smtp4dev VS Roundcube

smtp4dev https://github.com/rnwood/smtp4dev - works well in docker, has api, can selectively forward to a real smtp

depends on the infrastructre setup, but if you're able to specify smtp server the backend will use you can you something like https://github.com/mailhog/MailHog or https://github.com/rnwood/smtp4dev to catch any sent email, regardless of email address and read it via the respective api. Both mailhog and smtp4dev have decent api documentation.

If so you could check out smtp4dev, it gives you a locally hosted client that you can use to intercept any mail send out by your app and displays them in a nice web based gui interface so can see what they look like.

I have tried several, and liked none of them. I'm currently on Geary, but it's lacking in functionality, and it has things like search results being a bit different upon each of my searches. Starred messages cannot be shown on top. Eyeroll.

I think Evolution and Thunderbird are the top contenders, and of the self-hosted ones, Roundcube.

https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Geary

https://roundcube.net/

The GitHub issue talking about this [1] is such a mess too. Maintainers closing the question with a vague non-answer, deleting comments left and right, etc. Sounds like someone stole the money and everyone is either complicit or too embarrassed to admit that it happened.

[1] https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/issues/6030

https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/blob/master/SQL/mysql.initial.sql Take a look at the tables an you get a idea, session for the app, users-table, contacts-table, dictionary, etc.

You could try a standalone email client like Mozilla's Thunderbird, or if you're experienced running a web server, you could check out something like Roundcube. I suppose you could even run it locally if you're familiar with PHP and/or Docker.

Like... https://roundcube.net/

What I really miss is a "web companion" for Thunderbird, basically something like https://roundcube.net/ or https://www.horde.org/apps/webmail, but a bit more powerful and with better UX. I'd like to use a Google Addressbook within such app, for example (there is a completely outdated plug-in for RoundCube). Another important thing would be powerful and fast search.

Alternatively if you want to keep what you have I wouldn't recommend using the SoGO even though it's the nicest and most modern option. Mainly because it's a full groupware client and will require a lot of configuration. Instead using Roundcube is probably your best option

Roundcube might fit the bill for you.

I'd do it with a local IMAP server in conjunction with a webmail client that connects to it. Dovecot is a fantastic and easy to use IMAP server. Webmail clients are a pretty personal thing, but the last time I used Roundcube it seemed pretty good.