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OAuth2 authentication method not working in version 102.1.2 - pop+AOL

  • 13 cavab
  • 5 have this problem
  • 69 views
  • Last reply by Wayne Mery

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I had already post this problem recently, but in spite of Thunderbird already had two interim point releases 102.1.1 and today's 101.1.2, this problem remains.

This situation did not occur in older versions, and I cannot use pop3 access to AOL email account with "normal password" (encrypted). For the time being, I am accessing AOL web mail using Firefox.

I tried unsuccessfully all other authentication methods, so no authentication method is working with AOL.

This is the Thunderrbird error I get when using OAuth2 authentication method:

"The server does not support the selected authentication method. Please change the 'Authentication method' in the 'Account Settings | Server settings".

It is not true, AOL does support the OAuth2 authentication method.

I had already post this problem recently, but in spite of Thunderbird already had two interim point releases 102.1.1 and today's 101.1.2, this problem remains. This situation did not occur in older versions, and I cannot use pop3 access to AOL email account with "normal password" (encrypted). For the time being, I am accessing AOL web mail using Firefox. I tried unsuccessfully all other authentication methods, so no authentication method is working with AOL. This is the Thunderrbird error I get when using OAuth2 authentication method: "The server does not support the selected authentication method. Please change the 'Authentication method' in the 'Account Settings | Server settings". It is not true, AOL does support the OAuth2 authentication method.
Attached screenshots

Modified by Wayne Mery

Chosen solution

Thank you for your helpful message. I installed the new version 102.2.2 of thunderbird, the first time I tried to get mail from AOL via pop3 protocol, there was a pop-up window from AOL to confirm my email address, password and that I allow the pop3 access. The second time I fetched AOL emails it ran as usual, no more pop-up windows.

So I would say the problem seems solved. Thank you for your effort and the Thunderbird team. Bye.

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All Replies (13)

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"I cannot use pop3 access to AOL email account with "normal password" (encrypted)" should read "I cannot use pop3 access to AOL email account with "normal password" (not encrypted)"

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I noted this under my own, apparently redundant, entry, https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1386206

Under the "New in Thunderbird 102" page, it says "POP3 implemented in javascript"

So, there is brand new code for POP3. Also, Javascript is case-sensitive. Any chance some compare or other operation was done without conversions to make it case-INsensitive?

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Just installed 102.2.0 No help.

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Having same issue. Thunderbird support for OAuth2 seems to have been impacted by the latest release upgrade.

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I just updated Thunderbird to today's version 102.2.1 and still this AOL pop3 access remains to be solved. I think AOL is not a small community of users and some kind of priority should be given to the solution of the situation I reported - the lack of support for OAuth2 authentication method. Myself and a lot of other users will thank you.

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Martago said

I had already post this problem recently, but in spite of Thunderbird already had two interim point releases 102.1.1 and today's 101.1.2, this problem remains.

Where did you post that? here are your topics on this forum https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/user/martago/questions


ArlosDad said

I noted this under my own, apparently redundant, entry, https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1386206

When you reply to yourself the topic goes from the new to the oustanding. Result is you generally don't see a response, or if you do you will be waiting for the weekend when folk have time to look at more than new stuff.

___________________________________________________________________________

I can say I have an AOL account configured as IMAP and it has no issues working with the AOL servers and authenticating. I am using Thunderbird 102.2.1 on windows 10. So I would suggest that the next approach is to actually log the connection and find out exactly what is going on under the hood.

Note that verizon/AOL POP and AOL pop are not the same thing. (thanks Yahoo) So when you have issue it is important to be clear if it is a legacy verizon account.

Set the preference mailnews.pop3.loglevel to All in the config editor Open the error console. Ctrl+Shift+J then wait until it looks quiet, empty the trash and then try and get your mail (the idea is to get the least noise in the log that appears in the console. Right click the console/log window and select all from the menu. Right click again and select the rather oddly named "copy message" Open windows notepad.(Windows key+R type notepad and press enter) Save you text file or just paste it into a reply here.

Save the file to your documents and either copy and paste or upload the file to provide the log to others. Be aware that the From and To addresses in the email are in the log you are sharing.

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Pls find attached the the log file and the error message related to the filed pop3 access of an AOL email account, which was successfully accessed in Thunderbird 91.12 and prior versions:

"mailnews.pop3.19: Got an error name=pop3AuthMechNotSupported Pop3Client.jsm:1279:18"

I will continue to use pop3 instead of imap, I don't like to have my thunderbird folders listed under each imap email account, it would be a mess as I have 17 email accounts. I think the choice to use pop3 or imap is a user decision, at least I hope so.

I will continue to wait for a correction of this situation that worked alright in older versions of Thunderbird, and for the time being I will continue to access AOL web mail.

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I solved the problem with the workaround of configuring my gmail account to fetch my AOL email messages, thus avoiding to change my AOL account in Thunderbird to imap as recommended.

I would suggest as a honest measure that Thunderbird remove the OAuth2 password encryption method for pop3 accounts, as it seems that you are not committed in solving the problem I reported in my original post of 9 August. Don't leave an option that doesn't work.

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I already read the exchange of posts in https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1782250. I will wait and see if the next updates of Thunderbird bring a solution to the problem I posted.

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Try https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/candidates/102.2.2-candidates/build1/win64/en-US/Thunderbird%20Setup%20102.2.2.exe which fixes that bug. Take the defaults when installing so that it installs on top of your currrent thunderbird program directory. Is it better?

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Seçilmiş Həll

Thank you for your helpful message. I installed the new version 102.2.2 of thunderbird, the first time I tried to get mail from AOL via pop3 protocol, there was a pop-up window from AOL to confirm my email address, password and that I allow the pop3 access. The second time I fetched AOL emails it ran as usual, no more pop-up windows.

So I would say the problem seems solved. Thank you for your effort and the Thunderbird team. Bye.

Modified by Martago

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Thanks for the update