Until a few days ago, when I wished to read an e-mail in
Gnome's Evolution, I would just click on it.

Now, even if pure text, I will get a notice saying
Document attachment (attachment.html)
And I must use opera or some other software to read it.

My mail comes via AOL, and they have a new mail system
that I have chosen not to use until I have to.

There has been an update to Evolution, with the problem
arising just after that I think.

I tinkered with Evolution on my backup computer,
but Evolution has been updated there, too, with the
same problem.

My laptop, that has not been updated in weeks, works normally.

Anyone have any idea where or why the change has occurred?

Cheers!

jim b.

--
UNIX is not user-unfriendly, it merely
expects users to be computer friendly.

On Sat, 17 Jun 2023 23:38:35 +0000, Jim wrote:

> Until a few days ago, when I wished to read an e-mail in Gnome's
> Evolution, I would just click on it.
>
> Now, even if pure text, I will get a notice saying Document attachment
> (attachment.html)
> And I must use opera or some other software to read it.
>
> My mail comes via AOL, and they have a new mail system that I have
> chosen not to use until I have to.
>
> There has been an update to Evolution, with the problem arising just
> after that I think.
>
> I tinkered with Evolution on my backup computer,
> but Evolution has been updated there, too, with the same problem.
>
> My laptop, that has not been updated in weeks, works normally.
>
> Anyone have any idea where or why the change has occurred?

Oops.

Hit send before specifying my system. Mageia 8 64-bit,
gnome-desktop-3.38.3-1.mga8, evolution-3.38.3-2.mga8

Cheers!

jim b.

--
UNIX is not user-unfriendly, it merely
expects users to be computer friendly.

On Sat, 17 Jun 2023 23:38:35 +0000, Jim wrote:

> Until a few days ago, when I wished to read an e-mail in Gnome's
> Evolution, I would just click on it.
>
> Now, even if pure text, I will get a notice saying Document attachment
> (attachment.html)
> And I must use opera or some other software to read it.
>
> My mail comes via AOL, and they have a new mail system that I have
> chosen not to use until I have to.
>
> There has been an update to Evolution, with the problem arising just
> after that I think.
>
> I tinkered with Evolution on my backup computer,
> but Evolution has been updated there, too, with the same problem.
>
> My laptop, that has not been updated in weeks, works normally.
>
> Anyone have any idea where or why the change has occurred?

Add one more complication. At the moment, if the e-mail is
plain text, I cannot read it directly with opera or other
reader.

I must right click where the text should be and select
Edit as new message...

That will allow me to read the new message (and go on to
reply, I presume)

Cheers!

jim b.

--
UNIX is not user-unfriendly, it merely
expects users to be computer friendly.

On Sat, 17 Jun 2023 23:38:35 +0000, Jim wrote:
<snip>

The problem is other than I imagined. When I start up gnome
evolution mail, the "preview pane" where the text should appear
does not appear, but there is a line to click for
HTML document attachment (attachment.html).

I can click on the thing at the far left end of that line, and
a window appears, 8 inches wide but 1/8 inch in height. If I
tinker with the arrow at the far left so it points horizontal,
I can then get the tip of a cursor in the tiny window and
click-drag, and the text that I should see flashes/scrolls by.

If the arrow on the far left of the HTML document line points
down, putting the cursor in the tiny windows does nothing.

If I click on the down indicator next to HTML, I get options
for using opera or other software to read the message, whether
it is html or plaintext, and I can one to read using
the program selected.

If the message is plaintext, I will see the tiny window,
but not the HTML document line. If I right-click on the
tiny window, I am offered choices including Edit as a New
Message. If I choose that, I get a new window for
editing the message and can read the message there.

How is this tiny window size set? What file contains
the setting?

Cheers!

jim b.

--
UNIX is not user-unfriendly, it merely
expects users to be computer friendly.

On Sat, 17 Jun 2023 20:06:35 -0400, Jim <jim.beard@verizon.net> wrote:

> On Sat, 17 Jun 2023 23:38:35 +0000, Jim wrote:
>
>> Until a few days ago, when I wished to read an e-mail in Gnome's
>> Evolution, I would just click on it.
>>
>> Now, even if pure text, I will get a notice saying Document attachment
>> (attachment.html)
>> And I must use opera or some other software to read it.
>>
>> My mail comes via AOL, and they have a new mail system that I have
>> chosen not to use until I have to.
>>
>> There has been an update to Evolution, with the problem arising just
>> after that I think.
>>
>> I tinkered with Evolution on my backup computer,
>> but Evolution has been updated there, too, with the same problem.
>>
>> My laptop, that has not been updated in weeks, works normally.
>>
>> Anyone have any idea where or why the change has occurred?
>
> Add one more complication. At the moment, if the e-mail is
> plain text, I cannot read it directly with opera or other
> reader.
>
> I must right click where the text should be and select
> Edit as new message...
>
> That will allow me to read the new message (and go on to
> reply, I presume)

We are aware of the problem, but have not figured out a way to fix it. It's
caused by an update to webkit2 that fixes a security bug that was actively
being exploited. While it breaks evolution's viewing of the email body,
without workarounds like you've found, the updated webkit2 is working
properly in other applications that use it such as thunderbird.
https://bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=32013

Normally we'd issue an update with the prior version when a packages causes
a problem like this, but when it's a bug that's being actively exploited,
that's not an option.

The packagers are aware of the problem, but at this point are stuck.

Regards, Dave Hodgins

On Sun, 18 Jun 2023 00:59:47 -0400, David W. Hodgins wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Jun 2023 20:06:35 -0400, Jim <jim.beard@verizon.net> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 17 Jun 2023 23:38:35 +0000, Jim wrote:
>>
>>> Until a few days ago, when I wished to read an e-mail in Gnome's
>>> Evolution, I would just click on it.
>>>
>>> Now, even if pure text, I will get a notice saying Document attachment
>>> (attachment.html)
>>> And I must use opera or some other software to read it.
<snip>
>> That will allow me to read the new message (and go on to
>> reply, I presume)
>
> We are aware of the problem, but have not figured out a way to fix it. It's
> caused by an update to webkit2 that fixes a security bug that was actively
> being exploited. While it breaks evolution's viewing of the email body,
> without workarounds like you've found, the updated webkit2 is working
> properly in other applications that use it such as thunderbird.
> https://bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=32013
>
> Normally we'd issue an update with the prior version when a packages causes
> a problem like this, but when it's a bug that's being actively exploited,
> that's not an option.
>
> The packagers are aware of the problem, but at this point are stuck.

Ye gads, glad I moved to claws-mail because thunderbird was getting to
be a pain in the derriere.

On Sun, 18 Jun 2023 00:59:47 -0400, David W. Hodgins wrote:

> On Sat, 17 Jun 2023 20:06:35 -0400, Jim <jim.beard@verizon.net> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 17 Jun 2023 23:38:35 +0000, Jim wrote:
>>
>>> Until a few days ago, when I wished to read an e-mail in Gnome's
>>> Evolution, I would just click on it.
>>>
>>> Now, even if pure text, I will get a notice saying Document attachment
>>> (attachment.html)
>>> And I must use opera or some other software to read it.
>>>
>>> My mail comes via AOL, and they have a new mail system that I have
>>> chosen not to use until I have to.
>>>
>>> There has been an update to Evolution, with the problem arising just
>>> after that I think.
>>>
>>> I tinkered with Evolution on my backup computer,
>>> but Evolution has been updated there, too, with the same problem.
>>>
>>> My laptop, that has not been updated in weeks, works normally.
>>>
>>> Anyone have any idea where or why the change has occurred?
>>
>> Add one more complication. At the moment, if the e-mail is plain text,
>> I cannot read it directly with opera or other reader.
>>
>> I must right click where the text should be and select Edit as new
>> message...
>>
>> That will allow me to read the new message (and go on to reply, I
>> presume)
>
> We are aware of the problem, but have not figured out a way to fix it.
> It's caused by an update to webkit2 that fixes a security bug that was
> actively being exploited. While it breaks evolution's viewing of the
> email body, without workarounds like you've found, the updated webkit2
> is working properly in other applications that use it such as
> thunderbird. https://bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=32013
>
> Normally we'd issue an update with the prior version when a packages
> causes a problem like this, but when it's a bug that's being actively
> exploited, that's not an option.
>
> The packagers are aware of the problem, but at this point are stuck.
>
> Regards, Dave Hodgins

Thanks for the reply and information!

Guess I will make do with my work-arounds for a while.

Cheers!

jim b.

--
UNIX is not user-unfriendly, it merely
expects users to be computer friendly.