Squirrelmail Deprecation Notice

We are discontinuing the support for Squirrelmail in June 25th 2021, because we need to focus our resources on services that are actively used. You will need to migrate to our Roundcube interface or an IMAP client before June 2021.

What webmail interface are you talking about?

The old webmail interface is called Squirrelmail. It can be reached if you visit Riseup’s mail page and then click on the link below thelogin box which reads “Old webmail (squirrelmail only)”

I only logged into it once to try it, do I need to do anything?

No, if you do not use this webmail regularly, you do not need to do anything.

I use this all the time, what do I need to know?

You will need to begin transitioning away from using this webmail, to something else. If you need to use webmail, you should instead be using the webmail that we maintain. Your other options are to use a mail client locally, learn about your options. We will be warning you again about this going away, but you have until June of 2021 to transition away and then it will be removed. We feel that this gives you plenty of time to adjust to a new webmail system, and transition any contacts over.

Will I lose my mail?

No you will not lose any mail. If you login to our supported webmail, you will find all of your mail there. Your folders will also be there (if you don’t see them, you will simply need to go to your folder settings and subscribe to them).

My entire workflow is using this system, how do I deal with this?

We understand that this is going to be a bit of a process to change for some. We encourage you to take the time to begin to get familiar with our supported webmail, and start to think about what you need to do to migrate to the new system. You have half a year to work through these adjustments, which we believe should give you enough space to do it without stress. Just be sure to start the process now so you aren’t caught off guard in June when the system goes away.

But, isn’t javascript evil?

We totally sympathize with you. We also have a problem with javascript, but the reality is we have a more serious problem with the old webmail which comes down to the fact that it isn’t being actively maintained, and as a result it is decaying and becoming a less reliable and secure service. We would be reckless to let it continue to decay, as we cannot continue to support it.

As much as squirrelmail has been amazing (we’ve been running it for over a decade now), we have to let it go and move on. Also, did you know that our old webmail actually has javascript in it, yes it does. I know, it feels like learning that gummy bears are made by breaking down the collagen in bones and skin “that are generated as waste during animal slaughtering and processing, but its true, the old webmail has javascript.

But old computers, planned obsolescense, don’t you care?

Yeah, we have a problem with technology, and planned obsolescense in general. The toxic environmental problems involved with computing have been haunting us for a long time. This is why we have used recycled computers, many which were donated to us from companies who would have thrown them away otherwise, we spend an unusual amount of time putting life into old machines to keep them running, long after they’ve been determined to be garbage by others. We’ve supported work re-purposing “junk” as linux machines for community computer labs, worked on efforts to refurbish equipment and make it useful for places around the world who wouldn’t otherwise have access to anything, we have been long supporters of movements to re-purpose machines, and as free software dvelopers we are very aware that this work has an element oriented around maintaining access to systems and breathing life into computers that would otherwise be discarded. We are keenly aware of how this feeds into the capitalist society, and have spent the last twenty years and more resisting the “latest and greatest”, and instead have done everything we can to re-use equipment for our services that would have otherwise been trashed.

But why?!

We have a fundamental problem with squirrelmail, which comes down to the fact that we have no labor resources to continue to maintain it, and we haven’t for some time now. Additionally, the original authors also do not have this time. It is reckless of us to continue running it, as it jeapordizes you, and the other riseup users because it is not properly maintained. We have put more than a decade into maintaining this software, and as much as we love it, we cannot continue to do it when there are much better maintained software out there.

Can you please keep it?

Sorry, no. You are welcome to run your own locally, if you wish to.

I have another question not listed here

Please open a support ticket