On Thu, 4 Feb 2021 at 15:45:50, Paul wrote (my
responses usually follow points raised):
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
My blind friends have been using the "Eudora" email client for many
[]
http://255soft.uk/temp/Clipboard01.jpg shows the configuration
window, as well as one of the error messages we get, in the log
window at the bottom.
[]
TalkTalk's setting page at

https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/...gs-IMAP-amp-PO
P3/ta-p/2204399 says don't use MD5, but I tried it anyway - I

[Rest snipped. Basically, she can send email with ancient Eudora, but
not with more recent Pandora. (Receiving is working fine.)]
[]
As for your Pandora pic, I like that it has a log output. But the problem
with logging, is sometimes the tool tells a porky, and the actual
root cause, isn't what the message said. I interpret what I'm seeing
there as "Something went wrong...", but it's hard to tell whether
it was a STARTTLS sequence, a TLS sequence, the actual username/password
or what. You would think that pulling mail tested the username/password,
but of course the two pieces of equipment (SMTP end), might be at the
other end of the hall, and the two machines might have their own
(different) authentication tables. You always have to plan for the
unlikely situations, when dealing with the Internet.

Indeed - though Julia is using the same username/password combination
for both sending and receiving in Eudora, and both are working there. So
an authentication setting _seems_ to be the most likely problem.

FWIW, I've seen at least three error message types in the log window:
the shown "Authentication Credentials Invalid (TT300) [535]", one
something like "Invalid Command" (I think with "504"), and something
like authentication type not recognised (I think that was when trying
with OAuth2). I take on board your point that the logging message might
not be correct. [Do the numbers mean anything?] Repeating the send
attempt with the same settings always gave the same error message.

You can test with Telnet or maybe even Putty, as long as

_You_ can; I've used Telnet in the past, and I actually like "talking
direct to the server", but not for decades! (Not to mention this would
be via a TeamViewer connection.)

the tool you select supports SSL/TLS. I think my attempts
to carry out a telnet-esque session, failed. And it's probably
because the tool didn't support a relatively recent TLS flavor.
Oh, I remember what it was. The mail client I was testing,
was getting snotty about the certificate, whereas Thunderbird
said "OK, if we have to...". Some clients would say
"your certificate smells, would you like to accept
the consequences and get on with life?". When the prompt is
a lie, and the client has no intention of accepting
*anything* that smells. Consequently, even if you click
"Yes, go right ahead and use the smelly thing", your connection
will not be allowed on your end.

I would _imagine_ any certificate problem would show up more in the old
Eudora than the newer Pandora.

Wouldn't it be neat, if logs logged everything ?

Yes!

I must be delusional or something. Not gonna happen.
Haven't seen that since the excellent logging on PPP dialup.

Paul

(I think Turnpike's log logs pretty much everything; it certainly
generates enough.)


3
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want.
CALVIN AND HOBBES, according to a @qikipedia tweet 2019-9-9.