Score:2

Ubuntu

Missing OAuth2 Authentication Option Thunderbird 102.10.0

cameronpoe

4/25/24, 6:21 PM

I recently switched my Windows laptop over to Ubuntu 22.04, and I am trying to get Thunderbird working. The email I use is a University email, and they use Microsoft's servers (office365) and OAuth2 for authentication.

Thunderbird doesn't recognize my email address, so I have to set up all the mail servers manually. The issue is the drop down for authentication method only shows OAuth2 for the incoming server, not the outgoing. So I am able to read all the messages that get sent to me, but I have no means of replying.

I've seen online that many people have this issue sometimes with Thunderbird, but none of their fixes help. I've deleted the .thunderbird directory and restarted Thunderbird, and that hasn't worked. I've also run sudo apt remove thunderbird and sudo apt purge thunderbird then reinstalled it, but that hasn't worked either. I just can't seem to get OAuth2 to pop up.

I'd appreciate any help!

EDIT: Added better screenshots of the outgoing server settings with the authentication method dropdown open and closed.

Screenshot of open dropdown.

Screenshot of closed dropdown.

770

2 + 3

thunderbird

authentication

22.04

vanadium

4/26/24, 7:50 AM

The image appears to me as if you did not specify a user name. That will likely be required also for a two factor login.

cameronpoe

4/26/24, 3:53 PM

@vanadium unfortunately, I had already entered my username. I reattached screenshots showing the full outgoing server settings that includes my username now.

vanadium

4/26/24, 4:57 PM

I see. The user name is likely grayed out because "No authentication" is selected.

Score:2

Ubuntu

FloT

5/24/24, 7:51 PM

First, I don't know if you noticed, but you have a typo in your server name. You wrote smpt.office365.com instead of smtp.office365.com.

Then, this is a known bug it seems. You can force Thunderbird to propose OAuth2 like this:

set your outgoing server with "No authentication"
close and re-open Thunderbird
then go to Thunderbird settings
look for the config editor (very end of the "General" tab for me). It opens a new tab with a search bar.
in this search bar, type "mail.smtpserver". It should display all your SMTP servers settings, with a number associated to each of them. Locate the number of your Outlook server. Let's say it's "99" for the example.
look for the parameter mail.smtpserver.smtp99.authMethod (with "99" replaced with the number corresponding to your SMTP server), change its value from 1 (code for "No authentication") to 10 (code for "OAuth2"), and save it with the tick button on the right
exit the config editor, close and reopen Thunderbird
go back to the account settings, your server should now be set to OAuth2. Complete the missing information (probably your username)
try to send an email from your Office 365 account. It should trigger the OAuth2 authentication procedure.

+ 1

cameronpoe

6/12/24, 9:46 PM

Thanks for catching the typo -- that fixed it! When I retried setting up Thunderbird in my comment to Bryan Bemley, I must have typed it in right. I just checked by setting up Thunderbird a second time and when I used the typo version it didn't pop up OAuth2, but the correct spelling did pop up the OAuth2 option.

Score:0

Ubuntu

Bryan Bemley

5/3/24, 12:42 PM

After you add the username, accept the settings. Then, go back into the new server settings you created. The oAuth2 option should be available. Annoying fix, but it works. I've just done it.

+ 2

cameronpoe

5/7/24, 4:08 AM

Thanks for the hint! Ended up going back to Thunderbird after about a week and it worked first try -- didn't have to go into server settings or anything to get the OAuth2 option. Really weird, I still don't know what I did differently now than the last dozen times I did this.

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: Missing OAuth2 Authentication Option Thunderbird 102.10.0

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