Webmail

Webmail lets you use your web browser to check your email. DreamHost's webmail applications are automatically setup and configured, with links and settings on the panel's Mail -> Webmail page.

Accessing webmail
Webmail is located at: http://webmail.your_domain.com or https://webmail.your_domain.com replace your_domain.com with the actual domain It is also accessible using the DreamHost domain: http://webmail.dreamhost.com or https://webmail.dreamhost.com

Webmail is automatically configured to connect to the DreamHost mail server, the only settings you need to enter are a mail account username and password to login.

Security warning when using the httpS secure link
The security certificate used by webmail is written for the dreamhost.com domain. If you access webmail using webmail.your_domain.com, the certificate's domain will not match your domain. You can avoid any warning or error message from this domain mis-match by accessing webmail using webmail.dreamhost.com.

SquirrelMail and RoundCube
The default webmail program is SquirrelMail. An alternative is available, RoundCube.

To switch between the two programs for your domain, use the panel's Mail -> Webmail page. Click the Edit button for the domain, then use the checkbox for "Enable RoundCube Webmail ". RoundCube is also accessible on the DreamHost domain at roundcube.dreamhost.com.

SquirrelMail and RoundCube are both open source software, and their websites have information on how to use the software:
 * SquirrelMail User's Manual
 * RoundCube manual

Checking for New Mail
SquirrelMail, by default, will not automatically check for new mail if you leave it open.


 * To check for new mail manually, click refresh folder list or the INBOX (near the top of the frame on the left side of the screen).


 * To set this up to "refresh" the message list, go to Options - Folder Preferences, Auto Refresh Folder List and select the amount of time to refresh the folder list. Click Submit to save this change.

"Could not complete request" error in Squirrelmail

 * ERROR : Could not complete request. Query: CREATE "Sent Items"

File Attachments
Because webmail is a PHP web application, it has lower limits for the email attachment size than emails sent through other methods. That limit is 10 MB.

Junk Mail
The Junk Mail folder in SquirrelMail is part of the Anti-spam filtering that can be turned on in the panel. This Junk Mail quarantine folder is only accessible in SquirrelMail, not RoundCube.

Non-DreamHost mail hosting
The panel's Mail -> Custom MX page has options to use Google Apps / Gmail or any other mail provider for your domain.

Using Gmail as a webmail client
Gmail's Mail Fetcher POP3 client can connect to your mail accounts and pop the emails off the DreamHost server into your Gmail account. Gmail can also use SMTP to send mail from your mail account.

Using Yahoo! Mail as a webmail client
You can also use the new Yahoo! Mail as your primary interface:
 * Either using the dreamhost control panel or procmail, forward all email to your Yahoo! account. Procmail combined with disposable addresses at Yahoo! can help you file your incoming email automatically.
 * Under 'Mail Options->Accounts,' add a new mail account with the email address of your Dreamhost-hosted domain. Click on the new account and select 'Make Default.'

You will now notice your email in the From drop-down when you compose a new message.

The junk mail filter at Yahoo! seems to be better than what I was used to with SpamAssassin. Security and privacy are concerns.

Install your own webmail client
It is possible to set up any web-based IMAP mail client as a replacement for the default SquirrelMail interface. You can disable DreamHost's webmail for a domain using the panel's Mail -> Webmail page. This will free up the webmail subdomain for you to use with your own webmail client.

You can install your own copy of SquirrelMail or RoundCube, which will give you more control over the settings and customization than the DreamHost installations. There are other popular webmail clients including Horde and OpenWebMail