next-generation email synchronization program
a project by dancermak
Updated over 6 years ago. 5 hacker ♥️. 5 followers.

There are various email synchronization programs like offlineimap or mbsync, which have some inherent limitations:

  • mbsync does not support IMAP IDLE
  • offlineimap does not yet support Python 3, proper IDLE and threading support would need a complete rewrite

Features

  • support only IMAP, no POP3
  • IMAP IDLE support is a must, especially:
    • reconnection of dropped IDLE connections
    • support IDLE for all IMAP folders
  • be able to synchronize IMAP <-> Maildir at first, IMAP <-> IMAP would be nice to have
  • bullet-proof cryptography, especially with respect to certificate validation and resistance to downgrade attacks (preferably make the TLS version configurable)
  • use inotify API to support immediate synchronization back to the server if a message changes locally
  • as simple configuration as possible with good defaults

nice to have:

  • incorporate an API for external tagging tools like notmuch to synchronize tags if the remote supports it
  • GMail support

Implementation

Preferably in Rust, using the imap crate as the core.

Scope

Try to create a MVP, especially flesh out proper testing and learn enough about the problem.

Join this project

Looking for hackers with the skills:

imap email rust

This project is part of:

Hack Week 18

Activity

  • over 6 years ago: okurz liked this project.
  • over 6 years ago: aspiers liked this project.
  • over 6 years ago: yfjiang liked this project.
  • over 6 years ago: jbaier_cz liked this project.
  • over 6 years ago: mbrugger liked this project.
  • over 6 years ago: dancermak started this project.
  • over 6 years ago: dancermak added keyword "imap" to this project.
  • over 6 years ago: dancermak added keyword "email" to this project.
  • over 6 years ago: dancermak added keyword "rust" to this project.
  • over 6 years ago: dancermak originated this project.


    • Comments

    • cyphar
      over 6 years ago by cyphar | Reply

      Just one word of warning (I ran into this last time I tried to write an IMAP client in Rust) -- the IMAP crates all appear to be either slightly or completely broken. There are several but they're all forks of one another and the "best looking" one requires tokio.

    Similar Projects

    Mail client with mailing list workflow support in Rust by acervesato

    Description

    To create a mail user interface using Rust programming language, supporting mailing list patches workflow. I know, aerc is already there, but I would like to create something simpler, without integrated protocols. Just a plain user interface that is using some crates to read and create emails which are fetched and sent via external tools.

    I already know Rust, but not the async support, which is needed in this case in order to handle events inside the mail folder and to send notifications.

    Goals

    • simple user interface in the style of aerc, with some vim keybindings for motions and search
    • automatic run of external tools (like mbsync) for checking emails
    • automatic run commands for notifications
    • apply patch set from ML
    • tree-sitter support with styles

    Resources

    • ratatui: user interface (https://ratatui.rs/)
    • notify: folder watcher (https://docs.rs/notify/latest/notify/)
    • mail-parser: parser for emails (https://crates.io/crates/mail-parser)
    • mail-builder: create emails in proper format (https://docs.rs/mail-builder/latest/mail_builder/)
    • gitpatch: ML support (https://crates.io/crates/gitpatch)
    • tree-sitter-rust: support for mail format (https://crates.io/crates/tree-sitter)

    Learn how to use the Relm4 Rust GUI crate by xiaoguang_wang

    Relm4 is based on gtk4-rs and compatible with libadwaita. The gtk4-rs crate provides all the tools necessary to develop applications. Building on this foundation, Relm4 makes developing more idiomatic, simpler, and faster.

    https://github.com/Relm4/Relm4

    Learn a bit of embedded programming with Rust in a micro:bit v2 by aplanas

    Description

    micro:bit is a small single board computer with a ARM Cortex-M4 with the FPU extension, with a very constrain amount of memory and a bunch of sensors and leds.

    The board is very well documented, with schematics and code for all the features available, so is an excellent platform for learning embedded programming.

    Rust is a system programming language that can generate ARM code, and has crates (libraries) to access the micro:bit hardware. There is plenty documentation about how to make small programs that will run in the micro:bit.

    Goals

    Start learning about embedded programming in Rust, and maybe make some code to the small KS4036F Robot car from keyestudio.

    Resources

    Diary

    Day 1

    • Start reading https://mb2.implrust.com/abstraction-layers.html
    • Prepare the dev environment (cross compiler, probe-rs)
    • Flash first code in the board (blinky led)
    • Checking differences between BSP and HAL
    • Compile and install a more complex example, with stack protection
    • Reading about the simplicity of xtask, as alias for workspace execution
    • Reading the CPP code of the official micro:bit libraries. They have a font!

    Day 2

    • There are multiple BSP for the microbit. One is using async code for non-blocking operations
    • Download and study a bit the API for microbit-v2, the nRF official crate
    • Take a look of the KS4036F programming, seems that the communication is multiplexed via I2C
    • The motor speed can be selected via PWM (pulse with modulation): power it longer (high frequency), and it will increase the speed
    • Scrolling some text
    • Debug by printing! defmt is a crate that can be used with probe-rs to emit logs
    • Start reading input from the board: buttons
    • The logo can be touched and detected as a floating point value

    Day 3

    • A bit confused how to read the float value from a pin

    Exploring Rust's potential: from basics to security by sferracci

    Description

    This project aims to conduct a focused investigation and practical application of the Rust programming language, with a specific emphasis on its security model. A key component will be identifying and understanding the most common vulnerabilities that can be found in Rust code.

    Goals

    Achieve a beginner/intermediate level of proficiency in writing Rust code. This will be measured by trying to solve LeetCode problems focusing on common data structures and algorithms. Study Rust vulnerabilities and learning best practices to avoid them.

    Resources

    Rust book: https://doc.rust-lang.org/book/

    RMT.rs: High-Performance Registration Path for RMT using Rust by gbasso

    Description

    The SUSE Repository Mirroring Tool (RMT) is a critical component for managing software updates and subscriptions, especially for our Public Cloud Team (PCT). In a cloud environment, hundreds or even thousands of new SUSE instances (VPS/EC2) can be provisioned simultaneously. Each new instance attempts to register against an RMT server, creating a "thundering herd" scenario.

    We have observed that the current RMT server, written in Ruby, faces performance issues under this high-concurrency registration load. This can lead to request overhead, slow registration times, and outright registration failures, delaying the readiness of new cloud instances.

    This Hackweek project aims to explore a solution by re-implementing the performance-critical registration path in Rust. The goal is to leverage Rust's high performance, memory safety, and first-class concurrency handling to create an alternative registration endpoint that is fast, reliable, and can gracefully manage massive, simultaneous request spikes.

    The new Rust module will be integrated into the existing RMT Ruby application, allowing us to directly compare the performance of both implementations.

    Goals

    The primary objective is to build and benchmark a high-performance Rust-based alternative for the RMT server registration endpoint.

    Key goals for the week:

    1. Analyze & Identify: Dive into the SUSE/rmt Ruby codebase to identify and map out the exact critical path for server registration (e.g., controllers, services, database interactions).
    2. Develop in Rust: Implement a functionally equivalent version of this registration logic in Rust.
    3. Integrate: Explore and implement a method for Ruby/Rust integration to "hot-wire" the new Rust module into the RMT application. This may involve using FFI, or libraries like rb-sys or magnus.
    4. Benchmark: Create a benchmarking script (e.g., using k6, ab, or a custom tool) that simulates the high-concurrency registration load from thousands of clients.
    5. Compare & Present: Conduct a comparative performance analysis (requests per second, latency, success/error rates, CPU/memory usage) between the original Ruby path and the new Rust path. The deliverable will be this data and a summary of the findings.

    Resources

    • RMT Source Code (Ruby):
      • https://github.com/SUSE/rmt
    • RMT Documentation:
      • https://documentation.suse.com/sles/15-SP7/html/SLES-all/book-rmt.html
    • Tooling & Stacks:
      • RMT/Ruby development environment (for running the base RMT)
      • Rust development environment (rustup, cargo)
    • Potential Integration Libraries:
      • rb-sys: https://github.com/oxidize-rb/rb-sys
      • Magnus: https://github.com/matsadler/magnus
    • Benchmarking Tools:
      • k6 (https://k6.io/)
      • ab (ApacheBench)

    Mail client with mailing list workflow support in Rust by acervesato

    Description

    To create a mail user interface using Rust programming language, supporting mailing list patches workflow. I know, aerc is already there, but I would like to create something simpler, without integrated protocols. Just a plain user interface that is using some crates to read and create emails which are fetched and sent via external tools.

    I already know Rust, but not the async support, which is needed in this case in order to handle events inside the mail folder and to send notifications.

    Goals

    • simple user interface in the style of aerc, with some vim keybindings for motions and search
    • automatic run of external tools (like mbsync) for checking emails
    • automatic run commands for notifications
    • apply patch set from ML
    • tree-sitter support with styles

    Resources

    • ratatui: user interface (https://ratatui.rs/)
    • notify: folder watcher (https://docs.rs/notify/latest/notify/)
    • mail-parser: parser for emails (https://crates.io/crates/mail-parser)
    • mail-builder: create emails in proper format (https://docs.rs/mail-builder/latest/mail_builder/)
    • gitpatch: ML support (https://crates.io/crates/gitpatch)
    • tree-sitter-rust: support for mail format (https://crates.io/crates/tree-sitter)