Runbox 7 updates June-July 2020: Webmail and Compose improvements

July 10, 2020 Geir Leave a comment

New features such as listing messages by recipient, recently used recipients on Compose, and several other improvements.

New feature (compose): Compose now accepts pasting email lists recipients
Bug fixes (common): Fix edge-case email address (list) parsing
Bug fixes (compose): Different positions for action buttons for mobile and desktop
Bug fixes (compose): Push draft action buttons further apart
Bug fixes (webmail): Only recount folder unread counts after content change
New feature (webmail): Reset search when switching folders
Bug fixes (compose): Make layout more responsive
New feature (webmail): Add a list of popular email recipients to the sidebar
Bug fixes (compose): Update recipient suggests whenever searchindex is updated
New feature (multiple_msg_unread): Replace endpoint that marks multiple messages as unread/unflag
Bug fixes (compose): Update angular deprecated recommendations
Bug fixes (mark_multiple_msgs): Update before the request is completed
Bug fixes (mark_multiple_messages): Try to use messageFlagChangeSubject.next to fix e2e errors
Bug fixes (compose): Make sure suggested contacts are shown with their names
Bug fixes (compose): Make sure we can still drag and drop suggestions to CC/BCC and have them show up
Bug fixes (compose): Reload CC and BCC contents properly
New feature (compose): Allow drag-and-drop for suggested contacts
New feature (compose): Keep feeding the suggestion list after some contacts are selected
Bug fixes (webmail): Make switching to the current folder a no-op
Bug fixes (compose): Show only one suggestions bar per compose window
Bug fixes (compose): Make sure profiles are loaded correctly regardless of races
Bug fixes (compose): Cope with reply-to field in new TO format
Bug fixes (compose): Ensure we cope with CC/BCC emails containing a comma
Bug fixes (compose): Re-add code lost in cherry picking/merging
Bug fixes (compose): Cope with replying to emails where From name contains a comma

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Runbox 7 updates June 2020: Webmail and Contacts improvements

June 13, 2020 Geir Leave a comment

Bugfix (webmail): Make sure the URL fragment updates after closing an email
Bugfix (webmail): Prefer contact recipients over searchindex recipients
Bugfix (webmail): Visually scroll the message list when using the up/down keys
Bugfix (contacts): Contact updates now appear in compose window directly after update/addition
Bugfix (webmail): Update contacts cache separately from search index contacts
Refactor (compose): Remove dead code / simplify code
Test (e2e): Ensure localSearchPromptDisplayed is set upon closing the dialog
Test (webmail): Adapt test to new structure. Prefer contacts over searchindex

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Runbox 7 updates May-June 2020: Webmail improvements and bug fixes

June 3, 2020 Geir Leave a comment

Runbox 7 enhancements and bug fixes, including better navigation, improved message handling, and a Welcome Desk with common tasks for new and existing users

A full changelog can be seen directly in the app at Runbox 7.

New feature (webmail): Highlight currently “opened” email in mail list
Bugfix (webmail): Fix up/down navigation in maillist
Bugfix (webmail): Close mailviewer when email is deleted via multi-select operation
Bugfix (webmail): Don’t “check” emails in folder view unless actually clicking on the checkbox
Bugfix (webmail): Display selected-mail operations whenever more than one message is selected
Bugfix (messagetable): Display time instead of the date for messages received after midnight
Bugfix (mailviewer): Store message list view settings in browser
Bugfix (mailviewer): Grow HTML view to proper size right away
Bugfix (contacts): Make sure we’re not adding duplicate contacts to groups
Visual fix (mailviewer): Increase the minimal width of canvastable columns
Visual fix (welcome): Add note about how to return to Welcome Desk.
Visual fix (welcome): Make Welcome Desk a flexbox. Use routerlinks where applicable.
Visual fix (mailviewer): Increase the minimal width of canvastable columns
Bugfix (styling): Fix breakpoints for iPad Pro
Bugfix (compose): Ensure we can forward emails with no To or Subject
New feature (login): Add password reset link to login window
Bugfix (canvastable): Make it possible to open email from the bottom of the screen
New feature (login): Add password reset link to login window
Visual fix (login): More modern look to the login window

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Runbox 7 Calendar now in beta

June 26, 2019 Geir 2 Comments

We are extremely pleased to be able to announce that the Runbox 7 Calendar is now in beta test.

You may be aware that Runbox for a while has provided a calendar (CalDAV) service for calendar clients such as Outlook, Thunderbird Lightning, and macOS Calendar.

If you’ve previously used our CalDAV server you’ll be pleased to be able to finally use it through the web interface, not needing a separate program anymore.

Calendar features

The Runbox 7 Calendar currently offers month, week, and day views, you may add and edit events, and perform other basic actions.

It can also be synchronized with your other programs and devices by setting them up with our CalDAV service.

As this is still a Beta, not everything that your own calendar program can do will be available in the Runbox 7 Calendar quite yet. One notable missing feature is Tasks (TODOs) support – this will be coming later on as a separate feature.

We invite you to try it out by logging into Runbox 7 and clicking Calendar in the main menu.

And let us know what you think over in the Runbox 7 Forum!

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Introducing Runbox 7 Contacts

June 18, 2019 Geir 2 Comments

It is our pleasure to announce that the new Runbox 7 Contacts is available in open beta test!

If you’re already using Runbox 7 you may have noticed them already, and if you aren’t — here’s another reason to try it: Runbox 7 Contacts combines the best of the Runbox 7 web interface with the world of email clients.

Modern user interface

The first thing you’ll notice after clicking Contacts in the main menu in Runbox 7 is the beautiful and smooth user interface.

Runbox 7 Contacts is built with the same Angular framework that powers the Runbox 7 Webmail, and you will recognize its design components and interactive functionality.

New Contacts storage (CardDAV)

One of the key parts of the new Contacts is how we store your contacts on the servers. So far they’ve been stored in a proprietary database, with no other way to access them than through the Runbox 6 web interface.

This has been an annoyance to those of you who would like to use your contacts across many different apps and devices.

From now on in the new Runbox 7, all contacts will be stored on a CardDAV server – an open standard for sharing contacts and address books between different devices.

The advantages of Runbox 7 Contacts

If you know what CardDAV is, chances are you were eagerly awaiting this and need no further encouragement to use it. If you’ve never heard of it before, here are two key benefits it has over the existing system

First of all, Runbox 7 uses the standard vCard for representing the contacts. You may have heard the name before — if you ever sent a contact to someone over an SMS for example, it was a vCard. Using vCards in Runbox 7 Contacts means that much more flexibility when it comes to the information you can store.

vCards in Runbox 7 and CardDAV can store everything Runbox 6 can, and more — as many emails, phones and addresses as you desire, all categorized. Pictures, links to social media accounts, messengers, public keys for encryption; whatever you can think of, it’s probably there.

Second, you can access your Runbox 7 Contacts everywhere. No need to even use the Runbox 7 app — you can use any email client, any contacts app on your computer or your phone, and you’ll have access to the same contacts everywhere.

Add them on your phone, edit them on your laptop, and then they’ll still be available Runbox 7 when you compose a new email. Runbox 7 Contacts contains all the information that you need to set up any other apps that you use.

Using Runbox 7 Contacts

Until you migrate your contacts they will not be available for synchronization yet. Migrating them will move them over to CardDAV and give you all the glorious new features of Runbox 7 Contacts.

Try out the new Runbox 7 Contacts by logging into Runbox 7 and clicking Contacts in the main menu.

And let us know what you think over in the Runbox 7 Forum!

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Runbox 7 Feature and Bug Bounty Program

February 6, 2019 Geir 1 Comment

The Runbox 7 project represents an ambitious plan to revolutionize the world of webmail services, and with the Runbox 7 open source launch on https://github.com/runbox/runbox7 we have invited skilled developers to join us in this quest.

Now we are excited to announce a bounty program to accelerate development further. The program is two-fold and introduces bounties for both features and bugs.

Feature bounties

We encourage you to contribute to Runbox 7 with your skill and talent by adding new functionality that all Runbox 7 users can enjoy.

All contributions must include tests and documentation in order to be accepted.

Gold – $1,000 reward

Gold bounties are rewarded for contributing major new features that involve substantial additions to the Runbox 7 code base.

Examples of such features can be found on the Runbox 7 Roadmap and include complete, new screens for Account, Files, or Manager with REST endpoint specifications.

Other examples are significant optimizations of the code that improve performance or substantially restructures or refactors the code base.

Silver – $500 reward

Silver bounties are given for contributions of medium-sized new features or additions of new functionality that improves existing features.

Examples of such features can be found on the Runbox 7 Roadmap and include new screens for sections under Account, Files, or Manager with REST endpoint specifications.

Bronze – $100 reward

Smaller features or functionality that extends or improves existing features.

Examples include those listed on Github as Runbox 7 enhancement issues (urgent and critical).

Iron – $10 reward

Minor features or functionality that extends or improves existing features.

Examples include those listed on Github as Runbox 7 enhancement issues (trivial, low, and medium).

Bug bounties

Integrity and reliability is paramount to our operations and although we take all reasonable precautions to prevent bugs, all open source software benefits from thorough reviews from the community.

Therefore we provide bug bounties for reports regarding errors or vulnerabilities that are currently unknown to Runbox, with an emphasis on problems that could impact the integrity of our services.

High – $1,000 reward

Reporting severe errors that could lead to elevated privileges, significant data compromise, or service downtime.

To be eligible for this bounty:

You must not publicly disclose your finding.
You must never exploit any found vulnerability.
You must send a detailed explanation with steps to reproduce the bug.
You may submit a patch that fixes the issue for a double bounty!

Examples include issues listed on Github as Runbox 7 bug issues (critical).

Medium – $500 reward

Reporting vulnerabilities that provide limited access and that could result in denial of service, manipulation of individual accounts, or temporary problems that affect limited data sets.

To be eligible for this bounty:

You must not publicly disclose your finding.
You must never exploit any found vulnerability.
You must send a detailed explanation with steps to reproduce the bug.
You may submit a patch that fixes the issue for a double bounty!

Examples include issues listed on Github as Runbox 7 bug issues (critical).

Low – $100 reward

Vulnerabilities that have a low impact on our operations or that require significant knowledge about our systems.

Examples include issues listed on Github as Runbox 7 bug issues (urgent).

Trivial – $10 reward

Minor bugs that are annoyances rather than vulnerabilities, and that don’t affect the integrity or reliability of our services.

Examples include those listed on Github as Runbox 7 bug issues (trivial, low, and medium).

How to get started

To get started with our bounty program, have a look at our Runbox 7 GitHub repository at https://github.com/runbox/runbox7.

We are marking issues that are suitable for new contributors with “good first issue“.

Then review our contribution guidelines and follow the instructions there: https://github.com/runbox/runbox7/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md

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The secret behind Runbox 7’s speed

January 26, 2019 Geir 1 Comment

Runbox 7 Webmail recently entered open beta, and if you haven’t tried it yet you are missing out!

When you log into Runbox 7 the first thing you’ll notice — aside from its beautiful design — is the speed.

Your folders and messages will load instantly, and no matter how many messages you have the message list will scroll without delay and without any limit.

Gone are the days of waiting for the next screen-full of messages to load, or having to click to navigate between pages. Switching between folders, sorting the message list, and moving messages — any action you perform is executed instantly.

And the message search is lightning fast — results will show up immediately while you type into the search field. Combined with message threading and inline message previews, this makes email management extremely efficient with Runbox 7.

Under the hood

We have modified Xapian by porting Xapian to WebAssembly using the C to WebAssembly compiler from emscripten, which lets it run both in NodeJS on the server and in the browser. Our fork of Xapian will be merged into Xapian’s repository on Github so that it will become available for others to use.

This is accomplished by utilizing a custom version of the open source Xapian email indexer. We have always been impressed with Xapian’s processing speed, reliability, and adaptability, and it’s ability to index large amounts of messages.

The Runbox 7 Webmail App is open source and is available in our main repo at https://github.com/runbox/runbox7. We encourage you to check out our code base, and invite you to join the Runbox revolution by getting involved in our growing community at https://community.runbox.com!

A separate repo at https://github.com/runbox/runbox-searchindex generates the xapian.wasm module in WebAssembly in C++.

The Xapian database is stored in the browser using IndexedDB, which is available through the IDBFS file system of emscripten.

Combined with a central message database and the use of websockets, this allows the indices to stay in sync when new email arrives on the server and when changes are made locally.

The user interface

The power of the WebAssembly Xapian port is matched by the message listing which is written in HTML5 Canvas. This makes it possible to handle large tables and quick re-rendering, and provides good control of the rendering process.

Ordinary HTML tables would suffer slowdown penalties on sorting, filtering, and resizing, and would require pagination, and would not be efficient enough for our needs.

The Canvas element is wrapped in a user interface written in HTML/Typescript using Angular 2+, and is built using UI elements from https://material.angular.io/.

Mail parsing is done using the HTML parser from Andris Reinmann which is written for NodeJS and can be found here: https://github.com/andris9/mailparser.

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Runbox 7 is going open source

December 12, 2018 Geir 8 Comments

We are very excited to announce that we are now making the Runbox 7 App available as open source software!

Runbox 7 is our new Webmail service currently in open beta, featuring unprecedented email indexing and search capabilities. It’s the first product whose source code we are making publicly available, and marks a major milestone for Runbox.

Open source software powers most of the Internet, and makes up a large part of the platform Runbox is running on. Now Runbox 7 will become part of this global collaboration, and you can join in by visiting the Runbox repository on Github: https://github.com/runbox.

Why we are going open source

Runbox has utilized and promoted open source software since the very beginning, and we owe much of our success to the open source community.

Now we’re contributing back to the community with the front-end of Runbox 7, which will allow others to review our code and verify that it’s safe and secure.

It also allows others to copy and modify the codebase for their own use, and contribute back to Runbox and our community.

Additionally it means that we will automatically publish the Runbox 7 changelog and issues, and even let Runbox users create issues for bug reports or feature requests.

Why we chose GPLv3

It was important to Runbox that we ensure that any derivative work remains open source, which the GNU General Public License does.

Another reason for selecting the GPLv3 license is that Runbox 7 utilizes the open source Xapian search engine library which is licensed under GPLv2.

What’s new in Runbox 7

Runbox 7 isn’t merely an upgrade to our existing services, it’s a bold step into a new world of synchronized Webmail apps that provide unprecedented speed and usability.

Our new app is the cornerstone of Runbox 7, and is the first of several development stages that will culminate in a completely new user interface.

Runbox 7 Webmail currently features superior speed, incremental search, infinite listing, inline message previews, threaded conversation views, web push notifications, and a Progressive Web App for mobile phones.

Contributing to Runbox 7

In the future we plan to publish the entire Runbox 7 codebase including the backend, but you can already develop the Runbox 7 App while using the Runbox servers as the backend.

More information about this can be found at https://github.com/runbox/Runbox7.

Ready to give it a test drive? Head to https://runbox.com/app !

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Runbox 7 Webmail entering open beta phase

November 21, 2018 Geir 28 Comments

We are excited to announce that the Runbox 7 Webmail beta test is now open to the public!

A large number of improvements and bug fixes have been made since our previous update, including an even faster Webmail, web push notifications on incoming email, and inline message previews.

There is now a Runbox 7 mobile app (Progressive Web App) available too, making Runbox a joy to use on your mobile phone!

We’d like to thank the hundreds of beta testers in our beta test community for all their contributions thus far, and helping us build the fastest webmail app on the planet!

What Runbox 7 Webmail is…

Runbox 7 isn’t merely an upgrade to our existing services, its a bold step into a new world of synchronized Webmail apps that provides unprecedented speed and usability.

Our new app is the cornerstone of Runbox 7, and is the first of several development stages that will culminate in a completely new user interface.

Runbox 7 Webmail features superior speed, incremental search, infinite listing, message previews, threaded views, a draft desk, as well as a mobile app version.

…and what it isn’t (just yet)

Note that we are initially focusing on the core Webmail service, and that the Runbox 7 Webmail therefore currently only includes this service.

Other areas such as Manager, Files, etc. will be added as we continue working on Runbox 7, so clicking on these menu items in Runbox 7 will currently take you back to Runbox 6.

Runbox 7 roadmap

We have an ambitious plan for the development of Runbox 7, with the following planned activities:

Open beta test phase
Open source Runbox 7 App
Profiles and Contacts integration
Files, Manager, and Settings
End-to-end encryption
Web calendar
Message/task management
Synchronous messaging

How to provide feedback

Our Runbox 7 team is working hard to make Runbox 7 the best webmail app on the planet, and your feedback will help decide what we develop next.

Tell us what you think about Runbox 7 Webmail in our dedicated forum at https://community.runbox.com/. Sign up to the forum using your Runbox email address so that there will be no issues gaining access to the forum.

Note that before you post requests or bug reports, it’s a good idea to review other posts to see if your issue has already been mentioned.

With that out of the way, please find the Runbox 7 Webmail app here:

https://runbox.com/app

We hope you’ll enjoy a modern, user-friendly, beautiful, and above all fast webmail experience!

Screenshots

Check out the screenshots below for a few highlights, and click on each one to bring up a hi-res version with more details.

Message list view

When you first log in to Runbox 7 Webmail you will find a beautiful interface with a design that is clean and efficient, yet packed with features. Its speed can’t be conveyed by a screenshot however, so try it out for yourself to get the real experience.

Two- or three-pane message preview

You can preview messages either in a horizontal pane beneath the message list, or to the right of the message list as shown below.

Draft Desk

The Draft Desk shows your current drafts in a convenient desk-like layout.

Ready for a test drive?

Just head to https://runbox.com/app and then join our community at community.runbox.com to take part in the Runbox revolution!

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Runbox 7 Webmail app for mobile phones

October 10, 2018 Geir 19 Comments

We are making great progress with the Runbox 7 Webmail app and we are very excited that a version customized for mobile phones is now available for our beta testers!

This version is what is called a Progressive Web App (PWA), built on emerging technologies that combine the open standards of the web to provide a rich mobile experience on your phone or tablet.

How do I use the mobile app?

If you’re using an Apple device you can access the mobile app by first opening the regular address of the Runbox 7 Webmail app in the Safari browser, and then tapping the Share icon in the bottom menu bar. Then tap “Add to Home Screen” to add the Runbox 7 Webmail app to your phone.