GMX webmail interface (again)

[Raava]

Since the thread "GMX webmail interface" got locked, I have to make a new one. The issue is still there with even the newest available palemoon version for Linux x86-64, that is: V28.2.2

I can log into GMX, but it complains about "outdated browser" and that I can only use a "reduced interface", and that clearly sucks.
I tried with Firefox, and realized that the last stable release for my Linux branch, FFx 63.0.3, worked one day just fine, and a few hours later, GMX started complaining about it the same way like it does with Palemoon. Only using the newest beta versions of FFx, e.g. firefox-65.0b5, firefox-65.0b6 or firefox-65.0b7 works with the normal GMX interface.

Do I need to tweak my browser user identification so that it looks for GMX like I use a very new FFx for Palemoon to work?

I tried both Preferences / Advanced / Compatibility
User Agent Mode [Firefox Compatibility] or [Gecko Compatibility], as it was recommended in viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12518 but to no prevail.


Do I need to tweak my browser user identification so that it looks for GMX like I use a very new FFx for Palemoon to work?

According to https://www.whatismybrowser.com/detect/ ... user-agent this is what my current UI looks like

Code: Select all

Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:60.9) Gecko/20100101 Goanna/4.1 Firefox/60.9 PaleMoon/28.2.2

I have not done UI tweaking in years so I would have no idea how to pull that off.

Update
I forgot to add this info: My OS is a slackware based 64 bit live linux distro, called Porteus, kernel 4.19.8, running either Openbox or XFCE as Window manager.

[Night Wing]

I can see by your user agent you're using a linux distro. But you didn't name the linux distro.

With the above said, I use linux Mint 19.1 (Tessa) Xfce. In Mint 19.1, Firefox is the default browser which is installed and comes with Mint upon Mint installation and right now, Firefox 64.0 is installed. If your linux distribution has Firefox installed by default, have you tried accessing your GMX webmail interface with Firefox (64.0)? Firefox 64.0 is not a beta either.

I'm assuming since Firefox 65 is a beta and it works for GMX webmail, I'm going to guess Firefox 64 should work as well.

[Raava]

I can see by your user agent you're using a linux distro. But you didn't name the linux distro.

It is a slackware based live linux distro, called Porteus, kernel 4.19.8.

Its newest available stable Firefox using Porteus own update-firefox script is currently 63.0.3. I could try and create a 64 version by hand, but that not solves my issue. While the newest FFx versions work okay, they tend to slow down the PC (8 Core CPU, 4 GM RAM, with a very light GUI, openbox) after only a few open tabs. The same happened with FFx 63, so I presume V64 would be not much different.

I not even find settings to reduce the caching or other aspects of RAM use in newer FFx anymore.
Among other reasons listed above, but mainly the system freezing after a short while with not that many open tabs issue, I would like using PM instead of newer FFx, but then I run it the issue of the GMX login / reduced GMX web mail interface.

[coffeebreak]

I can log into GMX, but it complains about "outdated browser" and that I can only use a "reduced interface"
[...]
Only using the newest beta versions of FFx, e.g. firefox-65.0b5, firefox-65.0b6 or firefox-65.0b7 works with the normal GMX interface.

Do you use gmx.com or gmx.net?

I don't get an outdated browser message or reduced interface when I log into gmx.com.
(using PM 28.2.2 on Win 7 here, not Linux; don't know if that would make a difference)

The user agent was PM's native, but GMX did work equally fine here using FF compatibility mode (Windows), or the Linux user agent you posted above (also compatibility mode, Linux variant).

Does it help to clear cookies, cache (and other storages)?

Do I need to tweak my browser user identification so that it looks for GMX like I use a very new FFx for Palemoon to work?

According to https://www.whatismybrowser.com/detect/ ... user-agent this is what my current UI looks like

Code: Select all

Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:60.9) Gecko/20100101 Goanna/4.1 Firefox/60.9 PaleMoon/28.2.2

I have not done UI tweaking in years so I would have no idea how to pull that off.

If you want to change the user agent...

• Open a tab; type about:config in the address bar; hit Enter.
• Right click anywhere on the page, select New > String
• In the box that pops up, enter what's in the code box and click OK.
  For gmx.com:

  Code: Select all

  general.useragent.override.gmx.com

  or for gmx.net if appropriate:

  Code: Select all

  general.useragent.override.gmx.net

• In the next popup box, enter this user agent (FF64, as Night Wing noted); click OK:

  Code: Select all

  Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:64.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/64.0

Please post to say if this helps.

[Raava]

Do you use gmx.com or gmx.net?

I use a password manager (not one that comes with any browser) and it is set up starting with gmx.de, but then after Login I get redirected to gmx.net
It never occurred to me that GMX would be able to code their page as bad as it making a difference if you log into gmx.net, .com or .de, (And if that is really the case, even using .at vs .de or vs .net. )

I try looking into a way to either create a new setup for a login using either .net or .com , or just doing a manual login using .net or .com and will report back if that helps with the issue.

I also report back if that is not helpful, cause maybe UI tweaking does the trick.

Lots of thanks for the info about UI tweaking.

[Raava]

So, I tried it.

Using gmx.net is the same as using gmx.de: I get the outdated browser / reduced web interface error.

Trying to use the same credentials with gmx.com gives me an error, that the email address and password combo is invalid. O__o

Update
I created the strings for both gmx.de and gmx.net and set both to the UI you recommended. I then logged out of GMX. I then deleted all GMX cookies. I logged into GMX, and I still get the "outdated browser / reduced interface" error.

[coffeebreak]

I use a password manager (not one that comes with any browser) and it is set up starting with gmx.de, but then after Login I get redirected to gmx.net
It never occurred to me that GMX would be able to code their page as bad as it making a difference if you log into gmx.net, .com or .de, (And if that is really the case, even using .at vs .de or vs .net. :crazy: )

So, I tried it.

Using gmx.net is the same as using gmx.de: I get the outdated browser / reduced web interface error.

Trying to use the same credentials with gmx.com gives me an error, that the email address and password combo is invalid

• One: In your part of Europe (Germany, Austria), it appears that all GMX roads lead account-wise to gmx.net.
  (I can't even load gmx.de; if I enter it into the address bar it redirects to gmx.net.
• Two: A gmx.net account is not a gmx.com account (though same corporate owner).
  "It never occurred to me that GMX would be able to code their page as bad as..." The differences are deliberate;
  GMX runs its .net and .com domains under different policies that target different regional markets.
  (explains why, eg., if I click a registration link for gmx.net it redirects to the registration page for gmx.com; I'm in the U.S.).

Update
I created the strings for both gmx.de and gmx.net and set both to the UI you recommended. I then logged out of GMX. I then deleted all GMX cookies. I logged into GMX, and I still get the "outdated browser / reduced interface" error.

Sorry that the user agent override didn't help.

Hopefully there are forum members who do have gmx.net email accounts who will post and compare notes.

Another thought: Have you considered using a mail client to access your GMX account? Because that should do an end run around such problems. Interlink is a mail client that tobin recently developed, and it supports Linux.
(This is its early discussion thread, if interested.)

[Raava]

Another thought: Have you considered using a mail client to access your GMX account? Because that should do an end run around such problems. Interlink is a mail client that tobin recently developed, and it supports Linux.
(This is its early discussion thread, if interested.)

Interesting,I used to use alpine, and even when it's "just a terminal" based mail reader, it worked well with GMX, until they changed again some stuff, now it no longer works.

I check out Interlink and hopefully it is more slim than Thunderbird.

Update
It is quite performant indeed. xD

[Raava]

I just realized, without changing a thing in my 28.2.2 version of palemoon GMX.net now lets me log in in its standard way, no longer complaining about outdated browser.

Seems, the people at gmx who do the browser checking code might have realized that 28.2.2 version of palemoon is indeed a recent browser. At least that is the only logical reason why it runs okay now in contrast to the same setup when it did fail some days ago as reported above.

Whatever the technical reason might be, for now most what counts is that GMX.net and Palemoon are buddies. As it should be.

EDIT
And then GMX messes up as well.
Interlink is not working at all at the moment. GMX knows how to mess with people's heads.

I think Palemoon now fully working and Interlink not working at all is due to the same … changes they did to the mail sever setup at gmx.net (gmx.de) Oh well.

[Raava]

And once again, a week later all is reversed again.
Newest Palemoon 28.3.1 is called outdated by gmx.net, and interlink suddenly is working fine like it did in the very beginning, without any changes in the setup on my side of things.