{Solved}Problems with filtering email using Thunderbird Email Client

[Linux-Blue]

I'm having problems filtering messages. It is from a specific email, and I have managed to move it to "trash", but not actually get the "delete" or even "delete on POP server" to work. It just comes through in inbox.

I want this messages removed before even getting in my inbox, or trash, or any folder. That's what I would prefer anyway;

thanks in advance.

[AndrzejL]

Hi Dude.

What exactly are You trying to do?

Can You give some more details?

When I am adding someone - specific email - let's say abc@xyz.com to the filters I go to:

Tools > Message Filters

Then from the drop-down menu I choose my e-mail addy that the filter will be applied to.

Then I click New and when the window opens I add:

Filter name: abc@xyz.com

I make sure that Manually Run and Getting New Mail > Filter Before Junk Classification boxes are ticked.

Make sure that: Match all the following radio box is ticked (unless You want to add couple of unrelated criteria then You need to choose Match any of the following - let's say if You want to add a list of folks that drive You bananas and You want to have one filter for all of them).

Criteria:

From > Is > abc@xyz.com

If unwanted messages are coming with specific subject line or keywords in it You can use:

Subject > Contains > Keyword

You can combine multiple criteria.

Perform these actions:

And here You choose what You want to do with the e-mails.

The order in which the actions are performed matters. For example if You delete message from pop3 server when the criteria match - I don't think it will be downloaded to the Thunderbird's inbox. If You choose to have an option to move the message to trash (or other folder) and after that You choose to delete it from pop3 server it will be moved and then re-moved. You cannot use 2 actions that exclude each other. You cannot remove the message permanently as in move it to trash and empty it in the same go. You can send it to trash. You can have Your trash folder to be purged when Thunderbird closes. That will remove it then. You can choose to move it to trash and mark it as read - then at least You wont see the messages and if You cannot see them - they shouldn't bother You but that's more of a subject of Your mental stability . You can move it to another folder etc.

Also - the higher on the filter list - the higher the filter's priority is. If the filter above does something to the message and the filter below is set to have similar criteria - the actions from the filter lower on the list might be ignored as the message was already dealt with...

Some visual examples:





Regards.

Andrzej

[Linux-Blue]

In message filter, I do have my own email address selected in the drop down box. I also have the filter marked "enable"

In edit, I have:

Apply filter when - Checking Mail or Manual run

*Match any of the following

From/is/email@address.com

Perform these actions - Delete from POP server.


I had "contains", but switched to "is" when I saw your screen shot. I am however, still getting email from my another account.

[AndrzejL]

Super weird - I am using Thunderbird Daily in version 20 not sure what is the repo version and I didn't tested my filters with it - could be a bug.

Regards.

Andrzej

[AndrzejL]

Try adding another action to mark it as read - possibly the file is being deleted from the pop3 server but still is downloaded to thunderbird's inbox. If marking as read works then the filter is working but is not doing what You want it to do and needs tweaking.

In gmail You need to allow the message deletion in the gmail settings somewhere I think...

Regards.

Andrzej

[Linux-Blue]

I'm trying to do the same as you, get a screenshot on how mine looks, but it's not doing what I want it to do

Ah, here we go. I did change "contain" to "is", but this is basically what I get:



after adding "mark as read", email comes through. and just shows it as if it was read already.


Does this not work on all email addresses? I tried KMail, which is what I have used since I started linux back in '06, and even that allows the message to pop up into inbox.
I'm either missing a step, or...or..something lol.

[AndrzejL]

Whats your goal?

Regards.

Andrzej

[Linux-Blue]

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.

[YouCanToo]

Why don't you run mailfilter. It does exactly what you are looking for and doesn't matter what client software that you are running. It is in synaptic!

[Linux-Blue]

Installed it. no software? Do I just do what I have been doing, or is there a new section to go to to actually use mailfilter?

[YouCanToo]

Installed it. no software? Do I just do what I have been doing, or is there a new section to go to to actually use mailfilter?

There is software. First you will have to setup the .mailfilterrc  The is the file that will do the filtering for the mail that you want to discard or whatever you plan on doing. This is where you also need to setup the information for the email account that you want to use it for.  The .mailfilterrc is pretty easy to setup and there are examples for many different uses in the file itself.  I got mailfilter setup using a cron job and it runs and either passes the email to me or it acts on a filter I setup to remove it.

You will find the .mailfilterrc file in your home directory. It is a hidden file.  You can even set it up to test your setting before making them active to see if your setting are correct.  You can even setup a logfile to record what mailfilter has or hasn't done.  Once again the .mailfilterrc file is pretty simple, just follow the basic examples with in the file.  If you experience problems let me know and I will help you out as much as possible.


EDIT:  You can get the .mailfilterrc file here  http://pclinuxoshelp.com/index.php/.mailfilterrc

[YouCanToo]

Here is a bit I done for the Knowledge Base wiki about mailfilter

http://pclinuxoshelp.com/index.php/Mailfilter_Installation_and_Operation

[Linux-Blue]

Does this look right at all?

[jeremybailey@localhost ~]$ mailfilter
mailfilter: 0.8.2 querying myemail@emailaddress.net@pop3.server.net on Tue Dec  4 21:50:38 2012.
mailfilter: Examining 0 message(s).
[jeremybailey@localhost ~]$

[Linux-Blue]

I sent two different emails from two different addresses, and they showed up in mailfilter. I added a DENY=(one of the email accounts), just like it shows on that file.
But opening thunderbird, I got the email in inbox.

[YouCanToo]

I sent two different emails from two different addresses, and they showed up in mailfilter. I added a DENY=(one of the email accounts), just like it shows on that file.
But opening thunderbird, I got the email in inbox.

What does your mailfilterlog show.  My guess would be there is something wrong with your filter if it is set to DENY and it is letting it through.

Can you post the filter that you are using for this email?


Another thought just popped into my head. IS the "Test" turned off in the .mailfilterrc file.  If it is set to "ON" the program just goes through the steps but does not remove any email.  The line in the .mailfilterrc reads

TEST = "yes"    this needs to read  TEST = "no"