Gnus blocked by Gmail?

[Thorsten Jolitz]

Hi list,

I asked this before on 'gnus.user' but got no replies, so I try it here
too.

Since a few days I cannot access my gmail accounts anymore via
gnus. Everything else works (accessing gmail from web-ui, reading
newsgroups with gnus, using msmtp from the command-line), but for my
'nnimap+xyz:INBOX' accounts I only get 'access denied' from the server.

It worked for a long time, and suddenly stopped without any apparent
reason (I did not update gnus or so).

Now I wonder if maybe Google blocked gnus due to frequent access (its
just too easy to press 'g' in the Group buffer, and I have several gmail
account that are fetched each time I do so)? Did this happen to somebody
else too? How can I find out what is the real underlying problem here (I
cannot find any informative error messages or logs, even when running
gnus 'verbose' the enormous output isn't really enlightning)?

Are there any files I could delete to force a reset or so? Its really
uncomfortable to manage emails without gnus, so any hints would be
welcome.

PS

#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
(emacs-version)
#+END_SRC

#+results:
: GNU Emacs 24.3.1 (x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.12.2)
: of 2014-06-11 on var-lib-archbuild-staging-x86_64-jgc


#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
(gnus-version)
#+END_SRC

#+results:
: Gnus v5.13

[Eric S Fraga]

Hi,

I have had no problems accessing gmail. Have you looked at the various
buffers that gnus creates when accessing imap folders?

The only thing I can suggest is that you try a newer version of gnus.

[Thorsten Jolitz]

Eric S Fraga <***@ucl.ac.uk> writes:

Hi,

Post by Eric S Fraga
I have had no problems accessing gmail. Have you looked at the various
buffers that gnus creates when accessing imap folders?

Hmm, I don't see such buffers, just group, summary, article and message
buffers. What names do they have? Maybe you configured a variable to get
them? Or maybe I don't see them since access to my imap folders is
denied to gnus right now?

Post by Eric S Fraga
The only thing I can suggest is that you try a newer version of gnus.

I use the gnus that is shipped with emacs 24.3, and since I don't do any
fancy things with gnus, I would be quite happy with a stable version,
even if not fully up-to-date.

I wonder how/where to find messages that tell something about the reason
why access is denied (if this info is given at all by the gmail
servers).

Frustratingly, the .msmtp.log file apparently only logs successful
actions:

,----
| Aug 22 20:55:48 host=smtp.gmail.com tls=on auth=on
| user=***@gmail.com from=***@gmail.com
| recipients=***@gmail.com mailsize=90 smtpstatus=250 smtpmsg='250
| 2.0.0 OK [...] exitcode=EX_OK
`----

the errors would be more interesting, but accessing the gmail servers
and sending mails with msmtp are probably independent steps.

[Eric S Fraga]

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
Hi,

Post by Eric S Fraga
I have had no problems accessing gmail. Have you looked at the various
buffers that gnus creates when accessing imap folders?

Hmm, I don't see such buffers, just group, summary, article and message
buffers. What names do they have? Maybe you configured a variable to get
them? Or maybe I don't see them since access to my imap folders is
denied to gnus right now?

Adam has answered you already: set nnimap-record-commands and then check
the *imap log* buffer.

The msmtp log is only useful for checking outgoing email and the
implication was that you were unable to read your email?

[Adam Sjøgren]

How can I find out what is the real underlying problem here (I cannot
find any informative error messages or logs, even when running gnus
'verbose' the enormous output isn't really enlightning)?

Accessing Gmail works fine for me with Gnus.

Try setting nnimap-record-commands:

,----[ C-h v nnimap-record-commands RET ]
| nnimap-record-commands is a variable defined in `nnimap.el'.
| Its value is nil
|
| This variable may be risky if used as a file-local variable.
|
| Documentation:
| If non-nil, log commands to the "*imap log*" buffer.
`----

Best regards,

Adam

[Thorsten Jolitz]

***@koldfront.dk (Adam Sjøgren) writes:

Hi Adam, Hi Eric,

Post by Adam Sjøgren

How can I find out what is the real underlying problem here (I cannot
find any informative error messages or logs, even when running gnus
'verbose' the enormous output isn't really enlightning)?

Accessing Gmail works fine for me with Gnus.
,----[ C-h v nnimap-record-commands RET ]
| nnimap-record-commands is a variable defined in `nnimap.el'.
| Its value is nil
|
| This variable may be risky if used as a file-local variable.
|
| If non-nil, log commands to the "*imap log*" buffer.
`----

I set it and tried, but get no "*imap log*" buffer.
But now I had at least one meaningful message in *Messages* buffer:

,----
| Unable to open server nnimap+foo due to: make client process failed:
| die Wartezeit für die Verbindung ist abgelaufen (=> German for "timeout")
`----

I asked Google, but it seems my settings are alright (they worked for a
long time before):

#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
'( (nnimap "x.y"
(nnimap-address "imap.gmail-alias1.com")
(nnimap-server-port 993)
(nnimap-stream ssl)
(nnimap-authinfo-file "~/.authinfo")) ...))
#+END_SRC

strange ...

But thanks for you help so far!

[Adam Sjøgren]

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
I set it and tried, but get no "*imap log*" buffer.

I wonder if the Gnus in your Emacs is old enough not to have that
feature. Can you look up the documentation of the variable in your
Emacs?

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
,----
| die Wartezeit für die Verbindung ist abgelaufen (=> German for "timeout")
`----

Does other IMAP-clients work with Gmail on your computer?

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
I asked Google, but it seems my settings are alright (they worked for a

I have just:

(nnimap "gmail" (nnimap-address "imap.gmail.com"))

in my gnus-secondary-select-methods - Gnus connects to the standard IMAP
port and uses STARTTLS.

Did you try using openssl on the commandline to connect to Gmail?

$ openssl s_client -connect imap.gmail.com:imaps

connects fine for me.

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
'( (nnimap "x.y"
(nnimap-address "imap.gmail-alias1.com")

What's with the "-alias1" ?

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
(nnimap-server-port 993)
(nnimap-stream ssl)

Maybe try with STARTTLS?


Best regards,

Adam

[Thorsten Jolitz]

Post by Adam Sjøgren

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
I set it and tried, but get no "*imap log*" buffer.

I wonder if the Gnus in your Emacs is old enough not to have that
feature. Can you look up the documentation of the variable in your
Emacs?

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
,----
| die Wartezeit für die Verbindung ist abgelaufen (=> German for
| "timeout")
`----

Does other IMAP-clients work with Gmail on your computer?

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
I asked Google, but it seems my settings are alright (they worked for a

(nnimap "gmail" (nnimap-address "imap.gmail.com"))
in my gnus-secondary-select-methods - Gnus connects to the standard IMAP
port and uses STARTTLS.
Did you try using openssl on the commandline to connect to Gmail?
$ openssl s_client -connect imap.gmail.com:imaps

works for me too

Post by Adam Sjøgren
connects fine for me.

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
'( (nnimap "x.y"
(nnimap-address "imap.gmail-alias1.com")

What's with the "-alias1" ?

thats just a trick for managing several gmail accounts, see:
http://cataclysmicmutation.com/2010/11/multiple-gmail-accounts-in-gnus

Post by Adam Sjøgren

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
(nnimap-server-port 993)
(nnimap-stream ssl)

Maybe try with STARTTLS?

I think ssl should work here, did not help.

But I think I got it - you question about the -alias1 made me search
where this is defined and I found /etc/hosts where I had several of this

,----
| 173.194.69.109 imap.gmail-alias1.com
`----

so I searched the web and found

,----
| 173.194.116.182 imap.gmail-alias1.com
`----

but did not work either, so I finally did

,----
| ping -c 2 imap.gmail.com
`----

and got

,----
| 74.125.136.109 imap.gmail-alias1.com
`----

and this new IP finally makes it work again.

So it seems Google just dropped the old IP I used and things stopped
working. Puh, simple cause, simple cure, but somehow tricky diagnosis, I
hope I remember this for the future ...

Thanks a lot for you help, Adam and Eric!

[Eric S Fraga]

On Tuesday, 26 Aug 2014 at 19:17, Thorsten Jolitz wrote:

[...]

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
But I think I got it - you question about the -alias1 made me search
where this is defined and I found /etc/hosts where I had several of this

[...]

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
and this new IP finally makes it work again.
So it seems Google just dropped the old IP I used and things stopped
working. Puh, simple cause, simple cure, but somehow tricky diagnosis, I
hope I remember this for the future ...
Thanks a lot for you help, Adam and Eric!

Silly question maybe but do you not have support for DNS on your system?
Why do you need to specify an IP address in your /etc/hosts file at all?

[Thorsten Jolitz]

Post by Eric S Fraga
[...]

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
But I think I got it - you question about the -alias1 made me search
where this is defined and I found /etc/hosts where I had several of this

[...]

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
and this new IP finally makes it work again.
So it seems Google just dropped the old IP I used and things stopped
working. Puh, simple cause, simple cure, but somehow tricky diagnosis, I
hope I remember this for the future ...
Thanks a lot for you help, Adam and Eric!

Silly question maybe but do you not have support for DNS on your system?
Why do you need to specify an IP address in your /etc/hosts file at all?

mmhhh ... not a silly question I would say. guess I should overhaul my
mail config a bit, but once it works, I never want to change the running
system ;)

[Adam Sjøgren]

That sounds krazy, with a capital K.

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
http://cataclysmicmutation.com/2010/11/multiple-gmail-accounts-in-gnus

Why would you choose to maintain copies of Google-IP-addresses in your
hosts file, instead of just using the name of account in the
.authinfo-file, as described on the page?


The mind, it boggles,

Adam

[Thorsten Jolitz]

Post by Adam Sjøgren
That sounds krazy, with a capital K.

I swear that Kraziness wasn't invented by me but copied from the
internet in the days when I started with emacs/gnus ...

Post by Adam Sjøgren

Post by Thorsten Jolitz
http://cataclysmicmutation.com/2010/11/multiple-gmail-accounts-in-gnus

Why would you choose to maintain copies of Google-IP-addresses in your
hosts file, instead of just using the name of account in the
.authinfo-file, as described on the page?

the page must have changed since then ;)
Good question, actually ...