Can't create mail account using AppleScript

Try the following:

tell application "Mail" set theNewAccount to make new pop account with properties {name:theAccountName, user name:theUsername & "@gmail.com", server name:"pop.gmail.com", password:thePassword, full name:theFullName, email addresses:{theUsername & "@gmail.com"}, port:995, uses ssl:true} set theSMTPServer to make new smtp server with properties {server name:smtpServerName, user name:theUsername & "@gmail.com"} tell theSMTPServer set port to 587 set uses ssl to true set authentication to password end tell set smtp server of account theAccountName to smtp server (smtpServerName & ":" & theUsername & "@gmail.com") end tell

I suspect setting up the first account does some critical Mail initialisation.

I may be busy for a few days on a project but I expect somebody else here will assist you.

Post a reminder if you don't resolve it within the next 3 days.

Good luck.

You could try replacing:

tell application "Mail"

with

tell application "Mail"

activate

end tell

tell current application

two things...

First, sometimes AppleScript gets annoyed when you ask it to do too much at once. It can help to break the pocess down into separate steps like so:

tell application "Mail"

set theNewAccount to makenewpop accountwith properties {name:theAccountName, user name:theUsername, server name:"pop.gmail.com"}

tell theNewAccount

set password to thePassword

set full name to theFullName

set email addresses to {theUsername & "@gmail.com"}

set port to 995

set uses ssl to true

end tell

end tell

Second, for Mail.app deleted accounts are sometimes not quite as deleted as you think. They can leave ghosts of themselves in the mail folder and various plist files, and those ghosts will cause an error if you try to overwrite them, just like a real account would. try adding in the following line before the make command:

if existsaccounttheAccountName then deleteaccounttheAccountName

The only thing I can think of is that if you run Mail.app without any accounts configured it launches an account setup dialog. That would certainly interfere with any scripting. I'm hard pressed to think why you would want to run it on an accountless user. Is there a reason for that, or are you creating a testing error that you'll never run into in the real world?

I have developed methods to initiate Thunderbird without invoking the setup wizard but I have not done it for Mail. If it is required I may be able to find a little time to look at it.

I can start Mail without its startup wizard on Leopard by removing ~/Library/Mail (or its contents) and pasting the following text into ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<plist version="1.0">

<dict>

<key>MailAccounts</key>

<array>

<dict>

<key>AccountName</key>

<string>none</string>

<key>AccountType</key>

<string>POPAccount</string>

</dict>

</array>

</dict>

</plist>

I don't know if this works on later OSs but it could be a starting point for those who wish to experiment.

Please ignore - will post when I discover how to put script here

It took me a while and the result is more complex than I would have liked but here is a script which appears to work reliably on Leopard. It installs a temporary account if Mail has no existing accounts.

I was determined not to put passwords in the script and this may have added slightly to the complexity as most modern mail clients prefer to check account viability by logging on during setup.

I would be grateful for feedback about performance on other OSs and with IMAP - please backup your email and settings before using this script for the first time.

I have tested the script posted here by copying everything between 'code' to Script Editor and running it.

{code}

-- Script to install a new POP (or IMAP) account on Mail

-- This script has only been tested for POP on Leopard

-- Old Mail folders will be renamed if no account is detected

-- Setting delete mail to false is the safest way to start

-- It is more secure to insert passwords when Mail is first used

-- Password for test account is: dumpty

-- Mail plist file location:

set plistFile to "~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist"

-- For Mountain Lion change the above to:

-- ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Mail.pli st

-- Account details:

setaccountNameto"lavabit"

setaccountUserto"humpty"

set accountServer to "lavabit.com"

setaccountPortto995-- do not quote

setaccountSSLtotrue-- do not quote

setaccountTypeto"pop"

set fullName to "Humpty Dumpty"

set emailAddress to "humpty@lavabit.com"

setdeleteMailtofalse-- do not quote

-- Optional SMTP account details - not always easy to add later:

set smtpUser to "humpty"

set smtpServer to "lavabit.com"

setsmtpPortto465-- do not quote

setsmtpSSLto"YES"

setuseAuthenticationto"YES"

setsmtpAuthto"PASSWORD"-- do not change this to your password

tellapplication"Mail"

ifnot(firstaccountexists)then

try

do shell script "killall Mail; p=" & plistFile & ";

f(){ mv $1 $1-`date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S` || :; }; f ~/Library/Mail; f $p; printf \"

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC '-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN' 'http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd'>

<plist version='1.0'>

<dict>

<key>MailAccounts</key>

<array>

<dict>

<key>AccountName</key>

<string>delete me</string>

<key>AccountType</key>

<string>POPAccount</string>

</dict>

</array>

</dict>

</plist>

\" >> $p"

endtry

endif

setstopScripttofalse

ifaccountaccountNameexiststhen

display dialog "Account '" & accountName & "' already exists. Either backup its emails and delete it or change one of the names." buttons {"Stop script"} with icon stop

else

repeatwithaccountNumberfrom1tocountofaccounts

if(user nameofaccountaccountNumber=accountUserandserver nameofaccountaccountNumber=accountServer)then

display dialog "Your existing '" & name of account accountNumber & "' account already has user name '" & accountUser & "' and server name '" & accountServer & "'. Either backup this account's emails and delete it or change one of the above names." buttons {"Stop script"} with icon stop

setstopScripttotrue

return

endif

endrepeat

ifstopScriptisfalsethen

ifaccountType="pop"then

setalphatomakenewpop accountwith properties{name:accountName,user name:accountUser,server name:accountServer,port:accountPort,uses ssl:accountSSL,full name:fullName,email addresses:emailAddress,delete mail on server:deleteMail}

else if accountType = "imap" then

setalphatomakenewimap accountwith properties{name:accountName,user name:accountUser,server name:accountServer,port:accountPort,uses ssl:accountSSL,full name:fullName,email addresses:emailAddress}

else

setstopScripttotrue

display dialog accountType & " Ensure that 'accountType' is set to \"pop\" or \"imap\"." buttons {"Stop script"} with icon stop

endif

ifstopScriptisfalsethen

if account "delete me" exists then delete account "delete me"

try

do shell script "killall Mail"

endtry

endif

endif

endif

endtell

ifstopScriptisfalsethen

setsmtpDetailsto{|AccountName|:accountName,|AccountType|:"SMTPAccount",|Hostname|:smtpServer,|SSLEnabled|:smtpSSL,|ShouldUseAuthentication|:useAuthentication,|Username|:smtpUser,|AuthenticationScheme|:smtpAuth,|PortNumber|:smtpPort}

tell application "System Events"

tellproperty list fileplistFile

tell property list item "DeliveryAccounts"

makenewproperty list itematbeginningwith properties{kind:record,value:smtpDetails}

endtell

endtell

endtell

tellapplication"Mail"

setsmtp serverofalphatosmtp serveraccountName

endtell

endif

{code}

oops - silly bug - update here:

{code}

-- Script to install a new POP (or IMAP) account on Mail

-- This script has only been tested for POP on Leopard

-- Old Mail folders will be renamed if no account is detected

-- Setting delete mail to false is the safest way to start

-- It is more secure to insert passwords when Mail is first used

-- Password for test account is: dumpty

-- Mail plist file location:

set plistFile to "~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist"

-- For Mountain Lion change the above to:

-- ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Mail.pli st

-- Account details:

setaccountNameto"lavabit"

setaccountUserto"humpty"

set accountServer to "lavabit.com"

setaccountPortto995-- do not quote

setaccountSSLtotrue-- do not quote

setaccountTypeto"pop"

set fullName to "Humpty Dumpty"

set emailAddress to "humpty@lavabit.com"

setdeleteMailtofalse-- do not quote

-- Optional SMTP account details - not always easy to add later:

set smtpUser to "humpty"

set smtpServer to "lavabit.com"

setsmtpPortto465-- do not quote

setsmtpSSLto"YES"

setuseAuthenticationto"YES"

setsmtpAuthto"PASSWORD"-- do not change this to your password

tellapplication"Mail"

ifnot(firstaccountexists)then

try

do shell script "killall Mail; p=" & plistFile & ";

f(){ mv $1 $1-`date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S` || :; }; f ~/Library/Mail; f $p; printf \"

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC '-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN' 'http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd'>

<plist version='1.0'>

<dict>

<key>MailAccounts</key>

<array>

<dict>

<key>AccountName</key>

<string>delete me</string>

<key>AccountType</key>

<string>POPAccount</string>

</dict>

</array>

</dict>

</plist>

\" >> $p"

endtry

endif

setstopScripttofalse

ifaccountaccountNameexiststhen

display dialog "Account '" & accountName & "' already exists. Either backup its emails and delete it or change one of the names." buttons {"Stop script"} with icon stop

setstopScripttotrue

else

repeatwithaccountNumberfrom1tocountofaccounts

if(user nameofaccountaccountNumber=accountUserandserver nameofaccountaccountNumber=accountServer)then

display dialog "Your existing '" & name of account accountNumber & "' account already has user name '" & accountUser & "' and server name '" & accountServer & "'. Either backup this account's emails and delete it or change one of the above names." buttons {"Stop script"} with icon stop

setstopScripttotrue

return

endif

endrepeat

ifstopScriptisfalsethen

ifaccountType="pop"then

setalphatomakenewpop accountwith properties{name:accountName,user name:accountUser,server name:accountServer,port:accountPort,uses ssl:accountSSL,full name:fullName,email addresses:emailAddress,delete mail on server:deleteMail}

else if accountType = "imap" then

setalphatomakenewimap accountwith properties{name:accountName,user name:accountUser,server name:accountServer,port:accountPort,uses ssl:accountSSL,full name:fullName,email addresses:emailAddress}

else

setstopScripttotrue

display dialog accountType & " Ensure that 'accountType' is set to \"pop\" or \"imap\"." buttons {"Stop script"} with icon stop

endif

ifstopScriptisfalsethen

if account "delete me" exists then delete account "delete me"

try

do shell script "killall Mail"

endtry

endif

endif

endif

endtell

ifstopScriptisfalsethen

setsmtpDetailsto{|AccountName|:accountName,|AccountType|:"SMTPAccount",|Hostname|:smtpServer,|SSLEnabled|:smtpSSL,|ShouldUseAuthentication|:useAuthentication,|Username|:smtpUser,|AuthenticationScheme|:smtpAuth,|PortNumber|:smtpPort}

tell application "System Events"

tellproperty list fileplistFile

tell property list item "DeliveryAccounts"

makenewproperty list itematbeginningwith properties{kind:record,value:smtpDetails}

endtell

endtell

endtell

tellapplication"Mail"

setsmtp serverofalphatosmtp serveraccountName

endtell

endif

{code}

These 'code tags are not perfect - I can see a space in the middle of 'plist' at the end of the Mountain Lion comment - it is not in my original or the very complex HTML source at the time of posting. As far as I can tell it is only this one comment which is affected.

As a result of this quirk I have now put a copy here:

http://links.zero.eu.org/os-x/mail/mail.script.zip