v. 0.4
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What Is Althea?
Getting Started
A Typical Session
Configuration
Toolbar
Menus
More Info
Credits
What Is Althea?
The designers of Althea felt that there wasn't a stable, easy to use, GUI, IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) e-mail client for X Windows. The design goal was a stable e-mail client with the richness of usability of Microsoft's Outlook, Qualcomm's Eudora, and Cyrusoft's Mulberry.
Questions, comments, and code welcome at: althea-developers@lists.sourceforge.net
Getting Started
A Typical Session
When Althea first starts, it checks for a configuration file in your
home directory named .althearc file. If that fails the program looks in
/etc/althearc for the default configuration information. After loading
this information, Althea is ready to use.
On the left side of Althea's main window is a directory tree of servers. Each server can have several subfolders each of which contain mail. Generally the subfolder titled INBOX is where your new mail is located. On the right side of Althea's main window is a list of messages in the currently selected folder. When select a message, the contents are displayed in the text area below. Most of the actions you'll want to perform in a typical session is availble from the toolbar.
Configuration
File Format
With the release of our new XMLish configuration scheme and GUI configuration tool in v 0.4, we have, hopefully, made configuration a ton easier than previous versions.
You still have a .althearc file in your home directory that gets read in, but you also have a utility in althea to edit those preferences. The format of the new XML scheme is thus for Servers:
<Server>
<name>MyServer</name>
<smtpserver>smtp.fsf.com</smtpserver>
<imapserver>imap.fsf.com</imapserver>
<imapport>143</imapport>
<username>myUsername</username>
<password>myPassword</password>
<mailbox>~/mail</mailbox>
<fccfolder>sent-mail</fccfolder>
</Server>
There is more information on the new format in the althearc.example file that comes with the package.
Configuration Tool (Options Menu Item)
The "options" menu item, aka GUI configuration, is a tool that will edit your .althearc file. Here is a typical session of the configuration window. There are buttons to "add", "edit", and "delete" servers. As of 0.4, this server configuration screen is the only one that has any effect.
You can modify your servers and then click the "Ok" button to save your saves out to your .althearc file. Clicking cancel will save none of your changes.
NOTE: When you click "Ok" to save your changes, it writes your changes out to your .althearc file but does not reload those preferences. You will have to close althea and restart to see the changes.
Toolbar
Compose
Open a new window for creating a new message.
Save
Save the currently opened message to your hard disk.
Print
Print the currently opened message. Defaults to 'lpr %s'.
Allows you to change the print command. The user can include '%s' in the
print command to indicate where the filename should go.
Reply
Compose a reply to the currently open message.
Forward
Compose a message with the currently open message included at the end.
Check Mail
Check the currently selected server for new mail.
Delete Mail
Mark the currently selected message for deletion.
Menus
File menu
New Message
Open a new window for composing a new message.
Save Message
Save the currently opened message to your hard disk.
Check Mail
Check the currently selected server for new mail.
Print
Print the currently opened message. Before printing starts, you will be given the chance to change the default print command ('lpr %s', where %s will be replaced by the message's name) to something more suitable for your system (for example, 'lpr -P myprinter %s').
Options - Not Shown (New feature)
Open the Configuration window to edit preferences.
Exit
Exit Althea.
Message menu
Reply
Reply to currently open message.
Forward
Forward the currently open message.
Delete
Mark the currently selected message for deletion.
Undelete
Unmark the currently selected message for deletion.
Expunge
Delete all messages marked for deletion.
Help menu
Contents
Opens this help document.
About
Opens the About dialog box (with credits and such of the like).
More Info
Credits
History
Althea began as a independent study project at Carleton College in February 2000 with Jeff Ondich, advisor and six students, Bryan Dotzour, Eric Johnson, Nate Kohl, Will Mulvihill, Keith Resar, and Ethan Sommer.
Althea's Name
Several names were tossed around. The recursive acronym had its attractions, but in the end, Althea was chosen in honor of Bryan Dotzour's wife.
the Althea Development Team
Bryan Dotzour <Dwighthammer>
Eric Johnson <soupMonkey>
Nate Kohl
Will Mulvihill <Thriller>
Jeff Ondich
Keith Resar <Heavy>
Ethan Sommer
Contact
Questions, comments, and code welcome at: althea-developers@lists.sourceforge.net
When Althea first starts, it checks for a configuration file in your
home directory named .althearc file. If that fails the program looks in
/etc/althearc for the default configuration information. After loading
this information, Althea is ready to use.