Linux Dummies 9th

Chapter 10
E-Mailing the World
In This Chapter
▶ Examining Evolution
▶ Working with KMail
Your mailbox is your window to your heart! Make sure you leave that
window open!
— Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka, and Toshihiro Kawabata
Although most people think of the Web when they think of the Internet,
e-mail may, in fact, be the most used and beloved of all Internet applications.
A multitude of e-mail programs are available for Linux users. Most
Linux distributions install at least one e-mail application by default, and
which one it is depends on the default desktop you’re using (see Chapter 1).
Of course, with Linux you’re always free to install a different e-mail program
to use if you find one you like better!
This chapter provides an overview of the three most popular e-mail packages
used in Linux these days. Hopefully you’ll find one that fits your needs.
Looking Before You Leap
Before you start hacking away at trying to set up your e-mail package, you’ll need
to grab some information about the Internet service provider (ISP) that supports
your e-mail address. You should be able to obtain most of this information either
from the information you received from your ISP with your e-mail account or by
calling the Help Desk at your ISP and asking a few simple questions.
The items you’ll need to have handy before you start are
✓ Your e-mail address: This should be assigned by your ISP, with a format
such as me@myhost.com. You’ll need to remember to enter this in your
e-mail package exactly as it appears in your e-mail or people won’t be
able to respond to your messages!