modoboa

Mail hosting made simple

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Quick Overview

Modoboa is an open-source email hosting and management platform. It provides a modern web interface for managing domains, mailboxes, and aliases, along with features like webmail, anti-spam, and anti-virus integration. Modoboa aims to simplify email server administration for both small and large installations.

Pros

User-friendly web interface for email server management
Modular architecture allowing easy extension of functionality
Supports multiple domains and virtual mailboxes
Integrates with popular anti-spam and anti-virus solutions

Cons

Requires technical knowledge to set up and maintain
Limited documentation for advanced configurations
Some features require additional setup or external services
May have performance issues with very large installations

Getting Started

To get started with Modoboa, follow these steps:

Install Modoboa using pip:
```
pip install modoboa
```

Create a new Modoboa instance:

modoboa-admin.py deploy instance
cd instance

Edit the settings.py file to configure your database and other settings.
Run database migrations:
```
python manage.py migrate
```
Create a superuser account:
```
python manage.py createsuperuser
```
Start the development server:
```
python manage.py runserver
```
Access the Modoboa web interface at http://localhost:8000 and log in with your superuser account.

For production use, you'll need to set up a proper web server (like Nginx) and configure your email server (Postfix, Dovecot) to work with Modoboa. Refer to the official documentation for detailed installation and configuration instructions.

Competitor Comparisons

roundcubemail

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The Roundcube Webmail suite

Pros of Roundcubemail

More mature and widely adopted webmail solution
Extensive plugin ecosystem for customization
Responsive design for mobile devices out of the box

Cons of Roundcubemail

Limited built-in email management features compared to Modoboa
Lacks integrated domain and user management capabilities
More complex setup process for advanced configurations

Code Comparison

Modoboa (Python):

from django.urls import path
from . import views

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.index, name='index'),
    path('domains/', views.domains, name='domains'),
]

Roundcubemail (PHP):

$rcmail_config['plugins'] = array(
    'archive',
    'zipdownload',
    'managesieve',
    'password',
);

Both projects use different programming languages and frameworks. Modoboa is built with Python and Django, while Roundcubemail uses PHP. The code snippets show URL routing in Modoboa and plugin configuration in Roundcubemail, highlighting their different approaches to extensibility and structure.

mailcow-dockerized

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mailcow: dockerized - 🐮 + 🐋 = 💕

Pros of mailcow-dockerized

Fully containerized solution, making deployment and management easier
Includes a wide range of integrated services (mail server, webmail, antispam, etc.)
Active development with frequent updates and improvements

Cons of mailcow-dockerized

Higher resource requirements due to multiple containers
Less flexibility in terms of customization compared to Modoboa
Steeper learning curve for users unfamiliar with Docker

Code Comparison

Modoboa configuration (settings.py):

DATABASES = {
    "default": {
        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.postgresql",
        "NAME": "modoboa",
        "USER": "postgres",
        "PASSWORD": "password",
        "HOST": "localhost",
    }
}

mailcow-dockerized configuration (mailcow.conf):

DBNAME=mailcow
DBUSER=mailcow
DBPASS=mysafepassword
DBROOT=myothersafepassword
DBHOST=mysql-mailcow

Both projects use configuration files to set up database connections, but mailcow-dockerized uses a simpler key-value format, while Modoboa uses a more complex Python dictionary structure. This reflects the different approaches of the two projects, with mailcow-dockerized focusing on simplicity and ease of use, while Modoboa offers more flexibility and customization options.

Mailu

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Pros of Mailu

Docker-based deployment for easier setup and management
Includes a web administration interface out-of-the-box
Supports multiple domains and virtual users natively

Cons of Mailu

Less flexible for customization compared to Modoboa
Potentially higher resource usage due to Docker containers
Steeper learning curve for those unfamiliar with Docker

Code Comparison

Mailu configuration (docker-compose.yml):

version: '2.2'
services:
  front:
    image: ${DOCKER_ORG:-mailu}/${DOCKER_PREFIX:-}nginx:${MAILU_VERSION:-2.0}
    restart: always
    env_file: .env

Modoboa configuration (settings.py):

DATABASES = {
    "default": {
        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.postgresql",
        "NAME": "modoboa",
        "USER": "postgres",
    }
}

Both projects use different approaches for configuration. Mailu relies on Docker Compose for service orchestration, while Modoboa uses a more traditional Django-based configuration file. This reflects their architectural differences, with Mailu focusing on containerization and Modoboa on a more traditional web application structure.

postfixadmin

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Pros of Postfixadmin

Lightweight and simple to set up
Well-established with a long history of development
Supports a wide range of database backends

Cons of Postfixadmin

Less feature-rich compared to Modoboa
User interface can feel outdated
Limited integration with modern email security features

Code Comparison

Modoboa (Python):

from django.urls import path
from . import views

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.index, name='index'),
    path('domains/', views.DomainListView.as_view(), name='domain_list'),
]

Postfixadmin (PHP):

<?php
if (!defined('POSTFIXADMIN')) {
    die("This file cannot be used standalone.");
}
$CONF['database_type'] = 'mysqli';
$CONF['database_host'] = 'localhost';
$CONF['database_user'] = 'postfix';

Both projects serve as web-based administration interfaces for mail servers, but they differ in their approach and technology stack. Modoboa is built with Python and Django, offering a more modern and feature-rich experience. Postfixadmin, written in PHP, is simpler and more lightweight but may lack some advanced features. The code snippets show the difference in language and structure between the two projects.

Mailpile

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Pros of Mailpile

Focuses on user privacy and security with built-in encryption features
Offers a modern, user-friendly web interface for email management
Designed for local installation, giving users full control over their data

Cons of Mailpile

Less suitable for multi-user or organizational email management
May require more technical knowledge for setup and maintenance
Development appears to be less active compared to Modoboa

Code Comparison

Mailpile (Python):

def _decode_payload(self, part, charset='utf-8'):
    payload = part.get_payload(decode=True)
    if payload is None:
        return None
    charset = charset.lower().replace('_', '-')
    try:
        return payload.decode(charset)
    except UnicodeDecodeError:
        return payload.decode('utf-8', errors='replace')

Modoboa (Python):

def get_user_mailboxes(user, nospam=False):
    """Retrieve all mailboxes owned by a user."""
    qset = user.mailbox_set.select_related("domain")
    if nospam:
        spamfolder = user.parameters.get_value("spam_folder")
        return qset.exclude(name=spamfolder)
    return qset

Both projects use Python, but Mailpile focuses on email decoding and privacy, while Modoboa emphasizes user management and mailbox organization.

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Pros of iRedMail

Comprehensive all-in-one mail server solution
Easier initial setup with automated installation script
Includes additional components like antispam and webmail out-of-the-box

Cons of iRedMail

Less modular and flexible compared to Modoboa
Potentially more resource-intensive due to bundled components
Limited customization options without manual intervention

Code Comparison

Modoboa (Python):

from django.urls import path
from . import views

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.index, name='index'),
    path('domains/', views.DomainListView.as_view(), name='domain_list'),
]

iRedMail (Shell):

# Install required packages
apt-get install -y postfix postfix-mysql postfix-pcre
apt-get install -y dovecot-core dovecot-imapd dovecot-lmtpd dovecot-mysql
apt-get install -y amavisd-new spamassassin clamav-daemon

The code snippets highlight the different approaches: Modoboa uses Django for web-based management, while iRedMail focuses on shell-based installation and configuration of various mail server components.

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README

############################################ Modoboa (website <https://modoboa.org/>_) ############################################

Modoboa <https://modoboa.org>_ is a mail hosting and management platform including a modern and simplified Web User Interface. It provides useful components such as an administration panel and webmail.

Modoboa integrates with well known software such as Postfix <http://postfix.org/>_ or Dovecot <http://dovecot.org/>. A SQL database (MySQL <http://www.mysql.com>, PostgreSQL <http://www.postgresql.org/>_ or SQLite <http://www.sqlite.org>_) is used as a central point of communication between all components.

Modoboa is developed with modularity in mind, expanding it is really easy. Actually, all current features are extensions.

It is written in Python 3 and uses the Django <https://www.djangoproject.com>, jQuery <http://jquery.com> and Bootstrap <http://getbootstrap.com/>_ frameworks.

Main features

Administration panel
Reputation protection: DNSBL <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNSBL>_ checks, DMARC <https://dmarc.org/>_ reports <https://github.com/modoboa/modoboa-dmarc>_ and more
Amavis <http://www.amavis.org>_ frontend <https://github.com/modoboa/modoboa-amavis>_
Webmail <https://github.com/modoboa/modoboa-webmail>_
Calendar <https://github.com/modoboa/modoboa-radicale>_
Address book <https://github.com/modoboa/modoboa-contacts>_
Per-user Sieve filters
Autoreply messages for Postfix
Graphical statistics about email traffic

Installation

The easiest way to install modoboa is to use the official installer <https://github.com/modoboa/modoboa-installer>_. More information is available in the documentation.

Documentation

A detailed documentation <https://modoboa.readthedocs.io/>_ will help you to install, use or extend Modoboa.

Demo Installation

If you want to try out Modoboa, check out our demo installation <https://demo.modoboa.org/>_.

Getting help

Modoboa is a free software and is totally open source BUT you can hire the team if you need professional services. More information here: https://modoboa.org/en/professional-services/.

Contracting a support plan if a good way to ensure your installation stays available and up-to-date and it will help the project to be sustainable :)

Community

If you have any questions, you can get help through the following platforms:

Discord <https://discord.gg/WuQ3v3PXGR>_
Github: open an issue if you found a bug

External code

The following external libraries are provided with Modoboa:

jQuery version 1.9.1 <http://www.jquery.org/>_
jQuery-UI 1.10+ <http://jqueryui.com/>_
Bootstrap version 3.3.7 <http://getbootstrap.com/>_
Bootstrap datetimepicker <http://eonasdan.github.io/bootstrap-datetimepicker/>_

.. |latest-version| image:: https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/modoboa.svg :target: https://pypi.python.org/pypi/modoboa/ :alt: Latest version on Pypi .. |workflow| image:: https://github.com/modoboa/modoboa/actions/workflows/modoboa.yml/badge.svg .. |codecov| image:: https://codecov.io/gh/modoboa/modoboa/graph/badge.svg?token=1E5eBxJO33 :target: https://codecov.io/gh/modoboa/modoboa

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