Open Source Webmail: Does it Exist?

No, I mean open source like firefox is open source.

but webmail just for me to use, not to start for others...
 
Sorry for the confusion guys! :)

All I want is something like gmail I can use as my email. But I want it to be open source.

Not Thunderbird because that is not operated via a brower - i want to be able to access it anywhere.
 
Burnsy2023 said:
Why do you want it to be open? You're not hosting it, so you don't have access to the config and can't add features.

So in summary, you want an Open Source Webmail provider?
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Open because I believe in the philosophy of open source but also to support smaller producers.

So yes, a providor. :) Only they all seem to need downloads and actually have an OS OS.
 
nikebee said:
I.... think that is what he means?

Doran you do realise that the whole point of Open Source is so that users can go in, create things, change things and do anything they want to suit their needs.

As soon as something like a webmail app goes onto somebodies server you (the user) will never have any amount of control like you would if it was on your server.
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I dont understand. :(
 
nikebee said:
Say Firefox for example.

It's open source because they share the source code out to everyone.

If somebody doesn't like the way it works, they're free to build their own version.

Obtainable through here...
https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Do...de?PHPSESSID=f80012ea490d46f7c1503f6318166038

You'd need Visual Studio and the MozillaBuild to get everything working.

Basically if you don't like something you can change it, just like Linux.

With Webmail, it needs to be hosted on a server... if you don't have access to that server you cannot physically change something, change the code, change the design etc...

The difference is that Linux/Firefox are pieces of software that you install onto a computer. You can chop and change things because you have direct access to the code.

With webmail, you don't. It will be hosted by a company on a website and you can't change anything... meaning it isn't Open Source.
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Gotcha - thanks so much for explaining. :)

I suppose what I really want, then, is a webmail that, like open source, doesnt really believe in Intellectual property rights. I needn't have access to the code as such, its not necessary, just want a philosophical embodiment.
 
spicypixel said:
Just as a side note, I presume you're using a Linux based OS?
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Not yet, I am in the procees of building a Linux PC, but am still using my Mac. Once I have backed everything up, I intend to put ubuntu on it. but may well wait for linux until I have the new PC.

Does anyone know where I can go incidentially to start putting together a spec list? (As cheap as low spec as possible) I am aware of compatibility issues you see.
 
growse said:
Most open source licenses rely on intellectual property rights (copyright etc) to exist. If you want to no use anything based on IP, you're looking for public-domain software. And only a very small amount of code (not even software) is public domain.

You want to use GPL software? Well, you're relying on the copyright holder granting you freedoms over and above copyright law. You still need to comply with various other aspects of copyright law to use it properly though.

This whole open source = yay, lets throw away copyright thing is hugely misguided.
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Truthfully I am slightly ignorant as may already be clearly apparent. :)

Is there anywhere I can go off and read about this stuff? I would like to start learning.

Thanks
 
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