Settings for using Hermes with Apple Mail on OS 10.6 and below.
You need to configure Apple Mail on MacOS 10.6 or earlier with the secure settings described on this page. If you are using MacOS 10.7 or later then you need the instructions on this page.
If you would also like to be able to look up Cambridge email addresses automatically, please see the page on configuring Apple Mail to use the University LDAP Directory. Do this after you have set up Apple Mail to access Hermes.
Server settings
Start Mail then select File then Add Account.
On the Add Account screen your email address will be your CRSid@cam.ac.uk (for example spqr99@cam.ac.uk. At this point don't enter your password. Then select Continue.
On the Incoming Mail Server screen set:-
- Account Type: IMAP
- If you like, choose a suitable name (e.g. Hermes IMAP) for Description
- Incoming Mail Server: imap.hermes.cam.ac.uk
- check your CRSid appears in the User Name:field.
- Then select Continue (you will need to do this twice as it will attempt to login and fail as there is no password).
On Incoming Mail Security make sure Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is ticked and Authentication: is set to Password. Then select Continue.
On the Outgoing Mail Server screen set:-
- Outgoing Mail Server: smtp.hermes.cam.ac.uk
- If you like, choose a suitable name (e.g. Hermes SMTP) for Description
- Tick Use Authentication and enter your CRSid in the User Name: field.
- Then select Continue (again you will need to do this twice).
On Outgoing Mail Security make sure Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is ticked and Authentication: is set to Password. Then select Continue.
On the Account Summary screen select Create.
Now go to Mailbox and, from Get New Mail, select your new account. You will be prompted to enter your password. We advise against checking the Remember this password in my keychain box as this means anyone who gains access to your account on your Mac will be able to masquerade as you.
POP is available, but note that POP will, by default, download your email from Hermes to the computer you are using. This means that you will only be able to access your messages from that one computer, and Hermes webmail will not be useful to you. If your computer breaks or is stolen you will lose your messages. We strongly recommend the use of IMAP rather than POP. However, if you must use POP, then check that the Account Type is POP and use pop.hermes.cam.ac.uk in the Incoming Mail Server setting.
Mail folder settings
~/mail used to be needed to define the path to mail folders on Hermes for IMAP mail clients, but is now obsolete and should be removed from the settings (if you use POP this will not affect you as your mail folders are saved on your local system).
Select Mail->Preferences->Accounts. Select your account and then the Advanced tab and check that nothing is entered in the box by IMAP Path Prefix. If there is, remove it.
Close the Preferences panel, selecting Save from the dialogue box that appears.
Last updated March 2012