Cypht

Cypht is a PHP‑based webmail platform that aggregates multiple email accounts—whether IMAP, SMTP, JMAP or EWS—into a unified interface. At its core it functions as both a combined inbox and a traditional client, allowing users to browse folders, compose messages, and manage mailboxes across providers. The architecture is intentionally modular: the framework loads module sets (the project’s term for plugins) that encapsulate discrete features such as RSS feed support, calendar integration, or custom search filters. This design keeps the core lightweight while granting developers granular control over functionality.

Technical Stack

• Language & Runtime: PHP 7.4+ (object‑oriented, PSR‑ compliant) with a JavaScript front‑end built on modern ES6 modules.
• Framework: A custom MVC‑style engine that handles routing, templating, and dependency injection.
• Database: SQLite for local configuration storage; optional MySQL/PostgreSQL support for larger deployments.
• Email Protocols: Native IMAP/SMTP libraries, plus community‑maintained adapters for JMAP and EWS.
• Containerization: Official Docker image (cypht/cypht) bundles the web server, PHP runtime, and required extensions, enabling quick CI/CD pipelines.

Core Capabilities & APIs

• Unified Views: API endpoints expose combined inbox, sent, drafts, and flagged collections, returning JSON that the client consumes.
• Profile Management: Developers can programmatically create profiles—logical groupings of IMAP/SMTP accounts with signature and reply‑to settings.
• Plugin API: Each module registers hooks (onMessageRead, beforeSend, etc.) and exposes configuration schemas, making it straightforward to extend or replace UI components.
• Webhooks: Optional outbound hooks trigger on events such as new mail arrival, allowing integration with external services (e.g., Slack notifications).
• Security: The codebase follows CII Best Practices, with regular vulnerability scans and a dedicated security policy page.

Deployment & Infrastructure

Cypht is designed for self‑hosting on LAMP stacks or within Docker. The minimal footprint (≈200 MB image) makes it suitable for edge devices, VPS, or corporate intranets. Horizontal scaling can be achieved by deploying multiple instances behind a load balancer, each sharing a common database or using Redis for session clustering. The application’s statelessness (apart from user sessions) simplifies rolling updates and blue‑green deployments.

Integration & Extensibility

Because every feature is a module, developers can drop in third‑party integrations or replace existing ones without touching core files. For example, a custom OAuth2 module can be added to authenticate against an enterprise SSO provider, or a machine‑learning tagger can hook into onMessageRead to auto‑categorize mail. The module repository (/modules) contains a growing catalog of community‑contributed extensions, and the documentation encourages pull requests for new modules.

Developer Experience

The project maintains comprehensive documentation on its website, with dedicated sections for module development, API reference, and security guidelines. Composer is the primary dependency manager (jason-munro/cypht), and the code follows PSR‑12 standards, easing integration into existing PHP ecosystems. Active community channels (Gitter, GitHub discussions) and monthly meetings foster rapid issue resolution and feature proposals.

Use Cases

• ISP or Hosting Provider: Offer a single‑pane webmail solution for customers while keeping their existing IMAP/SMTP configurations intact.
• Educational Institutions: Consolidate institutional email, departmental feeds, and announcement RSS streams into one portal.
• Enterprise Teams: Provide a lightweight alternative to full‑blown mail clients, with custom branding and integration hooks for internal tools.
• Personal Use: Aggregate personal Gmail, Outlook, and corporate accounts with a unified search experience.

Advantages

• Performance: The modular engine loads only the required modules, keeping memory usage low.
• Flexibility: Developers can mix and match protocols (IMAP, JMAP, EWS) without rewriting the client.
• Licensing: LGPL‑v2 allows commercial deployment while encouraging open contributions.
• Community & Maintenance: Regular releases, security audits, and a structured plugin ecosystem reduce the burden of keeping legacy mail clients up to date.

In summary, Cypht offers a highly extensible, protocol‑agnostic webmail platform that can be tailored to niche use cases or scaled for large deployments—all while keeping the developer experience straightforward through clear APIs, modular design, and robust documentation.