eMClient for Android - autodiscover behavior changed from POST to GET

Mobile apps
1

While testing eMClient on Android today, I found that after deleting a mailbox account (IMAP) and then re-adding it (with “AUTOMATIC SETUP”), it would fail with the error:

Autodiscovery failure
The correct settings could not be determined. Check the email address or setup the account manually.

This is strange as the mailbox account was added using the same Automatic Setup method, and eMClient detected the settings and had the account set up properly & easily.

Looking in the web server (our own server running Apache2) for the autodiscover service, I found the following logs:

first account creation: (successful account creation)

[24/May/2024:09:31:44 -0700] "POST /autodiscover/autodiscover.xml HTTP/1.1" 200 3941 "-" "eMClient/10.0.2081.0"

subsequent account-recreations: (account creations all failed)

[24/May/2024:10:47:42 -0700] "GET /autodiscover/autodiscover.json/v1.0/[email protected]?Protocol=EWS&RedirectCount=1 HTTP/1.1" 404 3824 "-" "eMClient/10.0.2081.0"
[24/May/2024:10:53:38 -0700] "GET /autodiscover/autodiscover.json/v1.0/[email protected]?Protocol=EWS&RedirectCount=1 HTTP/1.1" 404 3824 "-" "eMClient/10.0.2081.0"

[24/May/2024:10:57:40 -0700] "GET /autodiscover/autodiscover.json/v1.0/[email protected]?Protocol=EWS&RedirectCount=1 HTTP/1.1" 404 3824 "-" "eMClient/10.0.2081.0"

So, somehow eMClient switched to the “unknown” autodiscover.json method for the subsequent account automatic creation attempts. Because the web server’s autodiscover service does not support the “autodiscover.json” method, these GET auto-discoveries would fail.

Is this a bug, or should mail server administrators add support for the (apparently undocumented) autodiscover.json GET request for autodiscover?

Thanks in advance for any feedback/suggestion.

2

How autodiscover works is a state secret, only known to very high paid people :upside_down_face:

3

the web server’s autodiscover service does not support the “autodiscover.json” method, these GET auto-discoveries would fail.

Googling that error, sometimes that can be the way the web mail server is setup or the type of support it has built-in.

If this doesn’t happen with eM Client for desktop via the automatic setup when you remove and readd the account, then send that feedback to [email protected]

Also let them know what type of email account it is, and if it’s your own hosted server, “what mail server version” you are running.

Note:- I don’t have that same problem with my Gmail, Microsoft or Yahoo IMAP accounts removing and readding using the automatic setup with the Droid or iOS mobile apps, so i suspect its something mail server related in some way with that specific server.

4

Thank you for the post.

I have updated my original post with the IMAP and own Apache server information.

I have now tested the Windows desktop version of eMClient (v9.2.2258), and it does not have the above behavior of the mobile version. All subsequent automatic re-creations of the IMAP mail account in the desktop version always succeed because the POST to autodiscover.xml method is always used.

From the apache server log:

initial creation:

[24/May/2024:14:53:34 -0700] "POST /autodiscover/autodiscover.xml HTTP/1.1" 200 4416 "-" "eMClient/9.2.2258.0"

re-creation after account deletions:

[24/May/2024:14:55:32 -0700] "POST /autodiscover/autodiscover.xml HTTP/1.1" 200 729 "-" "eMClient/9.2.2258.0"
[24/May/2024:14:56:54 -0700] "POST /autodiscover/autodiscover.xml HTTP/1.1" 200 726 "-" "eMClient/9.2.2258.0"

For us, supporting the GET-autodiscover.json" method in our web servers is not preferred and not desired… :slight_smile:

5

I have now tested the Windows desktop version of eMClient (v9.2.2258), and it does not have the above behavior of the mobile version

Ok as it works with the desktop V9.x ok, then sounds like a bug with the mobile app. Send that off to [email protected] to advise with your info.

6

Thanks. An email report has been sent to [email protected]. We look forward to a fix soon!