Email autoconfiguration support in Evolution

This page documents the autoconfigure feature of Evolution. Autoconfigure means getting the server, port and protocol information from the email domain only (typically IMAP and SMTP server). Companies can have their own preconfigured sources, as is described in Autoconfig Sources.

Default Autoconfigure

Evolution uses Thunderbird-style autoconfigure:

• it calls https://autoconfig.domain/mail/config-v1.1.xml and then https://domain/.well-known/autoconfig/mail/config-v1.1.xml to get the server information (documentation@Mozilla). Evolution queries the server with HTTPS first and then HTTP.

• if no result, it then uses the Mozilla server’s ISPDB at https://autoconfig.thunderbird.net/v1.1/ (Reference)

• For collection accounts (“Edit->Accounts->Add->Collection Account”), DNS SRV records per RFC 6186 are also checked (code reference).

Notes:

• Evolution sends to the autoconfiguration server the following parameters: emailaddress=EVOLUTIONUSER@domain, emailmd5=XXXX code reference

• Evolution does not use DNS SRV records (RFC6186) for normal email accounts (corresponding issue).

Autoconfigure for Exchange/EWS

Evolution supports autoconfiguration for Exchange/EWS account, see reference:

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/client-developer/exchange-web-services/autodiscover-for-exchange

• https://developer.gnome.org/evolution-exchange/stable/ximian-connector-autoconfig.html