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Zimbra 7

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Zimbra is a free, open source software webmail system that was developed by VMware, extensively tested at NCF during 2011 and rolled out as NCF's new e-mail system in February, 2012.

Zimbra replaced the old "Messenger Express" interface which was becoming unsupportable and also which did not support modern mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets very well.

The Zimbra mail system provides many features not previously available at NCF. For a brief rundown of some of those features, read the Introduction to Zimbra page.

Zimbra Web Client

The Zimbra Web Client can be accessed by clicking on Get Your NCF Webmail on the NCF Startpage.

The standard webmail features are all there - read, reply, and compose email, and manage addresses. However, Zimbra has much more to offer.

There are three versions of Zimbra:

  • Standard - for users with slow connections such as dial-up (no spell-checking)
  • Advanced - for users with highspeed (with spell-checking that can be enabled at "Preferences→Mail→Composing→Mandatory spellcheck")
  • Mobile - for phones, tablets and other mobile devices using 3G and other phone networks for connection

You can select between standard and advanced versions at Zimbra Preferences→General→Login Options.

Users with slow connections, using the standard version of Zimbra, who desire spell checking should use a browser that provides spell checking, such as:

or basically any modern browser except Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Adding Calendars

By default, your Zimbra account has a single calendar, named "Calendar". You might want to add some basic things, like Canadian or US holidays, or maybe you have a Google calendar you'd like to view.

For step-by-step instructions on adding calendars, visit:

Contact and Calendar Sync

Zimbra provides CalDAV and CardDAV services for 2-way synchronization of Contacts and Calendards. This allows you to benefit from network-accessible calendars viewable in the Zimbra web client while still using your favourite native clients.

Examples of clients that support CalDAV (for calendar sync):

  • Mozilla Thunderbird (with the Lightning calender extension)
  • Mozilla Sunbird
  • Apple iCal
  • Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod
  • Evolution

Unfortunately, Microsoft Outlook does not include support for CalDAV. Windows users will need to use a specialized calendar app (eg. Mozilla Sunbird), or consider switching to Mozilla Thunderbird.

Examples of clients that support CardDAV (for contacts sync):

  • Mozilla Thunderbird (w/Zindus extension)
  • Apple Address Book
  • Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod
  • Evolution

Client Configuration

Generally, the details are as follows.

CardDAV URL:

https://mail.ncf.ca/dav/ab123@ncf.ca/Contacts

CalDAV URL:

https://mail.ncf.ca/dav/ab123@ncf.ca/Calendar

Note that the final bit of the URL is important, it denotes the name of the Contact or Calendar folder. If you have a Contact folder named "Work", the URL would be:

https://mail.ncf.ca/dav/ab123@ncf.ca/Work

If you have a Calendar named "Soccer Practice", the URL would be:

https://mail.ncf.ca/dav/ab123@ncf.ca/Soccer Practice

Step-by-step Instructions

Using Zimbra

Help files

Zimbra includes a large number of built-in help files that explain many features and how they work, which can be found at "Help".

Zimbra Help.png

Zimbra doesn't look right

If the Zimbra webmail interface doesn't look right, with elements overlapped, "squashed" or interferring with each other, the problem is likely that you are using a very old browser, such as Internet Explorer 6, 7 or 8, Firefox 3 or similar old browsers. Zimbra has a modern web-standards-compliant interface and will display properly in modern standards-compliant browsers, such as Internet Explorer 9. It has also been tested and works very well in the following browsers:

All of these are recommended for use with Zimbra.

Language

Zimbra enables a number of language choices at "Perferences→General→Login Options".

Zimbra Language Selection.png

Zimbra address book

Zimbra includes an address book with no limits on the number of addresses you can enter.

See Zimbra: Thunderbird Contacts for information on synchronizing lists of contacts in Thunderbird and Zimbra using the Zindus add-on.

Composing an e-mail with formatting

E-mails can be composed in plain text or in HTML. HTML allows underlining, bold text and other formatting to be used. To select HTML as your default for composing an e-mail go to "Preferences→Mail→Composing".

Zimbra composing as HTML.png

Adding addresses to a message

In Zimbra addresses can be added to an outgoing e-mail message by typing the address in manually or by clicking on "To", "CC" or "Show BCC" and then "BCC", which opens your address list and allows selecting the addresses.

Zimbra Adding Addresses.png

Adding groups of addresses to a message

Adding a group of contacts to an email is easy in Zimbra. First create a contact group, by going to "Address Book→Emailed Contacts (or Contacts)" and then select "New→down arrow→Contact Group" and complete the form to select members and name for your group. When composing an email you may now select the group as if it were a single address, by clicking "To", "CC" or "BCC" in the email.

Zimbra Address Groups.png

Saving and sending drafts

Zimbra allows saving partially completed emails so you can work on them and send them later. When you are ready to save, just click "Save Draft". When you want to work on the email again select the "Drafts" folder, double click on the email and it will open for editing. When you are ready to send it just click "Send", or "Save Draft" again to continue working on it later.

Zimbra Saving A Draft.png

Adding attachments

Adding an attachment is very simple in Zimbra. In the message composition view just click on "Add Attachment" and select where the attachment is to be added from your computer, your briefcase or your contacts. When located click "attach" and the attachment will be sent with the e-mail.

Once attached, an attachment can be omitted from being sent with the e-mail by simply unchecking the attachment in the message composition view.

Zimbra Attachment.png

Downloading attachments

When an e-mail arriving in Zimbra includes an attachment this may be downloaded and then opened by reading the e-mail and then in that view at the top of the e-mail, between the addresses and the text, by clicking on "Download". You can also choose to "Remove" it from the e-mail or send it to the "Briefcase" for saving or sharing.

Zimbra Download Attachment.png

Requesting e-mail receipts

Zimbra has the capability to request receipts from the person receiving the e-mail. To enable this for a specific e-mail being composed, while editing the e-mail go to "Options→Down Arrow→Request Read Receipt".

Zimbra Requesting a Receipt.png

Using aliases

Zimbra allows a registered Email Alias. When composing a message simply click the down arrow under "from" and select which address Zimbra should show the message as coming from.

Zimbra Using a Disposable Address.png

Using NCF disposable e-mail addresses

Disposible e-mail addresses that you create on the NCF website can then be managed in Zimbra from Preferences→Accounts.

Zimbra Managing a Disposable Address.png

Changing your "from" name used in outgoing e-mail

Zimbra allows changing who the e-mail is from, so you can show only your first name, last name or any other text you like. To select this in Zimbra just go to "Preferences→Accounts→Primary Account Settings" and enter your preferred text.

Zimbra From Name.png

Moving contacts

Every e-mail address that you exchange e-mail with will be automatically saved under "Emailed contacts". You can leave them there or transfer them to your "Contacts" address book by going to Address book→Emailed contacts→ Check name to be move→"Move selected item" (folder with arrow icon)>select address book.

Zimbra Move to Address Book.png

Deleting contacts

To delete contacts in Zimbra just go to "Address Book→Emailed Contacts (or Contacts)→right click" on the desired email address and select "delete".

Zimbra Deleting Contacts.png

Searching for unread messages

Zimbra makes it easy to list your unread messages. In the Zimbra mail search box enter "in:inbox is:unread" and this will show all unread messages in your inbox.

You can also click on 'Save' to save the search, and call it "Inbox Unread". Next time you want this search view, I just click on "Inbox Unread" under saved searches.

Zimbra Searching for Unread Messages.png

Saving messages

NCF provides 200 MB of storage with your e-mail account. For the average user this is probably enough for three months worth of mail, so you may want to keep some mail and delete other items. Some members have been storing mail they want to keep in their "Trash" file. Even though the trash file does not count towards your 200 MB, the problem with doing this is that if you empty the trash than it is gone. It may make more sense to save the e-mail that you want to keep in a new folder.

New folders are easy to create, just click on the new folder icon in the folder pane, as shown and then name it and decide where to put the new folder in relation to the existing folders. The illustration below shows where to click to create a new folder and shows a new custom folder that was created called "Archive".

By right clicking on any existing e-mail message you can select "Move" and send it to your new folder for safe keeping.

Zimbra New Folder.png

I can't find my messages, or I can't see the message size!

Zimbra by default groups messages into conversations, just like Google's Gmail does. This is called "By Conversation" and can be confusing to people who have not used this before. In some cases, you won't see as much detail for each message.

If you are having trouble, try changing the view to "By Message".

Standard Client: Group by.png

Advanced Client: View mode.png

Spam handling

The current NCF implementation of Zimbra has the spam control, found at "Preferences→Mail", disabled so that email messages will not be delivered to Junk folders, or otherwise blocked when sent through from yellowmail.

Zimbra Spam Control.png

Mini calender

By default Zimbra shows a mini calendar in its bottom left corner. If you want to turn this off you can at "Preferences→Calender→Always Show the Mini Calender - uncheck".

Zimbra Mini-Calendar Control.png

See also

  • Email - configuring e-mail clients for POP and other general e-mail information

Other pages with information about the Zimbra mail client:

External links