this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2024

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Webmail server with multiple mail accounts (lemmy.ohaa.xyz)

submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I like using thunderbird to have all my emails in the same place, in a unified inbox. This doesn't allow me to access my inbox on my phone etc though, so I'm looking for a FOSS way to solve this problem.

My idea would be to selfhost a website, like a webmail site, that has the functionality of connecting to different mail servers and unifying the inbox to get all my mail in the same place. Should be accessible by android phones and iPads.

Is there a better way to do this? Maybe with nextcloud? If anyone has an idea, let me know.

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[–] [email protected] -4 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Websites do not have the functionality to connect to mail servers. These are different protocols.

For mail server infrastructure, Stalwart is said to be pretty good. I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

This doesn't make sense.

A website is basically just the responses a server sends to a browser. That server has any functionality you want it to.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

A website is the response a web server sends on a web port to a web browser. SMTP on port 80/443 won’t work well, but please try.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You understand that computers can use more than one port?

There's nothing abnormal about what he's requesting.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You understand that web servers (listening on a web server port) and mail servers (listening on one or more mail server ports, possibly on the same computer) are entirely different technologies?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

They're just protocols. There's nothing preventing a program from interacting with both. Webmail isn't some mystical art no one's ever thought of before.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Again, I’m talking about the server part here, and there is a lot preventing a server to be both a web and a mail server.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

Doesn't look like "a lot" to me. 15 years and going strong. The first page of google results for "how to set up a mail server" all include webmail, which would be both a web and a mail server.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

It's just a computer (or program, depending on context). It can do whatever you want it to.

If I want to write/modify a mail server that watches video feeds from 6 different beaches and only bothers accepting mail when beaches 2, 3 and 5 are empty and beaches 1, 4, and 6 have 500 people, nothing is stopping me. It's stupid and a waste of time, but it's a computer. It can run arbitrary code.

That's ignoring that if you read what he wants, it would be a client to the actual recipient mail server and only needs to actually serve the web interface so that he can access his email from various browsers.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Stalwart looks neat, thanks for mentioning it. 🐧

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (2 children)

If you try it, report back. ;-) My current setup is mostly OpenSMTPD & Dovecot, but I'm open for good reasons to move away.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

okay :) I find it interesting because :

Build in Rust
Supports several databases like rocksdb, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite
Seems to support connecting to your current logins setup e.g. LDAP or MySQL db
Got funding via NLnet
Supports JMAP
Does not seem to require Docker (which means for me some flexibility network config wise to run it on an existing server where non Docker based services are running).
Encryption at Rest enabled or disabled by user.

Especially the JMAP part I am curious about. I hope to toy with this every now and then, and then report back :)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

JMAP sounds interesting indeed, but as far as I understand, there is an underwhelming number of clients that speak it?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

Ah, yes, you're right, cheers for that, but I am interested to compare JMAP speed and options with IMAP. And to test Stalwart I would not mind using the first and the last three in that Clients list.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Tested Stalwart, the all in one option with both JMAP and IMAP. Looks fairlygood, works fine with IMAP and SMTP, but making it work with JMAP clients took me some time. This page helped for the F-Droid client lrr.rs. With Cypth it was a no go. SnappyMail webmail software is not mentioned on the JMAP clients page at all but it is with development 1/2 done with JMAP implementation. In a few months time Stalwart is expected to have a web interface for admins. Looking forward to testing again when that is available.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Thank you! :-)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Of course. I want to have a webmail websever. It's an interface for viewing and writing mails with the backend doing the mailserver connection.