{Solved}Problems with filtering email using Thunderbird Email Client

[AndrzejL]

I have someone I want blocked. Saying "not interested" isn't doing anything.

Best to have this removed from the server. I have zero desire or interest in reading ANY messages from this person.
If I can't do that, I suppose I could just have it go into "trash" and then just empty it without viewing.
I wish there were options like this on a smart phone, because I use that 99% of the time for email.

I guess if there was an app for the smart phone, I would most certainly prefer a "delete from server" on the phone.

Add actions to delete the e-mail from pop server, to delete it to trash and to mark it as read.

Alternatively You could use the WWW UI - maybe there are filters in there that will help You remove the message before it even reaches Your thunderbird inbox. Maybe You can mark it as spam somewhere? If You can do that messages from this person will probably land in Spam / Bulk folder. That's what I would do - deal with it on the WWW UI level before it reaches Your machine.

Regards.

Andrzej

[Linux-Blue]

I tried marking my old address as spam, 4 or so times, it still shows up in inbox.

I found the test, and selected no, but no results. Here's the file:




# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Logile path (be sure you have write permission in this
# directory; you MUST specify a logfile)

LOGFILE = "$HOME/mailfilterlog"


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Level of verbosity
#
#   0      Silent, show nothing at all
#   1      Only show errors
#   2      Only show "Deleted..." messages and errors
#   3      Default; Show "Deleted..." messages,  errors
#          and "Examining..." messages
#   4      Like (3), except this also shows the current
#          account's username
#   5      Like (4), except this also shows which filter
#          matched which string of an e-mail header
#   6      Debugging mode; prints almost everything

VERBOSE = 5

# -----------------------------------------------------------

# TEST = "[yes|no]"
# This keyword prevents Mailfilter from deleting any messages
# on any e-mail accounts. It is useful to # experiment  with
# filters  and  Regular  Expressions and to see how Mailfilter
# reacts to the user's changes. The option can be turned on by
# assigning `yes' to TEST. The default value is `no'.

TEST = "no"

# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Server list  (Do not change the order of the fields!!)
# Note: Port 110 is usually the port APOP and POP3 servers use,
# port 995 is required if (say) POP3/SSL is specified.

SERVER   = "pop3.servername.net"
USER     = "emailaddress.net"
PASS     = "password"
PROTOCOL = "pop3"
PORT     = 110

# SERVER   = "pop.secondserver.com"
# USER     = "anotherusername"
# PASS     = "anotherusername"
# PROTOCOL = "pop3/ssl"
# PORT     = 995


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Do you want case sensitive e-mail filters? { yes | no }

REG_CASE = "no"


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Sets the type of Regular Expression used { extended | basic }
#
# (The default is 'basic', don't change unless you know what you
#  are doing. Extended REs are more complex to set up.)

REG_TYPE = "basic"


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Maximum e-mail size in bytes that should not be exceeded.

MAXSIZE_DENY = 1000000


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Set maximum line length of any field in the message header
 
MAXLENGTH = 998


# ----------------------------------------------------------
# Filter rules for detecting spam (each rule must be placed
# in a separate line)

# These filters detect certain unpleasant e-mail subjects:
DENY = "^Subject:.*Get penis enlargement"
DENY = "^Subject:.*WIN MONEY"
DENY = "^Subject:.*VIGERA"

# This one filters mail from a certain person:
# DENY = "^From:.*spammer@any_spam_organisation\.com"
# DENY = "^From:.*myoldemail@address.net"

# This one filters mail from everyone at a certain organisation:
# DENY = "^From:.*@any_provider_that_spams\.org"

# We don't want any of those 'LEGAL' messages either
# while stuff with 'legal' in the subject still interests us:
DENY_CASE = "^Subject:.*LEGAL"


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Normalises the subject strings before parsing, e.g.
# ',L.E-G,A.L; ,C.A-B`L`E, +.B-O`X` `E`S,C;R,A.MB;L,E.R-]'
# becomes 'LEGAL CABLE BOX DESCRAMBLER' which can be filtered.
#
# If NORMAL is switched on, Mailfilter tries to apply filters
# to both the normalised and the original subject.

NORMAL = "yes"


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# The maximum e-mail size in bytes that messages from friends
# should not exceed. Set this to 0 if all your friends (ALLOW)
# can send messages as long as they want.

MAXSIZE_ALLOW = 0


# ----------------------------------------------------------
# Set list of friends that always pass, if they do not
# exceed the message length of MAXSIZE_ALLOW

# This rule allows all mail from a friend who was unlucky enough
# to have signed up with a spam organisation. With DENY we
# block everyone else from that domain though! See above!
# ALLOW = "^From:.*a_friend_with_account@any_provider_that_spams.org"

# Of course we allow e-mail from anyone who has something to say about
# mailfilter:
ALLOW = "^Subject:.*mailfilter"

# We also let our girlfriend send any e-mail she wants:
# ALLOW = "^From:.*my_girlfriend@any_provider\.com"



naturally, I changed the info to email@addresses, and just typed in password, rather than the real one.
I added my old email in, again, edited, but it still goes through.

[YouCanToo]

I tried marking my old address as spam, 4 or so times, it still shows up in inbox.

I found the test, and selected no, but no results. Here's the file:




# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Logile path (be sure you have write permission in this
# directory; you MUST specify a logfile)

LOGFILE = "$HOME/mailfilterlog"


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Level of verbosity
#
#   0      Silent, show nothing at all
#   1      Only show errors
#   2      Only show "Deleted..." messages and errors
#   3      Default; Show "Deleted..." messages,  errors
#          and "Examining..." messages
#   4      Like (3), except this also shows the current
#          account's username
#   5      Like (4), except this also shows which filter
#          matched which string of an e-mail header
#   6      Debugging mode; prints almost everything

VERBOSE = 5

# -----------------------------------------------------------

# TEST = "[yes|no]"
# This keyword prevents Mailfilter from deleting any messages
# on any e-mail accounts. It is useful to # experiment  with
# filters  and  Regular  Expressions and to see how Mailfilter
# reacts to the user's changes. The option can be turned on by
# assigning `yes' to TEST. The default value is `no'.

TEST = "no"

# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Server list  (Do not change the order of the fields!!)
# Note: Port 110 is usually the port APOP and POP3 servers use,
# port 995 is required if (say) POP3/SSL is specified.

SERVER   = "pop3.servername.net"
USER     = "emailaddress.net"
PASS     = "password"
PROTOCOL = "pop3"
PORT     = 110

# SERVER   = "pop.secondserver.com"
# USER     = "anotherusername"
# PASS     = "anotherusername"
# PROTOCOL = "pop3/ssl"
# PORT     = 995


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Do you want case sensitive e-mail filters? { yes | no }

REG_CASE = "no"


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Sets the type of Regular Expression used { extended | basic }
#
# (The default is 'basic', don't change unless you know what you
#  are doing. Extended REs are more complex to set up.)

REG_TYPE = "basic"


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Maximum e-mail size in bytes that should not be exceeded.

MAXSIZE_DENY = 1000000


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Set maximum line length of any field in the message header
 
MAXLENGTH = 998


# ----------------------------------------------------------
# Filter rules for detecting spam (each rule must be placed
# in a separate line)

# These filters detect certain unpleasant e-mail subjects:
DENY = "^Subject:.*Get penis enlargement"
DENY = "^Subject:.*WIN MONEY"
DENY = "^Subject:.*VIGERA"

# This one filters mail from a certain person:
# DENY = "^From:.*spammer@any_spam_organisation\.com"
# DENY = "^From:.*myoldemail@address.net"

# This one filters mail from everyone at a certain organisation:
# DENY = "^From:.*@any_provider_that_spams\.org"

# We don't want any of those 'LEGAL' messages either
# while stuff with 'legal' in the subject still interests us:
DENY_CASE = "^Subject:.*LEGAL"


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# Normalises the subject strings before parsing, e.g.
# ',L.E-G,A.L; ,C.A-B`L`E, +.B-O`X` `E`S,C;R,A.MB;L,E.R-]'
# becomes 'LEGAL CABLE BOX DESCRAMBLER' which can be filtered.
#
# If NORMAL is switched on, Mailfilter tries to apply filters
# to both the normalised and the original subject.

NORMAL = "yes"


# -----------------------------------------------------------
# The maximum e-mail size in bytes that messages from friends
# should not exceed. Set this to 0 if all your friends (ALLOW)
# can send messages as long as they want.

MAXSIZE_ALLOW = 0


# ----------------------------------------------------------
# Set list of friends that always pass, if they do not
# exceed the message length of MAXSIZE_ALLOW

# This rule allows all mail from a friend who was unlucky enough
# to have signed up with a spam organisation. With DENY we
# block everyone else from that domain though! See above!
# ALLOW = "^From:.*a_friend_with_account@any_provider_that_spams.org"

# Of course we allow e-mail from anyone who has something to say about
# mailfilter:
ALLOW = "^Subject:.*mailfilter"

# We also let our girlfriend send any e-mail she wants:
# ALLOW = "^From:.*my_girlfriend@any_provider\.com"



naturally, I changed the info to email@addresses, and just typed in password, rather than the real one.
I added my old email in, again, edited, but it still goes through.

A couple of things

in the section setting up your username. Say we use for example youcantoo@linuxguy.ws was your email than your "USER" would be anything before the "@" sign In this case the USER = "youcantoo"

Also in your file, I am assuming that this is the line that you have added.

# DENY = "^From:.*myoldemail@address.net"

If this is the case then it would never be denied. Since the line is commented out. To make that line work it should be

DENY = "^From:.*myoldemail@address.net"

Note the missing # at the beginning of the line.   The # comments out the line making it non functional.

Outside of these mentioned items I do not see anything that would prevent mailfilter from functioning as it should.

[Linux-Blue]

It fails when I change let's say Vanguard-741@gmail.com to Vanguard-741.  Setting up my email, I need it @whatever.com

However, I changed the one line, removed # and it worked. It showed the message, as deny

mailfilter: Deny: jeremy_s_bailey@comcast.net: test, Thu, 6 Dec 2012 00:47:56 +0000 (UTC) ["^From:.*Jeremy_S_Bailey@comcast.net" matches "From: jeremy_s_bailey@comcast.net"].

Opened thunderbird, checked for mail, and didn't get it

So it looks like it works now. Kind of unique doing it this way, but better than nothing.

Fun doing terminal stuff again, been a few years it seems. Anyway, thanks! It seems to be doing the trick now.

[YouCanToo]

You should be able to verify that it was deleted by looking at the mailfilterlog file in your home directory.  It is amazing with all the things you can do with it.  I am glad that you got it all sorted out and it is working for you.

[Linux-Blue]

Thank you again. Now this on a smart phone would be cool!

[YouCanToo]

Thank you again. Now this on a smart phone would be cool!

I don't know if it will ever be for a smart phone, but I guess that one could go to their website and ask.  Here is their website  http://mailfilter.sourceforge.net/index.html

Since this fixed the issue(s) that you were having can you modify the subject of your first post and add [SOLVED] to it.  Thanks.

[Linux-Blue]

Done and thanks