IMAP not able to fetch messages

[corax]

Binary package hint: evolution

Using IMAP to retrieve emails in Evolution is not working correctly. Some messages are recieved, others are not. Those messages that cannot be recieved, reports the following error message:
Unable to retrieve message
Could not find message body in FETCH response.

When I test IMAP in Thunderbird and Kmail, by setting them up, with the same email-settings I have in Evolution, they both work fine.
The bugs that have previously been submitted on this issue, stated that messages that do not contain attachments comes through fine. It seems to be the case for me too and in addition also emails that have an embedded picture fails as well.
I have read on the internet (somewhere that I can seem to find again) that someone mentioned a programming flaw in Evolution, as the "FETCH UID"-statement wasn't implemented correctly.
As this is a very critical bug, I hope someone outthere can help ... If only to provide a temporary workaround.
If any further information is needed or anybody require me to test something, please don't hesitate to write me.

Many thanx :-)
/Corax

Using:
Ubuntu 10.04 LTS
Linux Kernel 2.6.32-22-generic
Arch: amd64

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: evolution 2.28.3-0ubuntu9
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-22.33-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-22-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri May 14 05:12:08 2010
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/evolution
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Release Candidate amd64 (20100419.1)
ProcEnviron:
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 LANG=en_DK.utf8
SourcePackage: evolution

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

Thanks for the report, could you run evolution as: CAMEL_DEBUG=all evolution >& evo.log ; reproduce the bug and attach that resulting log file to the report? Thanks in advance.

[corax (cpp)]

Thanx for your interest in this issue Pedro, its very appreciated.
Here is the log you requested.
( For privacy reasons I have changed the example email address to '<email address hidden>' in the log )
At line #7448 in the log, is where the request for the email starts (the email has an embedded picture) ... further down you'll see the error.
Good luck :-)

[corax (cpp)]

I've found more than just a workaround ... finally !!!
The whole IMAP-implementation in Evolution has many issues, so I've given up trying to make it work.
But a new implementation called 'IMAP+' is available in the new Evolution 2.30. The 2.30 is not distributed with Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid (only 2.28), so one has to add a repository in order to get the new packages.
In a terminal write this:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jacob/evo230

(remember to reload your repository info ... you can write this to do it: )
sudo apt-get update

Now simply run your 'update-manager' and your Evolution packages will be upgraded :-)
(Note: If you have added the Exchange MAPI-plugin to your 2.28-installation, remove it first as it conflicts with the new 2.30)

Hope it will help you out there, who was just as desparate as I was :-)
/Corax

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

that's available on Maverick now, did you tried with it?

[corax (cpp)]

Yes, that I did. In order to test Evolution 2.30, before installing it on my system, I installed Maverick (Ubuntu 10.10 - alpha1) on a virtual-machine in VirtualBox. From there I tested the new Evolution, an determined that is worked considerably better than its previous version. From there I discovered the PPA that was made available for Ubuntu 10.04 users and proceeded to upgrade my system.

Phew!, let's hope that Ubuntu never again releases a distribution, with a bug that disables a Desktop OS from one of it's elementary functions like email-synchronization :-)

/Corax

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

> Ubuntu never again releases a distribution, with a bug that disables a Desktop OS from one of it's elementary functions like email-synchronization

email works just fine for almost everybody and this software is used with the current code for years, you might be using a special server but don't assume Ubuntu is shipping a software bugged because it just doesn't accomodate your setup, it works without issue for lot of users out there and the new version is not bugless either

[Olivier Brousse (obrousse)]

I just would like to add that I have the very same problem on my "Maverick" and Evolution 2.30.3...

Lots of messages are not FETCH from my IMAP gmail account. This problem appeared yesterday after updates...

[Facundo (piickoo)]

I'm having the same problem in Ubuntu 10.10 with Evolution 2.30.3
Almost constantly messages "Unable to retrieve message. Could not find message body in FETCH response.".
Using a gmail account, it gets very annoying, forces me back to webmail.

[corax (cpp)]

Are you using IMAP+ or just the old IMAP ?
There is a critical implementation flaw in the old regular IMAP feature in Evolution. The problem probably is, from what I've gathered, the protocol-implementation in regards to the "FETCH UID" and "FETCH BODY"-statements, which are implemented incorrectly, as they are based on an "assumption" of how the communication with the email-server will be and not the established IMAP4-definition. When the "assumption" coincidently matches the actual communication with the email-server its works, however for some instances and systems, it will not work.
The new IMAP+-implementation seems more consistent, so I'll recommend that one. (for some systems there might still be issues in regards to the use the message-filter feature in Evolution)

[majdi (h-admin-dwt-com-au)]

"Using IMAP to retrieve emails in Evolution is not working correctly. Some messages are recieved, others are not. Those messages that cannot be recieved, reports the following error message: Unable to retrieve message"

Same problem, running the following;

evolution 2.28.3-0ubuntu10
Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS
2.6.32-26-generic

What is the recommended fix here?

[Sergio Losilla (loximann)]

I am a gmail user.
Just adding that switching from IMAP to IMAP+ (Edit > Preferences > Accounts > Edit > Receiving mail > Server type) fixed it in my case.

[lljccoael (lljccoael-deactivatedaccount)]

^ Yes. That fixed it.

[Vincenzoml (vincenzoml)]

I am testing natty. Please, this is urgent. Evolution does not work AT ALL with gmail and imap. One gets random errors related to "unable to fetch messages", and then non-standard headers are displayed, like if the message parser would consider non-standard e-mail headers as a show-stopper for fetching the body. Please could you just make imap+ the default for gmail? Otherwise milions of users will trash evolution and possibly ubuntu saying that "it does not work".

Just my 2 cents. Please prioritize this bug and look into it.

[Jörg Frings-Fürst (jff-de)]

Bug from 10.04 Desktop. Version not longer supportet.
Change status to Invalid (see gnome-bugs)