Hi,

first: I'm not a PHP/Apache/mySQL type... I installed hmailserver (using the default mySQL installation, because when I tried to use MSSQL I always got an error message, that the program is not able to determine the MSSQL version - i.e. 2008 Express Edition), and it runs fine.

What I need is a Webmail program, and as much as I found out is that SquirrelMail is the choice. I managed to set up PHP on a single virtual server in IIS, and what I need now is a detailled step-by-step installation instruction. Is there anything like this anywhere?

Best wishes
Michael

PS: Anyway: If there is a working WebMail program that runs on ASP.Net - I would immediately change the choice...

Have you tried Google?

I understand you "need" a webmail program.

May I suggest an email application?
Thunderbird comes to mind.

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/

William

Thanks for the replies.

@william: Every user (that uses my server) has a locally installed email application. That's not the problem. I know Thunderbird as well, means: I am not an expert in PHP and mySQL, but I am an IT guy, so I know some things. Anyway - thanks for the tip. The "problem" is: Sometimes you need web access to your mail account, because there is no other way to get an important email (when you're at your customer's office, and there is no UMTS connection available, when you are on holidays and have to go to an Internet Café etc.). That's why I need a Webmail program - and I know what I am talking about.

@martin: yes I did. Everything I found did not really work or was something like: "Don't install SquirrelMail on Windows, don't install PHP on IIS, because everything from Redmond is crap..." (or something like this). I am also not the type to fight religious wars.

So: if anyone has a comparable configuration and has written an installation instruction for this - would be great to post the link here.

Best wishes
Michael

I have squirrelmail running on windows. Its actually pretty easy to do. I would not use IIS if you were you. I'd look into using apache + php. It makes setup for squirrelmail very simply. I actually use XAMPP for my apache, database, and php. I've modified the base xampp package to fit my needs.

Getting squirrelmail up and running is very easy using xampp. If you install the perl addon, you can simply run a perl script available with squirrelmail that will help you generate the config file for squirrelmail.

PHP ion IIS is easy if you do it correctly.

http://www.peterguy.com/php/install_IIS6.html

Yeah, I'm NOT an IT guy (or girl), but I can get PHP to work on IIS and install and setup squirrelmail.

As for an ASP.net webmail look at this thread viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8089

Hi,

there seems to be a bit of misunderstanding. I got PHP running on IIS, no problem, and hmailserver also is running fine. What I am searching for is either an Asp.Net Webmail application or a detailled instruction of how to make Squirrelmail or any other PHP-based webmail program work in this configuration - without installing Pearl or anything else as well.

Apache: No way. I do not want to install a second webserver on the same machine.

Thanks for your help.
Michael

Here's a little bit of help.

First you'll need to create a data and attachment directory.

I create a directory c:\Squirrelmail for this... it contains two folder data and attachment

C:\Squirrelmail\Data ----> Data Folder
C:\Squirrelmail\Attachments -----> Attachments Folder

Then you'll need to copy the config\config_default.php and rename that copy to config.php

Here's the important things to change in the config.php file (please use Notepad++ to edit - it makes life a lot nicer)

Line 35

Change your org name to whatever you want

Line 61


Replace Squirrelmail $version with your org title

Line 95


Replace Squirrelmail w/ provider name (i.e. whatever you want to call your webmail)

Line 106


change the url to whatever your webmail address will be (http://mail.example.com/mail) or whatever

Line 118


Replace w/ your domain

Lines 146 and 151

Place the appropriate server address and smtp port

Lines 202 and 210

Place the appropriate server address and imap port

Line 231


change other to hmailserver

Line 499


We need to change this to look like


Line 517


Change it to look like this




THere's a ton of other options in there as well (things that will change how the squirrelmail interface operates by default), but you'll have to sort through those yourself. The steps above will get squirrelmail working completely with hmailserver. As i said if you use PERL, there's a script you can run that makes this process a whole lot easier.

oh yeah and if you haven't specified a default domain in the hmailserver admin console, then your username will be of the form user1@example.com... if you have specified, then your users will be just user1

I just tested these step creating a new squirrelmail host on my webserver and these steps worked.

I also run Horde Groupware Webmail from my webserver. Its a little harder to configure but it has a lot more stuff than Squirrelmail does. If you'd like to see what it looks like - shoot me a pm and i'll send you a link for my demo account

Wrong suggestion. Use slash instead of backslash and put trailing slash.

This is how I have mine setup and it works fine and has for about 5 months - no trailing slash or backslashes.

I just tested it and it works both ways - either the way i did it, or change all the slashes to backslashes and end with a trailing backslash

Trailing slash is needed, because some code might assume that it is there. conf.pl adds it automatically. It works boths ways, but if you use slashes, you avoid possible issues.

Thanks Bruce... that was exactly what I was looking for... Instead of the HTTP-500 I always got when I followed other instructions, I get the login screen now

Also thanks to dzekas, for pointing the things with slashes / backslashes and trailing slahes out.

The only thing is: I can't login. After trying (with username only, with username@domain, and the correct password) I get:

ERROR
You must be logged in to access this page.

Is there something special with the data and attachment directories? (user rights?)

Best wishes
Michael

the attachments and data folders are ok... those would throw an error before you even reached the login screen. Something is happening between squirrelmail and hmailserver. Be sure that IIS isn't running an SMTP or other mail services. That's all I can think of.

IIS is definitely not running an SMTP service. Thanks for your help!

Best wishes
Michael

Those directories need to have read / write / full access set for the the user IUSR_'machine name' where 'machine name' is the local name of the computer.

One of the folders records user address books and preferences (and abbreviations for user names if you like), the other stores copies of attachments. I find that the attachment directory needs to be purged of 'old' documents every month or so.

IUSR_machinename hat modify rights in those folders... so this should not be the problem.

Any other ideas?

Michael

a VERY quick search of the Squirrelmail WIKI turned up this - http://www.squirrelmail.org/wiki/LoginError

Thanks mattg,

I found this entry in the wiki before... and it did not help (I would not have bothered around here if it would have helped). Session cookies are on, and whenever I start the thing I find some new files in the session save directory - so there are obviously write permissions. Also the browser(s) accept(s) cookies, and the problem is the same with IE, Firefox and Safari.

Any other ideas around here?

Best wishes
Michael

Please provide more details about your setup. OS, IIS and PHP versions, used PHP setup (ISAPI, CGI or other).

Dear all:

I'm new user here, and got same issue yesterday ,tried a lot of time troubleshooting ...Google , squirellmain wiki.....didn't get fix at last ...
Does need any settings link squirellmail to hmail server ?

Will anybody update / reply this topic ?


Thanks a lot

Johnny

Hi johnny,

dzekas replied to it. Read his post. It's just before yours...

I've got the same problem with logging in. The only differences in setup are that I have Abyss web server instead of IIS.
So that's:

WinXP SP3

Abyss 2.5

hmailserver 4.4.2

squirrelmail 1.4.16 (installed manually)

php 5.2 Setup Using CGI/ISAPI

phpMyAdmin 2.8.0.3

MySQL 4.1

ActiveState Perl 5.8

I made sure my session folder is writable by the web server by putting it in my htdocs directory, and I checked to make sure cookies weren't the issue by installing the cookie plugin for Squirrelmail. All that checks out, and I ran the configtest.php with no errors other than 6153. I still get "You must be logged in to access this page."

Maybe someone's solved this since the last post?

~adamvan2000

Could you check SquirrelMail configuration with configtest.php utility. http://your-site/squirrelmail/src/configtest.php

Compare real and detected path. They must match.

Try using 1.4.15 instead of 1.4.16. 1.4.16 includes security fixes that change the way cookies are used. These changes can trigger some issues and I have information about two possible issues with IIS and with IE for Mac. It is possible that Abyss has same $_SERVER['HTTPS'] issue as the one with IIS, but I can't be sure about it, because I haven't tested Abyss web server and have never seen phpinfo() output in Abyss+PHP setup.

CGI and ISAPI are not used together. It is CGI or ISAPI and usually applies only to IIS.

Please note that this is not SquirrelMail support forum. Please use their support channel. They have people on IRC and mailing lists.

I know, and I hate bugging you guys about this. I do appreciate the work you guys put into support for this forum, considering a lot of it seems to be third-party support. I went to Squirrelmail's IRC channel to get some help, asked a few questions, and was rudely told that I should know my own server and it's setup. Seems they were more interested in their reputation as lofty IT Gods than helping people. Here I don't see that problem. Kudos to the many self-less forum-goers who help out, even with us annoying third-party questioners.


See the included gif screenie. Maybe Abyss is different that way.


Did that, they match.

To be honest, I got so frustrated I gave it up and uninstalled it, but I may try installing an earlier version as you suggested.

Sorry about that. People on IRC were polite when I was hanging there some years ago.



Could you send me link to your phpinfo() output in private message. See http://www.squirrelmail.org/wiki/TestPHPSettings

Just adding my 2 cents to the thread.

SquirrelMail doesn't run very well on IIS if you're using the CGI module of PHP, I suggest using the ISAPI module.

Win 2k3 SP 2 (Windows NT 5.2 build 3790)
IIS 6
PHP 5.2.6
ISAPI

Here is the result of my configtest:

SquirrelMail configtest
This script will try to check some aspects of your SquirrelMail configuration and point you to errors whereever it can find them. You need to go run conf.pl in the config/ directory first before you run this script.

SquirrelMail version: 1.4.16
Config file version: 1.4.0
Config file last modified: 18 October 2008 09:08:31


Checking PHP configuration...
PHP version 5.2.6 OK.
display_errors:
error_reporting: 6143
variables_order OK: GPCS.
PHP extensions OK. Dynamic loading is enabled.
Checking paths...
Data dir OK.
Attachment dir OK.
Plugins are not enabled in config.
Themes OK.
Default language OK.
Base URL detected as: *** removed *** (location base autodetected)
Checking outgoing mail service....
SMTP server OK (220 HELO FROM *** REMOVED ***)
Checking IMAP service....
IMAP server ready (* OK IMAPrev1)
Capabilities: * CAPABILITY IMAP4 IMAP4rev1 CHILDREN IDLE QUOTA SORT
Checking internationalization (i18n) settings...
gettext - Gettext functions are available. On some systems you must have appropriate system locales compiled.
mbstring - Mbstring functions are available.
recode - Recode functions are unavailable.
iconv - Iconv functions are available.
timezone - Webmail users can change their time zone settings.
Checking database functions...
not using database functionality.

Congratulations, your SquirrelMail setup looks fine to me!

Still... I cannot login. I know this is not the squirrelmail site, but I cannot find a forum there. I (think I) did everything I found there, but it still does not work. I'm a bit frustrated, and I hope to find a solution here as I have the idea that here are some people who can help. Thanks very much for your understanding...

(Anyway, I would prefer a webmail solution that runs under ASP.Net. I don't have too much experience with PHP... so if anyone knows something, I would be thankful - most preferred would be a DNN module)

Anything else? Thanks for the help...

Michael

Set $only_secure_cookies to false in SquirrelMail configuration.

Thanks very much indeed... that solved the problem!

Best wishes
Michael

Broken $_SERVER['HTTPS'] variable tests in sqsetcookie() function. Reported it on SquirrelMail bug tracker. Issue is specific to 1.4.16 and current trunk. Older SquirrelMail versions are not affected.

Thank you dzekas. You were very helpful.

Best wishes
Michael