Yahoo IMAP access from email clients?

beq · 1 Jun 2010, 10:01 AM

From Wikipedia page on Yahoo Mail:

Quote:

Free IMAP and SMTP access

<snip> Yahoo! operates IMAP servers (imap.mail.yahoo.com in particular), which are globally accessible. However they require a specific, but non-standard IMAP command to be sent before login is done. The command is: ID ("GUID" "1") and it is relatively easy to modify any email client to send it. In fact this is the method currently employed by YPOPs! and FreePOPs. There are modified versions of Mutt and Mozilla Thunderbird available that send this command.

There is also an IMAPs server running at imap-ssl.mail.yahoo.com; it uses SSL on the standard port 993. [was imap.next.mail.yahoo.com during beta]

It is also possible to send mail through mail clients as Yahoo! also operates an SMTP server (smtp.mail.yahoo.com). It is necessary to enable SSL through port 465. For IMAP and SMTP access the username is the user's Yahoo! Mail address and the password is the same as for webmail access.

Other than official support for Zimbra Desktop and mobile phones, others have also adapted this Yahoo IMAP requirement, such as the YippieMove migration service and the MailStore Home backup app.

Anyways, what are the chances of getting Yahoo IMAP supported directly in Thunderbird source, rather than using a custom build of Thunderbird? Previous discussions from 2008-2009 are available here, here, and here.

Alternatively would it be possible to develop add-ons for popular desktop clients (like a Thunderbird extension or Outlook MAPI plugin) to support this, without having to run a local proxy server (like YPOPs/FreePOPs or the WebMail extension for Thunderbird) or pay for a hosted translation service (like IzyMail)?

William9 · 1 Jun 2010, 01:45 PM

Not having IMAP functionality with a standard client is one of the reasons I'm going to discontinue my paid Yahoo account.

kaptitsky · 11 Jun 2010, 01:18 AM

Trying Shredder.

Just a note: it appears the pop server will accept upper and lower case user names, but imap requires lower case logins only.

kaptitsky · 12 Jun 2010, 02:08 AM

I will say that I don't find Yahoo IMAP particularly robust.

I have one Yahoo mail account with a lot of mail in it -- folders with 21000, 31000, 1100 mails, etc. -- and that account regularly goes flaky, giving errors, trying to login, locking out, and so on.

It's fine for regular mail checks, but that one account shows me not everything is robust with the Yahoo IMAP implementation.

=============

Note: the downloadable version of Thunderbird offered above that has been modified to do the Yahoo IMAP trick is a beta version of 3.0, which is why it's called Shredder. I know that there have been fixes in the current 3.0 to make IMAP more reliable; this might be part of the problem.

I'm not running Linux, so I don't have a c compiler immediately available, so I can't get current source and recompile, so I'm stuck until someone else compiles a trick version.

Nicely, Shredder doesn't overwrite current Thunderbird 3, so I have both of them available, and my desktop shortcuts are modified to access different profiles; my standard accounts in released 3 and my Yahoo accounts in the older Shredder.

It's nice to check all accounts in one client, including one account that doesn't have POP3 access even with the region thing, even if that client isn't the best.

kaptitsky · 26 Jun 2010, 06:41 PM

One key problem with Yahoo IMAP access, it seems to me, is that the backend doesn't appear multi-threaded.

If I am in a Yahoo account with the IMAP client, and then I POP check the same account, I always get a message on the POP check that the mailbox is in use. I also get login errors from the gimmicked Thunderbird beta, and while I haven't tried logging the session to track down the errors, it looks like they are also "mailbox in use" type errors.

To me, this looks like a big reason that Yahoo hasn't rolled out IMAP except where absolutely required, like on the Apple products.

Gmail and AOL do not give these errors on multiple access to a mailbox, and I suspect these errors are against protocol for IMAP.

It seems to be a serious limit on Yahoo IMAP access.

kaptitsky · 26 Jun 2010, 06:49 PM

Started 6 June 2010

http://sourceforge.net/projects/imapidproxy/
http://imapidproxy.sourceforge.net/

Quote:

The IMAP ID proxy sits between IMAP client and server, entirely transparently, except that it adds an IMAP ID command. This counters IMAP servers that break the protocol (RFC 2971) by refusing service based on information from the ID command.

kaptitsky · 6 Jul 2010, 09:45 PM

http://www.aliasbailbonds.com/KeeFor...thunderbird-31

They have the patches for using Yahoo IMAP on Thunderbird 3.1, plus a compiled Windows Binary.

A big upgrade from shredder...

(make sure you unpack it over Thunderbird 3.1, and not over Shredder. I copied my 3.1 over Shredder, and this over the 3.1 in the old Shredder location.)

=============

Thunderbird 3.1 is much better at IMAP error handling than Shredder.

And that quality reveals just how much the Yahoo IMAP server isn't really ready for prime time.

On folders with thousands of messages it chokes, gives not ready, inaccessible and other errors. Probably related to only one access of a mailbox at a time.

It makes me understand why Yahoo delivers IMAP where they have to, on mobiles and such, but don't offer the kind of open IMAP access that AOL and Gmail support.

It would seem to be a headache for all concerned.

guillaume · 9 Jul 2010, 12:41 AM

Yahoo IMAP will only work over Edge or 3G on Android. Will not work if it recognizes a WiFi connection. probably the same thing on a normal computer

kaptitsky · 9 Jul 2010, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guillaume

Yahoo IMAP will only work over Edge or 3G on Android. Will not work if it recognizes a WiFi connection. probably the same thing on a normal computer

Works for me on "a normal computer" when I use a mail client modified to do the non-protocol standard handshake.

In fact, that's what this thread is about.

kaptitsky · 14 Aug 2010, 03:35 AM

The team at KeeForms has released Thunderbird 3.12 with the Yahoo IMAP gimmick.

Get the patch, or the Windows executable to install over a working Tbird 3.1 installation.

http://www.aliasbailbonds.com/KeeFor...thunderbird-31

kaptitsky · 25 Sep 2010, 07:58 AM

Keeforms offers Thunderbird 3.14 with the Yahoo IMAP gimmick.

http://www.aliasbailbonds.com/KeeFor...ry/thunderbird

They are keeping up rather well.

RFK · 29 Sep 2010, 02:48 AM

My Windows Live Mail standard client on Windows 7 Home successfully connected to Yahoo! mail via IMAP protocol.

soromak · 29 Sep 2010, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RFK

My Windows Live Mail standard client on Windows 7 Home successfully connected to Yahoo! mail via IMAP protocol.

I have quickly tried with my Apple Mail and my @ymail.com account works as well!
It seems they quietly corrected imap support?

walesrob · 29 Sep 2010, 04:07 AM

Same here, set up in Sylpheed, I have a .co.uk yahoo email addy, but using the .com servers. Only problem is I seem to have 2 inboxes

kaptitsky · 29 Sep 2010, 10:29 AM

And works for me, with an @att.net address in standard Thunderbird.

Let's see if it lasts.

12 Jun 2010, 02:08 AM	#4
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	I will say that I don't find Yahoo IMAP particularly robust. I have one Yahoo mail account with a lot of mail in it -- folders with 21000, 31000, 1100 mails, etc. -- and that account regularly goes flaky, giving errors, trying to login, locking out, and so on. It's fine for regular mail checks, but that one account shows me not everything is robust with the Yahoo IMAP implementation. ============= Note: the downloadable version of Thunderbird offered above that has been modified to do the Yahoo IMAP trick is a beta version of 3.0, which is why it's called Shredder. I know that there have been fixes in the current 3.0 to make IMAP more reliable; this might be part of the problem. I'm not running Linux, so I don't have a c compiler immediately available, so I can't get current source and recompile, so I'm stuck until someone else compiles a trick version. Nicely, Shredder doesn't overwrite current Thunderbird 3, so I have both of them available, and my desktop shortcuts are modified to access different profiles; my standard accounts in released 3 and my Yahoo accounts in the older Shredder. It's nice to check all accounts in one client, including one account that doesn't have POP3 access even with the region thing, even if that client isn't the best. Last edited by kaptitsky : 26 Jun 2010 at 06:42 PM.

6 Jul 2010, 09:45 PM	#7
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	Gimmicked Thunderbird 3.1 http://www.aliasbailbonds.com/KeeFor...thunderbird-31 They have the patches for using Yahoo IMAP on Thunderbird 3.1, plus a compiled Windows Binary. A big upgrade from shredder... (make sure you unpack it over Thunderbird 3.1, and not over Shredder. I copied my 3.1 over Shredder, and this over the 3.1 in the old Shredder location.) ============= Thunderbird 3.1 is much better at IMAP error handling than Shredder. And that quality reveals just how much the Yahoo IMAP server isn't really ready for prime time. On folders with thousands of messages it chokes, gives not ready, inaccessible and other errors. Probably related to only one access of a mailbox at a time. It makes me understand why Yahoo delivers IMAP where they have to, on mobiles and such, but don't offer the kind of open IMAP access that AOL and Gmail support. It would seem to be a headache for all concerned. Last edited by kaptitsky : 7 Jul 2010 at 12:20 AM.

1 Jun 2010, 01:45 PM	#2
William9 The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Francisco Posts: 2,281	Not having IMAP functionality with a standard client is one of the reasons I'm going to discontinue my paid Yahoo account.

11 Jun 2010, 01:18 AM	#3
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	Trying Shredder. Just a note: it appears the pop server will accept upper and lower case user names, but imap requires lower case logins only.

26 Jun 2010, 06:41 PM	#5
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	One key problem with Yahoo IMAP access, it seems to me, is that the backend doesn't appear multi-threaded. If I am in a Yahoo account with the IMAP client, and then I POP check the same account, I always get a message on the POP check that the mailbox is in use. I also get login errors from the gimmicked Thunderbird beta, and while I haven't tried logging the session to track down the errors, it looks like they are also "mailbox in use" type errors. To me, this looks like a big reason that Yahoo hasn't rolled out IMAP except where absolutely required, like on the Apple products. Gmail and AOL do not give these errors on multiple access to a mailbox, and I suspect these errors are against protocol for IMAP. It seems to be a serious limit on Yahoo IMAP access.

9 Jul 2010, 12:41 AM	#8
guillaume Essential Contributor Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Paris, FRANCE Posts: 486	Yahoo IMAP will only work over Edge or 3G on Android. Will not work if it recognizes a WiFi connection. probably the same thing on a normal computer

14 Aug 2010, 03:35 AM	#10
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	The team at KeeForms has released Thunderbird 3.12 with the Yahoo IMAP gimmick. Get the patch, or the Windows executable to install over a working Tbird 3.1 installation. http://www.aliasbailbonds.com/KeeFor...thunderbird-31

25 Sep 2010, 07:58 AM	#11
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	Keeforms offers Thunderbird 3.14 with the Yahoo IMAP gimmick. http://www.aliasbailbonds.com/KeeFor...ry/thunderbird They are keeping up rather well.

29 Sep 2010, 02:48 AM	#12
RFK Essential Contributor Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: USA Posts: 250	My Windows Live Mail standard client on Windows 7 Home successfully connected to Yahoo! mail via IMAP protocol.

29 Sep 2010, 04:07 AM	#14
walesrob Essential Contributor Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: UK Posts: 392	Same here, set up in Sylpheed, I have a .co.uk yahoo email addy, but using the .com servers. Only problem is I seem to have 2 inboxes

29 Sep 2010, 10:29 AM	#15
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	And works for me, with an @att.net address in standard Thunderbird. Let's see if it lasts.