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On this page:
Overview
Configure for IMAP
Configure for SMTP Authentication
Configure for LDAP

Overview

This document provides instructions on how to configure Apple Mail 2.0 on Mac OS X 10.4 for use with IMAP, and with SMTP authentication of outgoing mail, at MIT.

Before You Begin:

• Before you can configure Mail, you will need to install the MIT CA (Certificate Authority) into the X509Anchors keychain, if you have not already done so.
• You will also need to install your MIT personal certificate into the keychain file located in your Mac OS X home directory.
  For instructions on installing the MIT CA and your personal certificate, see Safari for Macintosh: Obtaining MIT Certificates.

Configure Apple Mail for IMAP

1. Click on the Mail icon in the Dock.
   Result: If you are launching Mail for the first time, it prompts you for your account information. If you already have an account in Mail, and wish to add another account for your MIT email, open the Mail application and follow the menu path Mail > Preferences > Accounts, then click on the + (plus) sign in the lower-left corner.
2. Enter the following information:
   • On the Account Type pop-up menu select IMAP.
   • The Full Name field contains the name from your Mac OS X user account settings; you may change it if you wish.
   • In the Email Address field, enter your MIT email address (username@mit.edu).
   Result: The General Information dialog box should look similar to the following:
   
3. Click Continue.
4. In the Incoming Mail Server window, enter the following configuration settings:
   • For Incoming Mail Server, enter the dynamic MIT mail server: yourusername.mail.mit.edu (Example: johndoe.mail.mit.edu).
   • For User Name, enter your MIT Kerberos username, which is the part of your email address before the @mit.edu (Example: johndoe).
   • Leave Password blank.
   Note: For users who created Mail accounts before January, 2008, you will have configured your incoming mail server to be a post office server. You may continue to use a specific server rather than the above dynamic option. If you need to reconfigure your account settings, you should enter poxx.mit.edu (Example: po12.mit.edu) for the Incoming Mail Server. Find out the name of your post office server.
   
5. Click Continue.
   Result:If the Authenicate to Kerberos dialog box displays, click Cancel once to close it then proceed in the Apple Mail setup dialog box.
   
   Mail attempts to log into the IMAP server, fails, and displays the following error message:
   
   "The IMAP server yourusername.mail.mit.edu is not responding. Check your network connection and that you entered the correct information in the "Incoming Mail Server" field. If it still doesn't respond, the server might be temporarily unavailable. If you continue, you may not be able to receive any email."
   
   Mail gives this error message because IS&T’s IMAP servers require email clients to have Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) turned on in order to log into the server, which you will do later in the configuration process.
   
   The Incoming Mail Server window looks similar to the following.
   
6. To continue with the configuration process, click Continue.
   Result: The Incoming Mail Security window is displayed, as follows:
   
    
7. Configure Incoming Mail Security, as follows:
   • Click the Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) checkbox if it is not checked.
   • On the Authentication pop-up menu, select Password.
8. Click Continue.
   Result: The Outgoing Mail Server window is displayed.

Configure Apple Mail for SMTP Authentication: Secure Outbound Email

1. Configure Outgoing Mail Server settings as follows:
   • For Outgoing Mail Server enter outgoing.mit.edu.
   • Make sure Use Authentication is checked.
   • For User Name enter your MIT Kerberos username (the part of your email address before the @mit.edu).
   • Leave Password blank.
   
2. Click Continue.
   Result: Mail displays a summary of your account settings, which should look similar to the following.
   
    
3. Click Continue.
   Result: Your account has been created.
4. Click Done.
   Result: Account creation is finished, but you are not through with configuration. Continue as follows.
5. In Mail, follow the menu path Mail > Preferences > Accounts.
6. In the list of accounts at the left, click to select your MIT email account.
7. Click Server Settings.
   Result: The SMTP Server Options window opens.
8. Do the following:
   • For Server port, enter 587.
   • Click to check Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
   • From the Authentication pop-up menu, select Password.
   • Your username should appear in the User Name field.
   • For Password enter your Kerberos password.
   Result: The SMTP Server Options window should look similar to the following:
   
9. Click OK.

Configure Apple Mail for LDAP (MIT directory)

To enable Mail to access the MIT directory, you must add the MIT LDAP server.

1. Click on the Composing icon.
2. In the Addressing section, click to check Automatically complete addresses.
3. Click the Configure LDAP button.
4. Click the + (plus) button.
5. In the Server Info dialog box, do the following:
   • For Name, enter MIT LDAP.
   • For Server, enter ldap.mit.edu.
   • For Search Base, enter dc=mit,dc=edu (do not include any spaces).
      
   Result: The Server Info window should look like the following:
   
6. Close the Preferences window by clicking the red button in the upper-left corner of the window.
   Result: Mail prompts you to save the changes.
7. Click Save.
8. Click Get Mail to retrieve new email.

Note: The first time you connect to the IMAP server to retrieve your email, Mail will attempt to download all of your email and attachments from the server to your hard drive. If you have a large amount of email, or if you are on a slow Internet connection, it can take a long time for Mail to complete the download.

For users who have changed the incoming mail server from a po box to yourusername.mail.mit.edu, see Email at MIT: Switching From a Post Office Server to a Dynamic Server. Known issues include possible modification to rules and filters after making the switch.

For more information about using Apple Mail, see Apple Mail 2.x: Using.

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