Since I first started using a webmail client Squirrelmail was my number one. But lately I missed some functions like viewing HTML formatted mail, auto address completion and LDAP address book functionality. So I started to look for a webmail client that comes with this functionality build-in and came up with this nice AJAX based webmail solution for IMAP servers, called RoundCube.

The fact that RC will be in the next Debian stable release (squeeze) was the final straw. Using the Lenny backports repo you can install RC on Lenny (current stable). See the following steps below:

1. Create to following file if it not exists:

vi /etc/apt/preferences

2. Add the following lines:

Package: * Pin: release a=stable Pin-Priority: 600 Package: roundcube roundcube-core roundcube-mysql Pin: release a=lenny-backports Pin-Priority: 999

There is also a postgresql and sqlite database meta-package available.

3. Edit /etc/apt/sources.list and add the following lines:

Testing (squeeze) for gallery2 deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ squeeze main contrib non-free deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ squeeze main contrib non-free

4. Update the apt database and upgrade the gallery2 package:

apt-get update # apt-get install roundcube

Next thing is to walk through the main.inc.php config file located in ‘/etc/roundcube’ and the Apache configuration.

Restart apache and navigate to your RoundCube url and off you go.

I have been test driving RoundCube for about a month and can conclude that RoundCube is here to stay!