Updated 06-Apr-2026
- See also: Kontact the KDE PIM (email, calendar, etc.)
Email, for so long was a client and server issue. Then it became cloud-based. Now we can't trust and cloud email providers, or at least damned few. As well, having your email locked in someone else's server with cloud access seems quite short-sighted. And so we now return back to the days of the self-hosted email server and device-based clients, all open source preferrably.
Note 06-04-2026: Kontact is simply painful when compared with Fastmail and its web, desktop, and mobile apps. Yes, I have to pay for Fastmail, but this also covers all my email and calendar hosting needs. The user interface is so much more improved and should act as a model and a spur to get things better. And so, my monthlong experiment with Kontact/Kmail comes to an close. In the end I did learn a lot and reorganized things so that if needed, I could indeed self-host and the tools are available in terms of client software.
I still use Etar even though the calendar function of Fastmail on Android is essentially the same thing, but it takes an extra click and then have to click back for email. Instead I use Fastmail app for email and Etar for calendar. I've still got Gmail as the calendar provider since it has easy-to-use holiday calendars for various countries, and Fastmail and Etar can consume them easily.
I do believe that setting up my own ical/free-busy (with golang, see this for example) might be a great thing to start with. Self-hosting a calendar/task/holidays and allowing consumption by others (for the holidays) makes sense.
Email server
The old school has a bunch of different servers with each of them talking to each other. Best to go new school with a single server. Simpler, more performant, and less attack surface:
Email clients
Web
- The best is Fastmail, which is not open source, nor is it free. Frankly, if apps handle the job, the web is not needed, and if the web handles the job, then apps are not needed.
Linux
- Kmail email client
Note that Kmail is a bit persnickety if something like Evolution had been installed previously. So the best thing is to remove and purge the application and its dependencies, reboot, then a fresh install with fresh configuration. Works a charm at that point.
Lately I've looked at all the email clients for Linux, and they are generally fairly poor, with Kmail the best of the bunch. Evolution looked neat, but ultimately it had less configurability (especially look-and-feel) than Kmail. For me, Kmail can replace the Fastmail web client I am used to on the desktop.
Kmail is a part of a larger suite called Kontact which includes an address book, calendar, task list, RSS reader, and an all-in-one summary tool (Kontact itself).
See the Kmail Handbook for details on use.
- Note that antivirus and antispam tools need to be enabled in extensions, then configured with a wizard
Android
These replace the proprietary Fastmail android application. Though the Fastmail app is a pleasure. A combination of that and Etar is quite nice.
Migration
The best migration is one where the new user interface is first mastered, then the server-side is converted. All at once can be a much bigger headache and risks the conversion/migration process.
- Step 1: Migrate email clients, testing as you go. Go through the learning curve and make sure basic tasks features and functionality is present and accounted for.
- Step 2: Install a local server with one email account (not the main one on the cloud server). Go through the learning curve, ensuring everything acts as intended.
- Step 3: Add additional email accounts and aliases, testing as you go, until all addresses and their repositories are nicely accounted for.
- Step 4: Disconnect/Discontinue cloud service, though keeping a free one around (e.g., Gmail) may be useful in a troubleshooting situation.