snappymail
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the-djmaze
[QUESTION] Is the project dead?
There hasn't been any commit or PR merge in 2025, not the end of the world since there is some stability to the current version, but I thought I'd ask: is snappymail getting archived?
Answer: https://github.com/the-djmaze/snappymail/issues/1911#issuecomment-2710988030
There was actually activity in December, it's probably not on that timeline because they were third-party merges instead of own merges. But his public Github stopped December 10th.
I hope Maarten will be back soon, but in case not, how about discussing here possible alternatives ?
From what I've seen at this point, Nextcloud official mail app has done lot of progress, but is still lacking a decent signature since no html code can be added. One could image to set up an SMTP proxy to add signature to outgoing emails : OpenSMTP, MailCleaner or MailScanner are FOSS software that could do the job.
Nextcloud also now hosts the RoundCube project, but it is my understanding that this is not comparable to Snappymail.
Any other ideas ?
I don't think alternatives are really helpful as switching software always means a lot of changes in peoples workflow and therefore will cause some kind of harm (also to SnappyMail as a project).
I think it would make sense to discuss possible future (co-)maintainers of a soft/hard fork, wouldn't it?
So keeping this project alive would make more sense than motivating people to switch to another solution.
Maybe we should also think about porting this project to a "neutral organisation" within GitHub or one of the alternative code hosting platforms as currently it is owned by Maarten itself. This would also contribute to a vibe of "keeping things alive" 😎
Your point makes sense, as long as there are technical skills and time available. Snappymail is quite a beast !
But for us, migrating "back" to the Nextcloud Mail has always been the plan since we consider that no one else than Nextcloud is ultimately able to produce a well-integrated mail client. Just a matter of time and priorities. So far they have made a lot of progress, and - except this mail signature issue - I do not see what else is missing compared to Snappy.
I totally get your point and for NC users this might be a good solution in the mid-term 😎
I'm using standalone SnappyMail so switching the mail client would be possible but from my point of view it would make more sense to invest some energy in finding a (co-)maintainer or trying to keep things running as long as possible. 🙏
Let's see how strong the SnappyMail community is 💪
Although I very much prefer the co-maintainer idea, I do think it's way too early to be suggesting switching to a different solution. Does anyone know how to get in touch with Maarten or can check in on how things are going for him? I hope he's okay and it's just the case that he's taking a short break from things.
Switching to a different eMail client would be a major undertaking for me since my systems are currently a heavily customized Postfix/Dovecot on Debian solution that supports a wide variety of organizations, some with a variety of different needs. The technical part isn't so hard (and the switch from RainLoop was easy because SnappyMail worked well as a drop-in replacement) because SnappyMail uses IMAP4 and SMTP, but getting users to change over to something else is the hard part -- they often don't want to change, especially when things are working well (and many of my users like SnappyMail because, to them, the interface is similar to GMail but without all the complexity).
The main contributors homepage has not been on the net for at least one week (and https://snappymail.eu/ also). In the Internet Archive you can find an address: https://web.archive.org/web/20241209032457/https://mhxsolutions.nl/contact If someone is from Holland, can you check whether someone answers?
The main contributors homepage has not been on the net for at least one week (and https://snappymail.eu/ also). In the Internet Archive you can find an address: https://web.archive.org/web/20241209032457/https://mhxsolutions.nl/contact If someone is from Holland, can you check whether someone answers?
I wrote him a message using my WhatsApp fake account – let's see if he answers 😉
check whether someone answers?
I don't think anyone should do this because it's quite invasive behavior. Snappymail is a free project, and maarten doesn't appear to have had much time to dedicate to this project in the past either way. Just wait and hope.
He answered right back yesterday telling he will write about his current situation here as soon as possible.
So no worries – he's not lost 😎
I don't think anyone should do this because it's quite invasive behavior.
You might also be overthinking and overblowing what may otherwise be a perfect reaction.
Speaking for myself (although I know I'm not alone in sentiment), I'd message him just to know if he's alright, but since someone else took the initiative there's no point in me or anyone else doing the same, because then it could become actually invasive (ie multiple unknowns bothering him at the same time).
Keep in mind that nobody suggested alternative forms of contact until both SnappyMail's and his own business' webpages went dark, when we're no longer just ruminating about the future of the project or that Maarten had stopped working on the project as frequently as he did in the past.
Good news is he replied, also both websites are online again. Everyone has a personal life, I don't think any member here forgets that for a second. Maarten owes no explanations because he has no obligations towards us, but that doesn't stop us from worrying, even if that can be relatively perceived as an invasion of privacy.
Hi all, i'm still alive but there are things in my live which had priority (and still have).
Most notable is my lack of good sleep since my youth. The shape of my body requires a very soft curved mattress and almost no company delivers the right bed/mattress for my body type. I even went to "3d scan" and none deliver it right.
That in combination with too much dedication to this project, normal work, private work and others, resulted in some sort of "SnappyMail burn-out".
Normally i then go "work" and sleep on my boat but, it is winter and the boat is sold.
Now i slowly come back again and a new special latex mattress is ordered in the hope it will improve my sleep without back and shoulder pain.
In the mean time i will try to look at SnappyMail half a day per week.
Thanks a lot for giving us an update! Your contribution to this project is highly appreciated!
Personal health is always much more important than any software project. Everyone will understand that, so take your time and only invest what you can do with good conscience.
@the-djmaze: Your health is more important, and it's good that you're making it the priority.
I think most people here are genuinely concerned, and would probably agree with @phsc84's response to you. I do, and your update certainly was a relief for me to read.
Thanks again for all the excellence you've been providing to the world with this wonderful SnappyMail software. It really does help a lot of people, and many users I know tell me that they find it easier to use than GMail, and that it's intuitive and fast.
P.S.: I do hope the new mattress works out well for you and that you'll be sleeping better.
signature
I was actually checking out the NC mail app and now you can add HTML signature apparently
I did some testing with that yesterday.
Signature is stored within table oc_mail_accounts, column signature
I've tried to directly store an html signature there, without using the editor : my signature is shown in a new message, but it has been altered (some html tags removed, the table one for instance).
I guess the html is stripped down, most probably to a subset compatible by the TinyMCE editor.
So some progress, but not enough for me.
Snappymail is very suitable for business use, I hope it be maintained or when necessary co-maintained so that it won't disappear.... the problem is still not many people know it is good to use. For nextcloud integration, it is way much better than the standard email app. How many people here are willing to contribute coding effort or a small donation?
Snappymail is awesome! But it's hard to say that it's suitable for business use when it is maintained by a single person on a voluntary basis. We should probably hope for either Snappymail to gain real dev traction, or for a fundraiser for a Roundcube integration.
A workaround is available:
https://github.com/the-djmaze/snappymail/discussions/1935#discussioncomment-12736843
I don't have skin in this game but, regardless of integration with NextCloud, workarounds are just what they are. If it is not maintained, there will come a time when you either have to fix it yourself or swap it for a reliable alternate solution. I'm not trying to diminish the efforts from the user above I'm just saying that you're probably fighting the inevitability to be forced to choose an alternative webmail client whether it caters to someone's needs or not. I'm still using it localhost for myself only, and I'm not keen on pushing it to users anytime soon, especially after it somewhat stalled for the understandable reasons that we know.
@ner00
I'm not trying to diminish the efforts from the user above I'm just saying that you're probably fighting the inevitability to be forced to choose an alternative webmail client whether it caters to someone's needs or not.
I would hardly call patching a single line of metadata in my non-critical environment a fight. This was target practice. If SnappyMail did not work anymore I would not have spend a lot more effort on it.
As said, it is a workaround. I would be glad to see updates for SnappyMail again. Not that I am expecting it, since this is all just voluntary work.
@the-djmaze
Get well soon but at your own pace, buddy. Focus on your health first and foremost.
Personal health is always much more important than any software project.
If you work with neurofeedback like me, the two can be one and the same 😅. Unfortunately it requires work because so much is proprietary and costly, but definitely worth a try for poor sleep as well as somatic issues.
@the-djmaze I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the work you've done so far. I really do.
Your project provides an alternative webmail solution that gives complete satisfaction. It's got a great reputation today because it's quality work, and we hope you'll be able to come back in shape to keep it going.
I don't really know what's left of your will and desire to keep the project going, but if you need anything, let us know. I think (I hope) there's enough of us to support you.
Get well soon
Thank you all for the support. I'm slowly getting better 😄
Aside from the new bed that really is a pain relieve, I've also quit smoking. But somehow now i snore and need to get more oxygen at night.
Damn this really sucks 😂
Anyway, i did update the code a bit and will make a new release
Thank you, @the-djmaze, it's a relief to know that you're getting better, and that it doesn't end there. I remember you wrote about getting a different kind of bed a while ago too, and hopefully it's making a positive difference in all of this for you. ❤️
I know many people who quit smoking over the years. One of the most common things they noticed is that their general health gradually improved, and even simple things like running up a flight of stairs was no longer causing them to feel like they've run out of breath by the time they reached the top. Putting an end to breathing in poisons and other dangerous chemicals is a good choice.
Your excellent work on SnappyMail is greatly appreciated. 🏆
Hello ! Nextcloud release 31.0.6 is out but snappy is not tagged as compatible Is it ok to simply force the install ?
Aside from the new bed that really is a pain relieve, I've also quit smoking. But somehow now i snore and need to get more oxygen at night.
Damn this really sucks 😂
Have you got access to a CPAP machine ? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_positive_airway_pressure
That really helped me (fixed both snoring and oxygen level). Drop us a note if you need any help.
