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Setup for Mac

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Obtaining Thunderbird

Thunderbird is available from http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/.

Note: For instructions on how to configure Thunderbird to work with Stanford's email service, see Configuring Your Email Program .

Setting up a Newsgroup Account

Note: See Usenet Newsgroups for more information about using newsgroups at Stanford.

  1. In Thunderbird, go to the Tools menu and click Account Settings. Then, click the Add Account button. 

    Account Setup dialog box
     

  2. Select the Newsgroup account option and then click Continue. 

    set up new account
     

  3. Enter your name as you want it to appear in the From field and your email address. Then, click Continue.

    fdf
     

  4. For the name of the Newsgroup Server, enter usenet.stanford.edu and then click Continue.

    enter name of news server
     

  5. Enter a name for your newsgroup account and then click Continue. (The default is the name of your news server.) 

    enter account name
     

  6. Click Done to save your settings.

    save settings and exit Account Wizard
     

  7. Under the name of your news account, click Server Settings. Check the following boxes:
    • Use Secure Connection (SSL): checked
    • Always request authentication when connecting to this server: checked

    server settings
     

  8. Click OK to close the Accounts Settings dialog box.

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Subscribing to Newsgroups

  1. Click the name of your newsgroup account on the left side of the Thunderbird main window. Then, in the Newsgroups section of the window, click Manage newsgroup subscriptions. 

    manage newsgroup subscriptions
     

  2. If a security certificate message is displayed, click OK to continue.

    security certificate message
     

  3. Enter your SUNet ID at the prompt and then click OK.

    screen shot
     

  4. Enter your SUNet ID password and then click OK. 

    screen shot 
     

  5. To subscribe to a newsgroup, select the newsgroup and then click Subscribe.
    Note: You may need to click the arrow to the left of a newsgroup to see all the newsgroups associated with it. 

    screen shot
     

  6. When you have finished subscribing to newsgroups, click OK.

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Reading and Posting to a Newsgroup

Note: Thunderbird email and newsgroup accounts require separate logins. If you are not already logged into the news server you will be prompted to do so.

  1. Double-click the name of your newsgroup account on the left side of the Thunderbird main window to show the newsgroups to which you are currently subscribed.

    subscribed newsgroups
     

  2. Click a newsgroup to see the messages it contains. Click the message you want to read. (Double-click the message if you want it to open in a separate window.) 
    Note: When you are reading posts, you may have to click the arrow to see all of the replies. 

    read mewsgroup message
     

  3. To create a new post to the selected newsgroup, click the Write button on the tool bar.
     
  4. To reply to a particular post, select the message and then click the Reply button on the tool bar.