[Alpine-info] PINERC file for accessing Gmail

[D.J.J. Ring, Jr.]

Does anyone have such a file that downloads email directly from the gmail
IMAP server?

This is what some of us used to have:

# List of SMTP servers for sending mail. If blank: Unix Alpine uses
sendmail.
smtp-server=smtp.gmail.com/ssl/user=MYUSERNAME at gmail.com

# Path of (local or remote) INBOX, e.g. ={mail.somewhere.edu}inbox
# Normal Unix default is the local INBOX (usually /usr/spool/mail/$USER).
inbox-path={imap.gmail.com/ssl/user=MYUSERNAME at gmail.com}INBOX

One problem is that gmail has changed things, all mail doesn't go to INBOX
anymore, but you need to switch to ALL MAIL folder.

Most of the blind users have migrated to the less useful mutt program, Some
are trying the new aerc email program.

Alpine has gone from the easiest email program for the blind to one that is
more difficult - but Google / GMAIL shares some of the blame for now
allowing regular passwords and now requiring application specific passwords.

Is there any method of configuring Alpine for multiple mail addresses? Many
of the blind users have gone over to gmx.com because of the problems with
gmail and application specific passwords.

Most of these people cannot navigate a graphical interface.  If you've
tried it with your eyes shut, you know what I'm taking about.

Awaiting any possible help,

David


On Wed, Jan 25, 2023 at 3:06 PM D.J.J. Ring, Jr. <n1ea at arrl.net> wrote:


> I'm not using Gsuit, I'm just a regular user who attempts to help blind

> users have a simple way to access their email.

>

> It's frustrating getting people to appreciate how difficult it is for most

> blind computer users to use the Graphical User Interface. Also speech

> dispatcher under the command line text interface is flawlessly excellent,

> and being keyboard command driven, it's a wonderful match for blind users.

>

> I have tried in the past to get the developer of the excellent lynx

> command Internet browser to include in his release an alternative lynx.cfg

> confusion file which eliminates the constant need to override objections of

> lynx to access websites. I cannot say that he is unaware of blind users

> difficulties, but I can say that he probably is unaware of just how

> difficult and impossible for nearly all blind users - the ones not trained

> in computers to read lynx.cfg which is over 153k in size with a screen

> reader that speaks to you and often reads what in the file are strings as

> "words" which the blind user has to scroll through letter by letter using

> his cursor keys.

>

> I've asked the developer of Alpine to provide a version of Alpine that has

> none of the added security and need for a password for alpine itself, and

> he has generously provided me with instructions on how to remove this need

> for a password, but it must be done on each users installation of Alpine.

>

> Frankly, and without judgement in any negative way, most blind users are

> unable to follow these clear but multiple step instructions.

>

> Back to a pinerc file that blind users can use to access Gmail and

> download their email.

>

> The file we are using now only shows the INBOX, and one user I am helping

> has 10,000 emails in "ALL MAIL".

>

> Any and all help would be appreciated.

>

> Years ago we had such a file that worked and showed all the folders and it

> was hosted on the now defunct but excellent Vinux  based on Ubuntu for the

> blind website.  It seems no one has a copy of that pinerc file.

>

> Thanks,

>

> David

>

> On Sat, Jan 14, 2023, 15:35 Lucio Chiappetti <lucio at lambrate.inaf.it>

> wrote:

>

>> On Sat, 14 Jan 2023, D.J.J. Ring, Jr. wrote:

>>

>> > Does anyone have an example of a .pinerc file that can directly download

>> > imap mail from Gmail using an application specific password?

>>

>> I use these two for my institutional account managed by Gsuite (so domain

>> in name at domain is NOT gmail.com)

>>

>> The first entry is one incoming folder. It sees the content of the Gsuite

>> INBOX (and only that) for the 5 minutes when an incoming message stays

>> there.

>>

>> My default arrangement is to move all valid mail locally to my machine

>> with a crontab-operated fetchmail every 5 min

>>

>> The second is a folder collection. I use it to access any other Gsuite

>> folder but inbox. Since I do not keep any serious message on gmail for

>> more than 24 hours, this is used: (a) to check the Spam folder; (b) to

>> expunge the Bin folder, where message retrieved by fetchmail are

>> temporarily "deleted"

>>

>> Gsuite

>> {imap.gmail.com:993/ssl/novalidate-cert/notls/user=name at domain}

>>

>> "All Gsuite"

>> {imap.gmail.com:993/ssl/notls/user=name at domain}[[Gmail]]/[]

>> <http://imap.gmail.com:993/ssl/notls/user=name@domain%7D%5B%5BGmail%5D%5D/%5B%5D>

>>

>>

>> details on my useage of fetchmail are in here

>> http://sax.iasf-milano.inaf.it/~lucio/WWW/WhereManWins/gs.html

>>

>> --

>> Lucio Chiappetti - INAF/IASF - via Corti 12 - I-20133 Milano (Italy)

>> For more info : http://www.iasf-milano.inaf.it/~lucio/personal.html

>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>> A middle rank researcher at end career is not rich but is in the top 5%

>> of the Italian income tax taxpayers. Does it not sound strange ?

>>

>> _______________________________________________

>> Alpine-info mailing list

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>> http://mailman12.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/alpine-info

>>

>

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