Bug 4596 - Attempt to connect to Gmail results in "IMAP error on imap.gmail.com: parse error (very probably non-RFC compliance from the server)"
Summary: Attempt to connect to Gmail results in "IMAP error on imap.gmail.com: parse e...
Status: CLOSED NEEDSINFO
Alias: None
Product: Claws Mail (GTK 2)
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Folders/IMAP (show other bugs)
Version: other
Hardware: Macintosh other
: P3 normal
Assignee: users
URL:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2022-05-07 07:30 UTC by Synthezoid
Modified: 2022-05-07 11:23 UTC (History)
0 users

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Description Synthezoid 2022-05-07 07:30:23 UTC
Trying to rebuild folder tree using only combination of settings that doesn't immediately tell me it can't connect to the server: using an application password, STARTTLS on both send and receive, IMAP port 993. (Any change to any of these settings makes connection attempt instantly fail with "*** TLS handshake failed".) All other IMAP and SMTP settings work are the same ones that work perfectly fine in my copy of Thunderbird. 

Error in log is:

* Account '[account name redacted]': Connecting to IMAP server: imap.gmail.com:993...
** IMAP error on imap.gmail.com: parse error (very probably non-RFC compliance from the server)

This is a new install of claws, I have never successfully used it. 

I'm skeptical that Gmail isn't RFC compliant, as every other email client I've tried in the last 15 years was able to connect to it without this issue.

The reason I'm trying to rebuild the folder tree is it's the only thing that has any effect at all. Trying to check emails just silently fails: nothing happens at all, no log entries. 

Claws 3.19.0

System Information
GTK+ 2.24.33 / GLib 2.72.1
Locale: en_US.UTF-8 (charset: UTF-8)
Operating System: Darwin 18.7.0 (x86_64)

Installed on MacOS X 10.14.6 with homebrew.
Comment 1 Paul 2022-05-07 11:23:38 UTC
Gmail's IMAP is not RFC-compliant, but this may not have something to do with your problem. Lots of people use gmail with Claws Mail, so it looks like a local problem.

Even though you say you used the same settings, it does look like a problem with how your account is configured. This is why the folder tree was not built successfully when you first created the account.

The 2 lines which you've quoted from the Network Log does not tell enough to aid the debugging.

More is needed to be (potentially) useful, including the Network Log and your account config.

See these 2 FAQ pages for more info:

https://claws-mail.org/faq/index.php/Using_Claws_Mail_with_Gmail
https://claws-mail.org/faq/index.php/Oauth2

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