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It's definintely time for an open source alternative to GMail... but I think everyone knows this isn't it. These tools like exim, horde, dovecot, etc. have bee

by tbrock 13y ago

It's definintely time for an open source alternative to GMail... but I think everyone knows this isn't it. These tools like exim, horde, dovecot, etc. have been around and worked for decades but wouldn't it be great to have fresh solutions that weren't so ancient and archaic?

pfraze 13y ago
I made a very extensive search for an open-source webmail solution that exported a REST api. Unfortunately, none of them do (that I could find). Most of them are from the XMLRPC days. I'd definitely contribute to a kickstarter for a good FOSS REST Email server.
- pyre 13y ago
  | good FOSS REST Email server You should specify what you're talking about here. An all-in-one solution? An SMTP server? An IMAP server? A webmail client (e.g. SquirrelMail / RoundCube)?
  - tacticus 13y ago
    I imagine it would be similar to what i've been looking for. Central app that manages the storage, sending (server to server) and receiving (server to server) of email exposed over a rest api
taeric 13y ago
You say ancient and archaic, I see ridiculously well tested and battle worn. Seriously, what would make a "fresh" solution better than a long standing one, in this case?
- AnthonyMouse 13y ago
  You don't have to reinvent the wheel. Presumably the "better" solution would be using most of the existing code under the hood. But wouldn't it be nice if setting up an email server consisted primarily of typing something like "apt-get install email-server" and then setting the domain name and adding a few accounts?
  - taeric 13y ago
    I can agree with that, but I don't see it so much as a "fresh" solution as it is an improved UX on top of the existing ones. Of course, the reality is likely that the actual complexities of the problem will make any good UX hard to do. That is, realize that for the vast majority of us, gmail and friends are this "fresh" program.
  - stass 13y ago
    That's essentially how it happens in most good package managers. You install a choice of MTA/imap/antispam, set up the domain name and unix accounts and SSL certs, and up and running at this point. Most of the modern smtp and imap servers have very sane defaults.

by tbrock 13y ago

pfraze 13y ago

I made a very extensive search for an open-source webmail solution that exported a REST api. Unfortunately, none of them do (that I could find). Most of them are from the XMLRPC days. I'd definitely contribute to a kickstarter for a good FOSS REST Email server.

pyre 13y ago
| good FOSS REST Email server You should specify what you're talking about here. An all-in-one solution? An SMTP server? An IMAP server? A webmail client (e.g. SquirrelMail / RoundCube)?
- tacticus 13y ago
  I imagine it would be similar to what i've been looking for. Central app that manages the storage, sending (server to server) and receiving (server to server) of email exposed over a rest api

taeric 13y ago

You say ancient and archaic, I see ridiculously well tested and battle worn. Seriously, what would make a "fresh" solution better than a long standing one, in this case?

AnthonyMouse 13y ago
You don't have to reinvent the wheel. Presumably the "better" solution would be using most of the existing code under the hood. But wouldn't it be nice if setting up an email server consisted primarily of typing something like "apt-get install email-server" and then setting the domain name and adding a few accounts?
- taeric 13y ago
  I can agree with that, but I don't see it so much as a "fresh" solution as it is an improved UX on top of the existing ones. Of course, the reality is likely that the actual complexities of the problem will make any good UX hard to do. That is, realize that for the vast majority of us, gmail and friends are this "fresh" program.
- stass 13y ago
  That's essentially how it happens in most good package managers. You install a choice of MTA/imap/antispam, set up the domain name and unix accounts and SSL certs, and up and running at this point. Most of the modern smtp and imap servers have very sane defaults.