[Users] Can't login to my GMail IMAP acct

[cr]

I just went through the process to get an app password.

My Gmail emails just failed (again) with "username and password not
accepted" so they've obviously turned 'it' back on.

So I got an app password:
1.   Turn on 2-step verification on your account  (this is far the most
complicated bit)
2.   Get an app password 


First step was log in to Google and switch ON two-step verification on
my account (never mind app passwords at this stage).   As per this:
https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185839?hl=en-GB
'Activate 2-step verification'.

I had to enter the confirmation code sent by text message to my phone -
a number like  G-765234 - and login again.   (You only need to do this
once, fortunately).   At one point I kept getting "text message failed
- try again later", I have no idea why but I did indeed try again
later.

(It also offers you the option to get a number of 'backup codes'
- ten 8-digit numbers like  77552387  etc - these are NOT what you
need).

THEN you can go back to 'Manage your Google account' - 'Security' -
'Signing in to Google' and click on 'App passwords' - 
sends you to a sign-in page (again) then a page with 
'Select app'  (I click 'Mail') and 'Select device'  (I click 'other'
and invent a name, you could probably click 'Windows') and it then shows
a box labelled 'Generate'  and it generates a 16-digit password like
this:   tfik nhsd wxok klhd     (I write it down!)

Then I go to Claws Mail - Configuration - Edit Accounts - select the
Gmail account - Edit and replace my old password with the new 16-digit
one.    Success!

This was on Debian Linux but I can't see anything that would be
different in Windows.   (And not using Oauth2 by the way).

cr



On Thu, 09 Jun 2022 12:19:15 -0700
sgeneris at comcast.net wrote:

> Hi, Richard,
> 
> I went over the CM Oauth2 FAQ and the Google instructions for
> getting an ID. These are WAY TOO technical and no end-users should
> be exposed to them. Much of the terminology and concepts I don't
> even understand and I cannot decide what to choose.  GMail API
> activation seems different than in the instructions and it's not 
> even clear that the API I found is the one that I am supposed
> to activate. The pages you and I see are different. 
> 
> I wonder if a lot has to do with you and most users running Linux and
> its browsers and I running Windows and its browser -- 
> shouldn't, but hey, what do I know. Perhaps between you
> and Jonathan can figure things out.
> 
> Of course, most of the blame goes to
> Google (typical!), but the fact is that I also use another
> email program ***authored and maintained by one person***
> and it automated the OAuth2 configuration and made it
> almost painless. There are so many techies here -- why
> not do the same? We don't want to have to drop CM.
> 
> I will try to document the details of what happens when
> I follow the instructions, but I suspect I won't go very far.
> 
> Jonathan, anybody who can help, pls do.
>