Webmail package recommendations?

[sraun]

Linux neepery ahead!

I'm currently using NeoMail connecting to local POP3 mailboxes, when I'm not using Mutt (I vastly prefer using Mutt!). I'm being forced to use the webmail if I want to read mail from work - they've blocked ssh & telnet from reaching the outside world, which means no Mutt. :-( I'm running into some ... limitations of NeoMail - it doesn't thread, it doesn't have a mass 'mark read' function that I can find.

So, what's your favorite 'install on my Linux box' webmail package? As I said, I'm currently using POP3, but could be convinced to change to IMAP. I'm currently running a Debian box - I can't get at it right this moment to tell if it's etch or lenny. Requirements are some degree of threading (preferably using the reply-to-message-id, but I'll take by subject), and mass action (at least mark read and move to another folder). I'd like something that used mboxes.

Note: use gmail/your web-mail provider of choice is not an option - I want my e-mail on my storage, not someone else's!

Comments

[spiffikins]

IMP!

My brother has been using it for years and he hosts my personal mail. It's also what I'm going to install on the office mail server as soon as we get a new box large enough to store mail on the server

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Have you looked into whether "corkscrew" will get your ssh session out through their web proxy?

[sraun]

Tracking that down led me to something - I somehow had the wrong port number in my head for https! I don't have (or at least believe I don't have) anything running on 443 currently - I wonder if it would work to just put an SSH listener on 443? I'll have to give it a try.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

If their firewall is simply blocking outbound connections to the normal SSH port, then picking a different port will likely work, especially if it's one that is normally used for a "approved" external service.

It's more common to direct web stuff through a proxy (I think most filter software actually works as a proxy too), and if that's the case it probably won't work.

You should certainly give it a try, though.

[rono-60103.livejournal.com]

I've been using SquirrelMail for a few years, and it works pretty well. Of course I tend to install something and if it works I stick with it -- even if there might be something better -- so I haven't looked much further.

[joelrosenberg.livejournal.com]

Squirrelmail -- there may be something better, but it's definitely good enough.

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

I don't know what the Debian package is like, but I found Horde/IMP a PITA to configure. SquirrelMail does the job, but I think the interface is extremely tired.

Roundcube - http://www.roundcube.net/ - is very pretty, easy to install/configure, and does what I want it to. It doesn't have as many features as SquirrelMail, but you may not want the missing ones (I didn't). There's also Aeromail - http://www.nicolaas.net/aeromail - but I haven't tried that one out yet.

I strongly strongly recommend IMAP over POP. Also, why not retain a copy on remote servers? It's always nice to have a (cheap) backup. :-)

[sraun]

Re: copy on remote servers

gmail/yahoo/etc. push some of my privacy/responsibility buttons. I don't want to have to trust that their business model won't change and they'll start using my data for their purposes. Yahoo had a really nasty service agreement for a while - as written, it said that the copyright for any posting to a Yahoo Group belonged to Yahoo. (IIRC, that lasted for no more than a couple of weeks before it was modified, but still...)

And why should I trust that they'll do backups of my data if I'm not paying them?

Does Roundcube have my requested features? Essentially mass-mark-read and mass-move - oh, and I discovered that I'm also missing mark-unread.

In a different fora, someone pointed me at an alternative solution I'm going to investigate first - AjaxTerm. A terminal package that runs ... inside? my web browser - I'd have to get SSL working, but that's been on my list for a while anyway.

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

Damn, I meant to reply to this ages ago. Yes, I do understand your concerns about Gmail/Yahoo etc. I was rolling out my standard advice to people who have their mail hosted with their ISP (leave it on their servers), rather than people who maintain their own mail. Silly me.

Re the Roundcube, meh, bulk mail handling is one area that it's severely lacking on. You've probably already made your decision, but I think SquirrelMail would be best for your needs.

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

And that AjaxTerm looks really nice too! *off to check it out further*