Roundcube

Beginning last school year, IIT received several comments and notes about SquirrelMail. Most people felt it had outlived its usefulness, was hard to use or had problems with attachments, and generally had a poor user interface, especially when compared to newer e-mail systems like Hotmail, Yahoo, or Gmail or e-mail applications like Thunderbird or Outlook.

Last spring and over the summer, we investigated other web-based e-mail systems. Out of the ones evaluated, Roundcube was chosen as the likely replacement for SquirrelMail. Roundcube handles foreign languages, particular the non-latin ones, very well. Its handling of attachments was better and more intuitive. Roundcube has a more graphical, more interactive user interface, making use of many Web 2.0 technologies.

A test installation was setup last May and June and users were asked to give it a try and to give IIT feedback. Almost without exception, the feedback was very positive from everyone who tested it.

The rollout of Roundcube hasn't been without its difficulties. Many of the issues we've encountered aren't directly caused by Roundcube, but are related to outdated browsers or slow Internet connections. Because Roundcube uses newer web technologies with a corresponding increase in bandwidth needs, it generally needs a faster connection and/or newer web browser.

We are continuing to work on the system to tune it and make it faster. One upgrade was performed on Tuesday, September 11, which improved the speed for many people. We encourage people who haven't tried it since then to give it a try and give us feedback. For the time being, both Roundcube and SquirrelMail will be available.

Please note that Roundcube (or SquirrelMail) is *not* designed to be your default e-mail application. It is designed for e-mail access when you are away from your computer or checking mail in a lab. Thunderbird should be used as your primary e-mail application.

You can also install and use Thunderbird at home on your personally-owned computer or on a laptop.  Using Thunderbird will give you more features and faster access to your e-mail than either Roundcube or SquirrelMail.

Instructions for installing and configuring Thunderbird can be found at http://www.stolaf.edu/services/iit/documentation/thunderbird/. The IIT Helpdesk (x3830 or helpdesk@stolaf.edu) can also assist you with installing and setting up Thunderbird.