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I recently switched my SSL (TLS) certificate from a regular one to Let's Encrypt. I decided to get rid of my old expiring cert files, but I physically removed them, I've started to have strange issues with Thunderbird Mail. Normally after I open the application, I get a login box. And after the old cert files removal, I stopped getting the login and also stopped receiving mail. Sending was fine. Also the SMTP server was working, since in a web mail access everything worked as usual. Only after I put back files that belonged to the old cert, Thunderbird Mail started to work as usual. I don't understand the connection between my old cert files that I was using for HTTPS and Apache and Thunderbird Mail, its login and receiving mail in it.
It does expire in 3 days, so... Netstat on port 995 shows that I'm using Courier as MDA. Though it could be an issue with Thunderbird alone. I don't know.
Basically MTA (Postfix) uses a self-signed cert that expires in about 9 years from now. I did receive and send mail and saw mail coming in web-mail (Squirrel Mail) even after deleting my other cert that I was using for Apache. I guess we gonna see it in 3 days. If after 08/10/2016 everything will be working OK (just like now), it means that I can just forget about it for now and the problem is solved (at least, for a time being).
Sounds like you failed to remove a connection to the old certificate there a reason you feel the old certificate should be removed? – Ramhound – 2016-10-05T01:57:16.990
I can leave it alone, it doesn't bother me at all. But it does expire in 3 days, so... Netstat on port 995 shows that I'm using Courier as MDA. Though it could be an issue with Thunderbird alone. I don't know. – papakota – 2016-10-05T02:10:19.133
It expires, that doesn't change your trust level, you should replace it obviously but only because newer certificates are likely created with the newer standards (key size, etc) – Ramhound – 2016-10-05T02:14:20.143
You mean it should work after it expires in 3 days? – papakota – 2016-10-05T02:28:27.633
It will work; You still trust it; Unless you revoked the certificate it will always work; or at least until something else happens I.e Thunderbird stops allowing SHA1 certificates or something like that – Ramhound – 2016-10-05T02:31:13.037
I think it's SHA256. I won't revoke. But how an expired cert can be trusted? We'll see in 3 days anyway. – papakota – 2016-10-05T02:37:23.453
The certificate can be trusted until the person with the private key revoked it. That's how your certificate works... – Ramhound – 2016-10-05T02:39:22.190
I think its a bad idea to use an expired cert, because this is probably being used from MTA to MTA (which won't like it) rather then just between MUA and MTA. [ MTA= Mail transfer agent like Postfix, MUA=end user program like Firefox ]. – davidgo – 2016-10-05T06:07:31.337
No, MTA (Postfix) uses a self-signed cert that expires in about 9 years from now. I did receive and send mail and saw mail coming in web-mail (Squirrel Mail) even after deleting my other cert that I was using for Apache. I guess we gonna see it in 3 days. If after 08/10/2016 everything will be working OK (just like now), it means that I can just forget about it for now and the problem is solved (at least, for a time being). – papakota – 2016-10-05T13:42:13.043