thunderbird fails to connect to mail server

[Wolf Rogner]

Thunderbird 12.0.1 fails to connect to server.

Network addresses get resolved correctly but Thunderbird still insists it cannot connect.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: thunderbird 12.0.1+build1-0ubuntu0.12.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.37-generic 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
AddonCompatCheckDisabled: False
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: AD198x Analog [AD198x Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: michi 2521 F.... pulseaudio
BuildID: 20120430060637
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xe8044000 irq 48'
   Mixer name : 'Analog Devices AD1981'
   Components : 'HDA:11d41981,103c30c5,00100200 HDA:14f12c06,103c1379,00100000'
   Controls : 16
   Simple ctrls : 11
Channel: release
Date: Fri May 11 08:22:27 2012
ForcedLayersAccel: False
IfupdownConfig:
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
IncompatibleExtensions:
 Timezone Definitions for Mozilla Calendar - <email address hidden>, Version=1.2011n, minVersion=2.0, maxVersion=12.0, Location=app-system-share, Type=extension, Active=Yes
 Messaging Menu and Unity Launcher integration - <email address hidden>, Version=0.9.3, minVersion=3.3a1pre, maxVersion=12.0a1, Location=app-global, Type=extension, Active=Yes
 EDS Contact Integration - <email address hidden>, Version=0.3.9, minVersion=7.0, maxVersion=11.0a1, Location=app-global, Type=extension, Active=Yes
 Provider for Google Calendar - ID={a62ef8ec-5fdc-40c2-873c-223b8a6925cc}, Version=0.13, minVersion=8.0a1, maxVersion=12.0, Location=app-profile, Type=extension, Active=Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64+mac (20111012)
IpRoute:
 default via 10.1.0.254 dev wlan0 proto static
 10.0.0.0/8 dev wlan0 proto kernel scope link src 10.1.0.191 metric 2
 169.254.0.0/16 dev wlan0 scope link metric 1000
Profiles: Profile0 (Default) - LastVersion=12.0.1/20120430060637 (Running)
RunningIncompatibleAddons: True
SourcePackage: thunderbird
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-04-30 (10 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 07/25/2007
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: 68MVD Ver. F.05
dmi.board.name: 30C5
dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.board.version: KBC Version 71.32
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: CNU7402CLM
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvr68MVDVer.F.05:bd07/25/2007:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPCompaq8510w:pvrF.05:rvnHewlett-Packard:rn30C5:rvrKBCVersion71.32:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct10:cvr:
dmi.product.name: HP Compaq 8510w
dmi.product.version: F.05
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard

[Patrick Santos (milljudgement+ubuntu)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please answer these questions:

* Is this reproducible?
    - Try another email client (evolution, kmail) to make sure it isn't a server issue.
* If so, what specific steps should we take to recreate this bug? Specifically...
    - What server(s) did you try connecting to?
    - Any particularities with your connection? VPN? WiFi?

This will help us to find and resolve the problem.

[https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Responses#Missing_Steps_to_Recreate_Bug]

Changing status to INCOMPLETE - need more information from reporter.

[Wolf Rogner (war-rsb)]

Hi Patrick,

1. it is reproducable over several machines
2. After restarting server and client it works fine for some days, then appears and gets worse (in the beginning, restarting Thunderbird works, later not)
3. Evolution or any other mail client works fine (currently I check my mail with an iPad)
4. I run a Ubuntu server with bind and dhcpd
5. no VPN (which fails as well btw)
6. I do run a WiFi network (see IwConfig.txt above)

I have files a bug with network manager as thunderbird people suggested it be a network problem (which appeared to be the case)

After a reboot my /run/nm-dns-dnsmasq.conf looks like this

server=10.1.0.4
server=10.1.0.254
server=195.202.128.3

My /etc/resolv.conf like this

# Dynamic resolv.conf(5) file for glibc resolver(3) generated by resolvconf(8)
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN
nameserver 127.0.0.1
search rsb.intern rsb.at

After a while however (sometimes more than an hour) it looks like this

# Dynamic resolv.conf(5) file for glibc resolver(3) generated by resolvconf(8)
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN
nameserver 10.1.0.4
nameserver 10.1.0.254
nameserver 195.202.128.3
search rsb.intern rsb.at

I cannot reproduce this by calling resolvconf -u manually.

If I try to simulate this by manually copying the correct name servers into /etc/resolv.conf, Thunderbird connects without any problems.

Thus it seems to me that the new dnsmasq mechanism has not cought on to Thunderbird.

I hope this helps you clearing the issue.

[Patrick Santos (milljudgement+ubuntu)]

Setting status back to new, as reporter is able to reproduce the issue. (I do not personally have the resources to confirm...)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[bryncoles (brunomatti)]

Still gets me in Xubuntu with Thunderbird 17.0.2. Sometimes it connects to YahooMail (via Imap), sometimes it doesnt!

[Paul White (paulw2u)]

We are sorry that we do not always have the capacity to review all reported bugs in a timely manner.

If this is still an issue using the currently supported version of Thunderbird please let us know otherwise this report can be left to expire in approximately 60 days time.

Paul White
[Ubuntu Bug Squad]

[Wolf Rogner (war-rsb)]

Thanks for getting back.

The issue could not be resolved in Ubuntu due to an error in the name resolution (which the author of the service claims to be correct). Having a DNS server point to two domains under Ubuntu resolves the first one (which can be any of the two). This was the issue.

A work-around would be to set the smtp server to an IP-Adress (which makes this solution a little inflexible).

However, due to the overwhelming amount of issues in Ubuntu I decided to move to Mac. I have not regretted this move as the basics work fine.

You may close this issue.

[Paul White (paulw2u)]

Thanks for the reply and explanation.

As the Ubuntu and Thunderbird versions are long out of support and with almost 7 years since comment #6, I'll close this as the report is no longer valid.