First Steps with E-mail
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First Steps with E-mail

Open (and close) an e-mail application

Open Evolution

  1. Click on the Start Applications button.

  2. Click Networking then Mail.

  3. Click on Evolution.

    The Evolution interface appears as follows:

Close Evolution

  • File->Exit or click the Close application icon.

[Note] Convention

To simplify the use of functions found on the menu bar, these will be abbreviated as follows: Instead of saying click on File on the Menu bar, then click Folder then click Move, the notation File->Folder->Move will be used.

Open a mail inbox for a specified user

In oder to access mail from just one specified mail box, it you will need to enable this mail box and disable the others.

  1. Open Evolution.

  2. Tools->Settings.

  3. Click the Mail Accounts icon.

  4. Check the mail account you wish to use. Make sure all the others are unchecked.

  5. Click Close.

  6. Click the Inbox icon in shortcuts.

  7. Click on the Send/Receive icon to download messages.

  8. Highlight the message you wish to read. A preview will appear in a pane below the message list.

  9. Press Ctrl-O to open the message in a window of its own.

  10. Adjust the size of the message window by dragging a corner or press the Maximise button if you wish the message display to occupy the entire screen.

  11. To close the message window, do one of the following:

    Click the close window icon, or File->Close, or press Ctrl+W.

Switch off the Preview Pane

There are a number of reasons why you might not wish to have the Preview pane displayed. From a security point of view, it is better that it is not displayed. When it is displayed, Evolution has to read the message. This is sufficient to activate certain virus activity. To switch it off:

  • View->Preview Pane.

If the Preview Pane were hidden, this function would have the reverse action and switch it on.

Open one, several mail messages

Open a single message

  1. Select the message you wish to read by clicking on it.

  2. Press Ctrl-O or use File->Open Message or double click on the message.

  3. Press Ctrl+W or use File->Close when done.

Open several messages

  1. Select multiple messages by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on each of the messages.

  2. Press Ctrl-O or use File Open Message.

    This will display each of the messages in a separate window.

Switch between open messages

When a number of messages are open, an icon for each will be displayed at the bottom of the screen. These icons will also include windows of other applications that may be open.

  • Click the icon corresponding to the message you wish to read. This will make the message the active window.

Close a mail message

  • To close the message window, do one of the following:

    Click the close window icon, or File->Close, or press Ctrl-W.

Use available Help functions

The help system for Evolution consists of an electronic book divided into a number of sections. Each section may contain one or more chapters.

  1. Help->Contents or press F1.

    The left hand pane consists of a list of the sections while the right hand pane is more detailed and has the chapters set out as a series of hyperlinks.

  2. If you wish, you can drag the border between the two panes to the left so that only the contents are displayed.

  3. Click on Using evolution for email.

Searching

Suppose you wish to find information on deleting mail:

  1. Edit->Find in Page or press Ctrl-F.

  2. Enter the text you wish to find as, for example, in the screen.

  3. Click Next.

    This will find the text, if possible, and highlight it.

  4. Click Next again to find the next occurrence.

  5. Press Previous to find text you have already found.

  6. Click Close when done.

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