What are Firefox and Thunderbird?

What is "open source" software?

Obtaining and Installing Firefox

1. Open any Web browser and go to http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/. The Mozilla home pages change from time to time but the download link is easy to find:
   
   
   
   
2. Click on the link. The installation file should automatically be saved to the computer's desktop:
   
   
   
   
3. Doube-click the icon to begin installing the software and after the program extracts the Welcome screen will appear:
   
   
   
   
4. Click Next to continue. After reviewing, and agreeing to, the Mozilla licensing agreement, Firefox will ask you to select which components to install. Simply click the Next button:
   
   
   
   Firefox will install on your computer and at the Install Complete dialog box, click Finish to complete the installation and to start Firefox:
   
   
   
   You're ready to browse the Web

Personalizing Firefox for the Web

1. On the Firefox menu bar tool bar, select Tools then Options. In the Home Page window either type in the Web address of the page you want to use as a home page or if already on the the desired home page, simply click the Use Current Page button under the address field. If you wish to make Firefox the default browser, that is, the browser the computer will exclusively use, click the Default Browser check box at the bottom of the dialog, then click OK
   
   
   
   

   Importing Netscape and Internet Explorer Bookmarks

   To save time and trouble, Firefox can import both Netscape Bookmarks and Internet Explorer Favorites:
   1. In Firefox, click on Bookmarks then select Manage Bookmarks:
      
      
      
      
      
      
   2. The Firefox Bookmarks Manager will open. Under File, Select Import:
      
      
      
      
   3. In the Import Wizard dialog, select the Favorites or Bookmarks from the previous Web browser you would like to use in Firefox (in this case Microsoft's Internet Explorer) and click Next:
      
      
      
      In a few seconds the Import Complete dialog should display and a From Internet Explorer folder in the Bookmarks pane to the left should appear:
      
      
      
      
   4. Click Finish and the Favorites are ready to use in Firefox:
      
      
      
      
      
   5. Click the X in the top right-hand corner to close the Bookmark Manager.
      
      
   
   

   What is Mozilla Thunderbird, and How Do I Use It with The Rutgers Network?

   Mozilla Thunderbird is an open-source, stand-alone e-mail program that functions much like like Netscape and Mozilla Mail. It many features include junk mail ("spam") filtering, a spell-check program, and much more. However, as with all e-mail programs in use at Rutgers, Thunderbird also requires enabling security features, in particular, TLS (Transport Layer Security) and SMTP Authentication (or "SMTP Auth," for short).
   
   TLS encrypts and protects messages while in transit between computers and prevents electronic "eavesdropping." It does not protectinformation while it resides on a machine, just while it is in transit.
   
   SMTP Auth enables mail systems to verify that any mail it is instructed to deliver is actually originating from a valid Rutgers user account. Most newer versions of e-mail software utilize SMTP Auth, which can be configured in e-mail settings by sending an e-mail username and encrypted password before transmitting outgoing messages. It also helps protect e-mail from viruses and hackers who are looking to steal people's private information. SMTP Auth is expected to be available on RCI on February 15, 2006, and on Eden on March 22, 2006.
   
   The Rutgers University Office of Information Technology (OIT) also strongly recommends the IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) protocol be used for sending and receiving e-mail. IMAP permits a "client" e-mail program like Thunderbird to retrieve and manipulate messages from a desktop computer at home, a workstation at the office, or a laptop computer while traveling without the need to transfer messages or files back and forth between those computers as required by the older and less effective POP protocol.
   
   

   Obtaining and installing Thunderbird

   1. Point a web browser to the Mozilla home page at http://www.mozilla.org or to the Thunderbird home page at http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/. The page changes from time to time but the download link is easy to find:
      
      
      
      
   2. Click on the link. The installation file should automatically be saved to the computer's desktop:
      
      
      
      
   3. Double-click the icon to begin installing the software and after the program extracts, the Welcome screen will appear:
      
      
      
      
   4. Click Next to continue. After reviewing, and agreeing to, the Mozilla licensing agreement Thunderbird will ask you to select the setup type you desire. Most people only need click the Next button:
      
      
      
      
   5. Thunderbird will next ask you to select which components to install. Those are standard components, so just click the Next button:
      
      
      
      
   6. Thunderbird will install on your computer and at the Install Complete dialog box, click Finish to complete the installation and to start using the program:
      
      
      
      Thunderbird is almost ready to use, but you still need to configure the software to read your Rutgers e-mail. Leave the check box to Launch Mozilla Thunderbird... selected then click Finish and start the program.




How Do I Set Up Thunderbird to Read my Rutgers E-mail?



1. Start Thunderbird if you have not already done so. On the menu bar, select Tools then Account Settings to open the Account Settings dialog box. Click Add Account to start the Account Wizard:
   
   
   
   
2. Make sure Email account is selected then click on the Next button to open the Identity dialog. Enter your name and full Rutgers e-mail address:
   
   
   
   
   
3. Click the Next button and the Server Information dialog will open. Make sure IMAP is selected as the server type, then enter your Rutgers e-mail address in the following format as appropriate to your campus:
   • eden.rutgers.edu (New Brunswick/Piscataway students)
   • rci.rutgers.edu (New Brunswick/Piscataway faculty/staff)
   • pegasus.rutgers.edu (Newark students)
   • andromeda.rutgers.edu (Newark faculty/staff)
   • clam.rutgers.edu (Camden students)
   • crab.rutgers.edu (Camden faculty/staff)
     
   
   
4. Enter smtp.rutgers.edu as the Outgoing Server (RCI and Eden only; users on other campuses should also use the Incoming Server Name as the Outgoing Server).
   
   
   
   
   Note: The IMAP Server might already be preset (e.g. to rci.rutgers.edu) if you previously set up a profile in Mozilla Mail or in Netscape Mail. You will need to adjust the settings through Thunderbird's Account Settings to ensure the outgoing server is smtp.rutgers.edu.
   
   
5. Then click the Next button. The User Name dialog box will open. Enter your Rutgers NetID in all lower-case letters (for example, no "@andromeda.rutgers.edu" or "@clam.rutgers.edu" needed):
   
   
   
   
6. Click Next and in the Account Name dialog enter a name for the account; many people just use their Rutgers e-mail addresses:
   
   
   
   
   
7. Click Next and a Congratulations! dialog box with a summary of the new account information should be displayed. Review the entries carefully; the mail account will not work properly if any information is mistyped. Use the Back button to navigate to any of the dialog boxes that contain incorrect entries and proceed as before:
   
   
   
   
8. Click Finish to close the dialog box should close and the Thunderbird mail screen should be displayed. You are almost done; the TLS and SMTP Authentication settings need to be done before e-mail can be sent and read.
   

    

   
   
   
   

   Configuring Thunderbird with TLS and SMTP Authentication

   
   
9. In the Thunderbird window, click on the Rutgers e-mail then click on View Settings for this Account:
   
   
   
   
   
10. Click to select Server Settings then Account Settings. Make sure these settings are selected:
    
    • Use secure connection (SSL) (Secure Sockets Layer is another e-mail security feature) unless you have set the outgoing mail server to something other than smtp.rutgers.edu. Please see the notes below.
    • Check for new messages at startup
    • Set When I delete a message: Move it to the Trash folder (in case you accidentally try to delete a message you wanted to keep. Then you can rescue the message from the Trash folder, using drop-and-drag to move the message into another folder
    
    
    
    
    
    
11. Set the SMTP Authentication by opening the Mail and Newsgroup Settings window, click on Outgoing Server and enter these settings:
    • Enter the Server Name as smtp.rutgers.edu
    • Enter 25 in the Port field.
    • Check the use name and password box and enter your Rutgers NetID in the User Name field
    • Check the TLS radio button:
      
      
    
    
    SMTP Authentication allows e-mail to be sent only when it is verified with a valid Rutgers NetID and password to prevent the e-mail systems from being used to send out viruses or junk e-mail messages.

    Macintosh users may also use this document as a reference to configure Thunderbird on OS X systems.
    

12. 
    
    1. In the Thunderbird window, click on the Rutgers e-mail then click on View Settings for this Account:
       
       
       
       
       
    2. Click on Server Settings and make sure the following items are checked:
       
       • Use secure connection (SSL) .
       • Check for new messages at startup
       
       
       
       
       
       
    3. Open the Mail and Newsgroup Settings window, scroll down to the bottom of the left pane then click to select the Outgoing Server. The summary of settings should resemble this one:
       

       
       
       
       

    4. To make any required changes, click the Edit button and in the SMTP Server dialog box enter these settings (note that a description is not required):
       
       • Enter the Server Name as smtp.rutgers.edu
       • Enter 25 in the Port field.
       
       
       • Check the use name and password box and enter your Rutgers NetID in the User Name field
       • Check the Use secure connection radio button for TLS.
         
         Note: If you use RULink to relay your e-mail, leave the outgoing Server Name set as rulink.rutgers.edu.
         
         
         

         
         
         

       • Click OK. The Thunderbird mail screen should reappear, and the program should be ready to securely receive and send e-mail messages.
         
         Important Notes:
         
    • Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) do not permit SMTP mail to go through anything but their own servers. In such cases, you must use the ISP's SMTP server, and your ISP username and password, to send mail. Therefore, leave the box for This server requires a secure connection (SSL) unchecked for the outgoing server, unless your ISP gives you other instructions. Contact the technical support department of your ISP for assistance since the Rutgers Help Desks can only provide support for the Rutgers side of the connection.
      
    • Authorized users of departmental (on RCI) or organizational (on Eden) accounts should log into those e-mail accounts the same as before. However, when prompted for a user name and password to send e-mail messages, users will need to enter their personal RCI or Eden NetIDs and the case-sensitive password associated with each account. That is, they should not use the departmental or organizational account name (with its associated password) when sending e-mail.
      
    • Some people at Rutgers have multiple e-mail accounts (e.g. on both Eden and RCI). If you are such a person, always use your faculty/staff password when prompted for a password to send e-mail, even when sending a message from your student account. The table below lists the order in which passwords are used for SMTP Authentication: