# Webmail for existing setup?



## kyrrin (Jul 1, 2011)

Fellow BSD'ers,

This may have been asked before, but my search results have been inconclusive so far.

Here's my current setup: Existing Web server running FreeBSD production 8.0 and Apache 2.2. I have a different server (CentOS, better known as a variant on Red Hat Enterprise Linux) running our mail system (Postfix, with MBX-style delivery).

Our mail system is currently set up to accept regular POP3 (for the benefit of in-house systems), and SPOP3 for a couple of family members who live outside the area.

What I want to do is add webmail to the existing setup. This means it would need to be installed on the web server, but query the mail server to retrieve messages.

I have no need for Groupware, so Citadel would (I think) be gross overkill. All I want, essentially, is to add encrypted (https) webmail access to the existing system.

What would be a good way to do so?

Thanks much.


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## SirDice (Jul 1, 2011)

I'd install an IMAP service on the CentOS machine and use something like mail/roundcube on the FreeBSD webserver.


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## AndyUKG (Jul 1, 2011)

I agree with SirDice that IMAP would be a good idea, Dovecot for example. For webmail we use Horde (IMP) which I can recommend, its fast and works well. Main negative for me is the default skin is horrible .


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## DutchDaemon (Jul 1, 2011)

Yeah, mail/roundcube or mail/squirrelmail. All it needs is an IMAP server (mail/dovecot is excellent) bound to localhost that the PHP code can query internally. It's very easy to set up.


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## kyrrin (Jul 1, 2011)

*Thank you all!*

Yep! I was doing some poking around last night, and what you're all telling me is exactly what I started trying. I just needed to enable IMAP in my existing installation of Dovecot, and wham -- an IMAP server.

Now it's just down to the choice of which webmail pack to use (leaning towards the Squirrels).

Thanks much.


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## vermaden (Jul 1, 2011)

SirDice said:
			
		

> I'd install an IMAP service on the CentOS machine and use something like mail/roundcube on the FreeBSD webserver.



Why involve CentOS at all here?

All SMTP/IMAP/.../roundcube/php/apache/... services can be set up on one FreeBSD box or IMAP/SMTP/... on FreeBSD BOX1 and roundcube/php/apache/... on FreeBSD BOX2.


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## DutchDaemon (Jul 2, 2011)

Why even use two servers? Squirrelmail/Roundcube and Dovecot can happily co-exist on one server and communicate over localhost for quite a large number of users.


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## phoenix (Jul 5, 2011)

Why not use the resources that are already in place?  

OP mentioned a FreeBSD-based web server and a Linux-based mail server.  Thus, installing mail/squirrelmail on the FreeBSD box is all that's needed.  No local IMAP server required, just point it at the IMAP server already installed and running on the Linux box.

Voila!  The web server is now also a webmail server.  And the POP3 server is now also an IMAP server.


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## DutchDaemon (Jul 6, 2011)

Because the resources can easily run on *one* FreeBSD server


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## phoenix (Jul 6, 2011)

Well, sure, yeah, of course.    But that would require migrating the dovecot setup from the Linux box to the FreeBSD box, maybe playing around with IPs and hostnames, transferring all the existing mail over to the FreeBSD box, and doing a lot of testing to make sure that end-users don't need to reconfigure their e-mail clients.

Or, just install Squirrelmail, configure it to point to the existing mail server, and carry on with your day.  

Neither option is "better".  It all depends on how much work the OP wants to put into the setup, and whether or not the Linux box is doing anything else.


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