This document assumes that you're reading your `username@cms.caltech.edu` email, and you're using it as your primary communication channel for business related to the Institute.

By default, when CMS accounts are created, your email is forwarded to a destination address (usually your `username@caltech.edu` email address). However, for various reasons, some folks prefer to use their `username@cms.caltech.edu` address. While your `user@caltech.edu` address goes away when you leave the institute, your CMS email address can persist as a legacy forward.

If you are going to publish your `user@caltech.edu` email address as your primary address, you should use that in the [Caltech directory](https://directory.caltech.edu) and on any other documents that require an email address, and simply don't use or publish your `user@cms.caltech.edu` email.

If you're using CMS infrastructure, we recommend a fully standards-compliant IMAP client.

We used to include helpful screenshots to guide new users, but Mozilla has since completely redesigned the interface, and it is much less sustainable to re-capture screenshots for every version of Thunderbird, whenever Mozilla decides to revamp the UI.

Instead, here are the important bits that you need to know, to configure Thunderbird.

* **Your email address**: `<user>@cms.caltech.edu`, where `<user>` is the username you've been assigned.

* **Incoming mail server**: `imap.cms.caltech.edu`

* **Outgoing mail server**: `mailhost.cms.caltech.edu`

{{Figure

Not to worry!

You may safely view, and confirm the identity of the certificate, but you must check **Permanently store this exception** and then **Confirm Security Exception** to be able to read CMS email.