This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Account Configuration for localhost

  • 7 iimpendulo
  • 2 inale ngxaki
  • 2 views
  • Impendulo yokugqibela ngu christ1

more options

Hi,

My Anti-Virus guide says it'll mail root@localhost if it finds anything suspicious. I've looked around, and seems I first need to forward root emails to username@localhost. I think I can do that (though I don't understand why I need to!).

My real problem is that I've no idea how to configure a Thunderbird account to read mails sent to username@localhost (or if possible, root@localhost). What settings do I use for incoming (IMAP or POP3?), server hostname (localhost or .localhost?; incoming and outgoing?), port, SSL, Authentication (all incoming and outgoing)?

If it makes any odds, I'm on Linux Mint 16 Xfce and Thunderbird 24.5.0

Thanks in Advance

Hi, My Anti-Virus guide says it'll mail root@localhost if it finds anything suspicious. I've looked around, and seems I first need to forward root emails to username@localhost. I think I can do that (though I don't understand why I need to!). My real problem is that I've no idea how to configure a Thunderbird account to read mails sent to username@localhost (or if possible, root@localhost). What settings do I use for incoming (IMAP or POP3?), server hostname (localhost or .localhost?; incoming and outgoing?), port, SSL, Authentication (all incoming and outgoing)? If it makes any odds, I'm on Linux Mint 16 Xfce and Thunderbird 24.5.0 Thanks in Advance

All Replies (7)

more options
more options

Thanks - I followed that and used username@localhost as the email address. Then used Thunderbird to send a test message to username@localhost but it's gone down a big black hole.

Is there any other set up I need to do, or anything to check, or try sending the test message a different way?

Cheers.

more options

In order for the message to be delivered to a local mailbox you'll have to have a running SMTP server, typically Postfix. Check your distribution's documentation on how to set-up this.

more options

Yikes - that looks hard for an IT simpleton  :(

more options

I think the simple answer is get an anti virus solution that does not require a degree in computer science. Most I have used simply write to a log file.

more options

It does have a log file - I just wanted to take advantage of receiving an email if there's a problem, rather than checking the log regularly. Anyway, I've also been pointed to the eicar test virus and now had a play with that - am happy that the AV is v good at popping up alerts on the screen when there's trouble. Hopefully not even the kids can miss them! So I'll abandon the root@localhost project, at least for now.

Thanks both for the input.

more options

It shouldn't be too difficult to get this going with the means the distribution provides.