Alpine does behave slightly differently in this mode - if you navigate to your Inbox, you'll be prompted once (this will also happen if you exit out of Alpine) for your password via the status line at the bottom of the screen. After that, everything should behave normally.

Best of luck, and let me know if this works for you.

-- Joe

[kevin]

Hi Joe,

Thank you for your reply! I am able to access the SETUP menu, and have confirmed that "inbox-path" and "User-domain are correct. However, though I have scrolled through to the bottom of the menu, I see no "folder-collections" line.

What puzzles me is that I have not changed anything on my end but suddenly it is not working. I never go into the Setup menu, so I have not changed anything there. All I ever do in Alpine is receive and compose messages and occasionally make additions to my Address Book. It can't be a keyboard issue on my end as it is the same on two laptops and a desktop.

I would appreciate any further guidance you can give me!

Thank you,
Kevin

[joemuller]

Kevin,

The 'folder-collections' setting is under a different menu in the setup program - here's how you can change it while inside Alpine:

1.) Start alpine

Code: Select all

# alpine

2.) Enter the Setup menu (shortcut key 'S')

Code: Select all

?     HELP               -  Get help using Alpine

C     COMPOSE MESSAGE    -  Compose and send a message

I     MESSAGE INDEX      -  View messages in current folder

L     FOLDER LIST        -  Select a folder to view

A     ADDRESS BOOK       -  Update address book

S     SETUP              -  Configure Alpine Options

Q     QUIT               -  Leave the Alpine program

3.) Choose the 'collectionLists' option (use the 'L' key)

4.) Use the 'A' key to add a 'collection'

5.) Configure it like this: (the 'view' field can be left blank)

Code: Select all

Nickname  : sonic.net
Server    : imap.sonic.net:933/ssl/user=kevin
Path      : INBOX.
View      : 

6.) Use ctrl+X to save your changes, then 'y' to confirm.

7.) Go back to the main menu using the 'E' key.


After all of that, you should have access to your mail - note that you will be prompted for your
password every time you start Alpine, as it attempts to log in right away by default. Hope this helps!

-- Joe

[kevin]

Joe,

Thank you for your detailed instructions. I have carefully followed them and after several attempts some Alpine functionality has returned but not all.

When I first went to Setup and then pressed 'L' initially a blank screen came up. Pressing 'A' brought up the set of prompts which I have filled out as follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nickname : sonic.net
Server : imap.sonic.net:933/ssl/user=kevin
Path : INBOX.
View :

Pressing ctrl +X sonic.net produced a 'Busy' box that lasted for 3-4 mins before getting the following message:

"Can't connect to imap.sonic.net. Connection timed out."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I closed out my session by simply closing Putty, logged in again, and repeated that sequence several times with the same results. After the fourth or fifth attempt, I noticed that when I pressed 'L' instead of the blank screen I had seen in my first several attempts, I was now getting the following:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail
Local folders in mail/

sonic.net
Folders on imap.sonic.net:933/ssl/user=kevin in INBOX


Mail
Local folders in home directory

sonic.net
Folders on imap.sonic.net:933/ssl/user=kevin in INBOX
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------m
Pressing 'A' still brought up the blank 'collection' prompts but filling out that screen and then ctrl+X still results in the busy box and eventually the, "Can't connect to imap.sonic.net. Connection timed out." message. I never did get to be able to pres "y" to confirm.

As it stands at the moment, I appear to be able to do most things in Alpine except access any folders other than my inbox. Pressing "L" from within my Inbox or from the Main Menu just brings up the same screen, (as above), that I get when I press "L" after entering Setup. Pressing 'C' will bring up a blank email composition screen but not the "Postponed" list which I really need to access.

To further complicate things, I have just tried composing a couple of test emails and then postponing them. When I next press 'C' I am able to access those messages and can continue composing them. But previously I had a list of several postponed compositions, (including an important one that I had spent several hours on), and they are no longer there.

If I can get access to my other folders and my previously "Postponed" compositions then I think I will be back to normal functioning.

Thanks again for your help so far and I'd certainly appreciate it if you could help me regain access to my folders and my previously postponed list.
Kevin

P.S.
Don't know if it is relevant but when I first sign into the shell this is what I see:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using username "kevin".
Keyboard-interactive authentication prompts from server:
| Password:
End of keyboard-interactive prompts from server
-sh: messages: command not found
-sh: nfrm: command not found
_[/home/k/kevin]_(kevin@sh)_
$
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[joemuller]

Hi Kevin,

I've gone ahead and made some edits to your .pinerc file that should take care of everything this time. There was some confusion between the remote (IMAP) and local mailboxes in your folder collections, but they should now both be listed when you go to the folder list as 'Sonic' and 'Local' respectively. There may be slightly more elegant ways of setting up Alpine, but you should have all of your old sent messages and drafts in the 'Local' mailbox.

-- Joe

[kevin]

Hi Joe,

I can see that you have made some changes but I still can't access my folders. Pressing 'L' both from the Main menu or when in my Inbox,still takes me to the same place. That is this screen from Setup:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sonic
Folders on imap.sonic.net:993/ssl/user=kevin in INBOX.

Local
Local folders in mail/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I also can't access my previously postponed messages either, but at this point that is not important. New postponed messages are accessible in a new list.

Thanks for your continuing help.
I do appreciate it!
Kevin