Mail server support in FreedomBox
Description of the project: Add basic mail server support to FreedomBox. One topic is to fetch emails from a 3rd party service provider, and to store them on a FreedomBox. Main focus is to use existing Debian packages and integrate them into the FreedomBox system. The mail server should receive emails via SMTP and allow emails to be accessed via encrypted IMAP (aka imaps). It would be a bonus if it is able to send and receive emails via Tor (aka .onion addresses), to allow two FreedomBox users to exchange emails without leaking metadata. http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/A_Debian_package_for_SMTP_via_Tor__aka_SMTorP__using_exim4.html describe the SMTP via Tor idea. It would be nice if the server include good ways to filter out spam. An idea is to only allow encrypted emails signed by approved keys.
Confirmed Mentor: James Valleroy
How to contact the mentor: jvalleroy at mailbox.org, jvalleroy on IRC
Confirmed co-mentors: Sunil Mohan Adapa (sunil at medhas.org, sunilmohan on IRC)
Deliverables of the project:
Plinth module to tie together mail features on FreedomBox
Feature to fetch mail and store it on FreedomBox
Feature to exchange mail over Tor between FreedomBoxes
Desirable skills: Python, Django, Shell scripting
What the intern will learn: Basic Debian email configuration and web development, which will allow non-technical users to easily setup an email server with limited features but also low-maintenance.
Application tasks:
Set up and run a FreedomBox. It can be in a virtual machine.
- Get a Plinth development environment. This could be any Debian system, but it's easiest to use Vagrant.
Related projects:
FreedomBox home page: http://freedombox.org/
FreedomBox wiki: https://wiki.debian.org/FreedomBox
Plinth repository: https://github.com/freedombox/plinth