topic Re: EE and Linux in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

EE and Linux

GCW — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:19:35 GMT

I tried switching to EE, but found that I could not read the emails that they sent. I use Linux (Debian on the desktop computer, Manjaro on the laptop). When I telephoned 0330 1239123 the operator at the other end had not even heard of Linux. Am I correct in thinking that EE only deal with Microsoft, Apple or Android customers?

Another problem is that EE seems to presume that I have a mobile phone. I do not. There is no signal here. I want to keep my landline, but I do not want to have to deal with EE. My current contract with Plusnet lasts till October 2027, but maybe it is worth paying a cancellation fee to be able to receive readable emails from my internet provider?

Re: EE and Linux

PhilipHeyes — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:27:24 GMT

Thunderbird works perfectly on Linux for me.

Perhaps you fancy Talk Talk instead of BT/EE !

Re: EE and Linux

mwwagain — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:36:08 GMT

I get a few emails that are unreadable - with Firefox / Windows. It is clueless companies sending out non standard compliant emails assuming everyone reads in html (so they can track them using buried images).

Keeping your 'landline' will be difficult as the only route you will get offered is the forced transfer to EE and their 'digital voice'.

You have other options, but they involve some work - eg stay with PlusNet and sort out your own 'landline replacement' using VOIP

What are you on now, ADSL or FTTC ?

Are you a 'fibre priority area' ?

Re: EE and Linux

jab1 — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:40:33 GMT

@GCW As I have not (and will not have) anything to do with EE, I cannot give you a direct answer, but the OS you use should have no bearing on reading a senders emails. What mail program do you use?

I'm not surprised the agent knew nothing about Linux - BT Group 'support' agents have little or no training - all they do is work to scripts, and if your question is even slightly technical they go into melt-down mode.

Re: EE and Linux

jab1 — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:42:08 GMT

@PhilipHeyes wrote:

Thunderbird works perfectly on Linux for me.

Perhaps you fancy Talk Talk instead of BT/EE !

@PhilipHeyes 🤣😂

Re: EE and Linux

markhawkin — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:43:11 GMT

The Thunderbird email client should make any emails from EE work on a Linux computer.

Alternatively you could stay with Plusnet and move the laindline to another provider.

This is particularly appropriate if full fibre is available to you.

If the Internet is on a slow copper (or part fibre) connection then EE might be the safer option.

Re: EE and Linux

PhilipHeyes — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:59:17 GMT

I have seen some websites render in a pale grey in the older versions of Firefox,
if that is the problem, try Edge being a chromium browser is normally correctly renders text in black.

Re: EE and Linux

jab1 — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 16:06:14 GMT

@PhilipHeyes I would assume that @GCW , if he has been using Linux equipment for any length of time, will have the machines set to update on a regular basis - I do mine manually daily, although it is set to auto-check weekly. If the problem is with email though, I would doubt Firefox is involved - unless they use webmail, as opposed to a mail client.

Re: EE and Linux

Batfrog — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 17:05:11 GMT

@PhilipHeyes Perhaps you fancy Talk Talk instead of BT/EE !

Hmm' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvze4g06526ro

Frying pan and fire are the words that spring to mind !! especially as EE is BTs preffered retail stream

Re: EE and Linux

ExForce9 — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:12:18 GMT

@GCW

Are you using 'dark mode/style' on your Linux desktop theme ?

My family has been fully linuxed since about 2005, and we currently run Debian, Fedora, Mint, FreeBSD, Ubuntu, and Kali.

We receive emails from over 300 companies, and only receive "unreadable" emails from the Student Loans Company.

Emails from SLC do something daft, where the foreground text font is black, but the background colour somehow detects and renders the same as the computer's desktop background theme. Therefore when using a computer with a dark desktop background theme, the email presents as black text on a black background - and is therefore unreadable (where looking for a black cat in a coal mine, or a white cat in a snowstorm, comes to mind).

Opening the same email on an otherwise identical setup but without a dark background theme, the email looks normal.

@GCW

To view such an 'unreadable' email (without altering your computer settings), open the email using your email client (such as Thunderbird), and then click on where the text should be, and then <select> everything, and the invisible text will appear as highlighted.

On Thunderbird email you can either -

Edit > Select > All
right-mouse-button then click on "Select All" from the options.
<Ctrl> A

Re: EE and Linux

LSAS — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:59:29 GMT

I use Linux (Mint) + Evolution for email. Works with Plusnet. Have no experience with EE as I'm "Running Away Full Speed" from Plusnet and EE. I would not however be at all surprised that EE is incapable of making basic email work (see e.g. Greenby). And, as you write, they "presume" you have a cellphone, etc.

If you are the sort that might enjoy a time-wasting battle with EE/Plusnet/BT then I'd move to a competent provider while trying to extract £££ from them because of their incompetence. Credit/Debit card charge-back or Direct Debit Guarantee might help. Persistence certainly does in my experience.

Re: EE and Linux

ExForce9 — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 19:29:03 GMT

@GCW wrote:

My current contract with Plusnet lasts till October 2027, but maybe it is worth paying a cancellation fee ... ...

@GCW

Some AltNet FTTP providers will pay off your existing contract early cancellation fee, as as sweetener to joint their network.

Several people who have posted in this topic have or are in the process of leaving anything to do with BT, EE, or Plusnet, because EE and BT are too awful to waste any effort dealing with their nonsense, and Plusnet has been on a slow death spiral for years and no longer offer anything worth staying for. Those who have left the BT group clutches, have no regrets and actively recommend to anyone who will listen, to do the same.

By choosing an AltNet FTTP provider, you can also be free of the clutches of Openreach. AltNets are often cheaper, have more responsive customer support, are quicker to repair faults, have much fast upload speeds, and more flexible about how they install their fibre-optic cable to your home.

Re: EE and Linux

GCW — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:04:22 GMT

Many thanks for your advice. That EE's emails do not work is not a problem with colours. It is that clicking on the icon to read the email does nothing. Incidentally, both my computers have ARM CPUs. Coul it be that EE's emails are trying to load in executables for the wrong CPU, perhaps? In any case, I object to receiving emails that contain active code. Sensible OSs will flag such as dangerous and block them.

My Plusnet contract expires at the end of October 2027. I would never have taken it on had I known that they would be offering only undesirable choices for the Digital Switchover.