tracing (logging, snooping) kmail interactions with mail server

Hi,

How can I watch kmail 1.8's interactions with the mail server when it
is trying to send or receive mail?   Is there a verbose or snoop
switch, or something simpler than a packet tracer?

I'm trying to get kmail working with gmail.   Sometimes it works,
sometimes it doesn't.    I don't know if the problem is with me, with
kmail, with gmail, or with my ISP.   Something appears to be hanging. 
At the moment, kmail doesn't even return when I click 'check what the
server supports' altho it used to.

  This is really frustrating. 

Thanks.