how to show 'new email' icon on taskbar

[blagojkk]

Ok, I'm new to kubuntu, and I'm using Thunderbird as an email client. So, on windows when I get new email an envelope icon is shown on the taskbar right next to the clock, so I know that I have new email whitout maximizing my thunderbird to check. Can this be done on kubuntu?

also, on windows whan I receive new email a notification message is pop up also on my taskbar. Can this also be done in kubuntu?

thunderbird version 2.0.0.x

Thanks.

[Snowhog]

Re: how to show 'new email' icon on taskbar

Check this link out:

http://linux.softpedia.com/get/Commu...ion-3483.shtml

[Snowhog]

Re: how to show 'new email' icon on taskbar

Or this link, which as lots of possibilities:

http://www.linuxlinks.com/Software/I.../Notification/

[Snowhog]

Re: how to show 'new email' icon on taskbar

And from looking through this link:

http://www.linuxlinks.com/Software/I.../Notification/

I see that KBiff is part of the KDE project. Searching in Adept Manager, it is an available package for installation.

[linuxwizard]

Re: how to show 'new email' icon on taskbar

I use kbiff on all 3 of my Kubuntus. You can install it through Adept. Works good easy to setup. Alot of options on how you want it to alert you on new mail. It is the best one I could find for Kubuntu IMO. I have tried alot of them.

[Snowhog]

Re: how to show 'new email' icon on taskbar

Installed a few minutes ago. I concur with linuxwizard - this is a very easy to use notification package, and very similar to what I think everyone who has ever used M$ mail programs has been used to. I'm happy not to have to manually check for new mail now. 8)

[MoeNeigh]

Re: how to show 'new email' icon on taskbar

I really like kbiff, and used it in Lucid (10.04), but when I switched to Oneiric (11.10), I couldn't find it in any of the repositories. I did find a 64-bit version deb file, and when I tried to install it, the QApt package installer gave the description, but the install button was grayed out, because it said it didn't satisfy dependencies. And, of course, if I tried the i386 version, it wasn't the correct architecture. Is there some repository I need to add to get a good version that would work in kubuntu 11.10 64 bit? Or is it something I would have to compile from source -- which I have no idea how to do.

In the meantime, I'm trying poptrayminus, but the icon is so tiny and nothing pops us. If you squint at the tiny envelope, you may be able to make out the number of emails, and if you hover your mouse pointer over the icon, you can see a message indicating the number of messages you have received, but no nice popup like kbiff. Besides, you have to manually make yourself look at the icon or you might miss any brief notification that flashes, then disappears.

[Goeroeboeroe]

Re: how to show 'new email' icon on taskbar

For me kshowmail works perfect (almost). You can find it in on http://kshowmail.sourceforge.net/

[MoeNeigh]

Re: how to show 'new email' icon on taskbar

Thanks for the suggestion about kshowmail. I may try kshowmail again later, but I had a little trouble with it at first. It kept bringing up kmail, and I'm using thunderbird. Perhaps if I'd fiddled a little more with the settings, it would have been OK.

The solution that seems to have worked for me now is to run POPPeeper (small free windows program) through Crossover Linux. It puts a nice little rectangle (big enough for my poor eyes to read) in the lower corner of the desktop, showing the number of new emails in big red letters, and it sits there until you close it. That way, if I'm away from my computer when mail arrives, and I come back later, I see that I have a couple of emails. Even while working, it's nice to have a notice that doesn't fade away in a few seconds, like poptrayminus, which returns to a tiny little barely noticeable icon in the task bar.