Using Evolution email client with EWS and MFA on Linux

How to configure the Evolution email client on Linux distributions.

Prerequisites

You will need to install the Evolution packages and it’s dependencies for your Linux distro. For example, on Ubuntu and Fedora distros, install both evolution an evolution-ews. Our managed desktops should have both packages installed.

You will also need the Azure Tenant ID and the Application ID. For security reasons we will not provide these here. They can be requested by submitting a help request to RT.

Identity

Start the Evolution client and and Add a new Mail Account from File->New->Mail Account. If you’re using Evolution for the first time, it should start ask you to create a new mail account by default.

You will then be presented with the following screen

Identity

Skip the Lookup.

Receiving Email

You will need to provide the following information on the Receiving Email screen.

Username

Your primary mailbox mail address like <user_name>@austin.utexas.edu where user_name is your primary mailbox mail address.

Host URL

https://outlook.office365.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx

OAB URL

Will be filled out when clicking Fetch URL. You will be prompted to enter your credentials, this is your EID password. On successful authentication, the OAB URL should be filled out.

Authentication section

Select Oauth2(Office365) and check the box to Override Office365 OAuth2 settings.

Tenant and Application ID

Submit a help request to RT for these settings.

Redirect URL

https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/nativeclient

Account

Select OK and continue. You might have to close Evolution and restart it again then select the account you created. A new window should open to the UT Office 365 landing page to enter your password. Upon successful authentication, you will be prompted by Duo to continue.