EGroupware

EGroupware is a full‑stack, open‑source groupware platform that bundles calendar, contacts, tasks, email, team chat, CRM, videoconference and document management into a single web‑based suite. From a developer’s standpoint it is designed to run on any Linux distribution, with the preferred deployment path being pre‑built RPM/Debian packages that internally orchestrate a multi‑container architecture. The core application is written in PHP 8.x and relies on the Symfony framework for routing, dependency injection and security. The user interface is a modern single‑page application built with React and TypeScript, while server‑side rendering is still supported for legacy browsers. All data is persisted in a relational database, with PostgreSQL being the default and most heavily supported engine; MySQL/MariaDB are also available.

EGroupware’s architecture is deliberately modular. The PHP core exposes a RESTful API layer (JSON‑API compliant) that can be consumed by the front‑end or external services. Each major feature (mail, calendar, chat) is implemented as an app that can be enabled or disabled at runtime. The Docker‑based deployment splits these apps into separate containers: the main web container, a push‑server for real‑time notifications, and optional services such as a mail queue or a reverse proxy. The Docker Compose files ship with environment variables that allow you to swap the database backend, enable SSL termination, or point the application at an external LDAP/AD server for authentication. This containerization also makes it trivial to scale the push‑server horizontally or run multiple replicas behind a load balancer.

Developers can tap into EGroupware’s extensibility through a robust plugin system. Each app exposes hooks and event listeners, allowing custom modules to modify the request lifecycle, inject UI components, or extend data models. The REST API provides CRUD endpoints for all core entities (contacts, events, tasks) and supports OAuth2 authentication. Webhooks can be configured to notify external services on changes such as new mail or calendar updates. For advanced integrations, developers can write server‑side scripts in PHP that run on specific triggers (e.g., a mail filter). The platform also offers a template engine for generating customized email bodies and PDF reports.

EGroupware is engineered to run on commodity Linux hardware or virtual machines. The official RPM/Debian packages install a fully‑functional stack in a single command, automatically pulling the required Docker images. For environments that cannot run containers, the same packages can be configured to use a local PHP interpreter and Apache/Nginx. The application scales horizontally by replicating the web container; the push‑server can be scaled independently because it uses a Redis backend for pub/sub. The Docker images are built on Alpine Linux, keeping the footprint small and the attack surface minimal. Continuous integration pipelines (Travis CI, Scrutinizer) ensure that every commit passes unit tests and static analysis before merging.

EGroupware’s plugin architecture is exposed via Composer packages, allowing developers to ship reusable modules that can be installed with a single composer require. The API follows the OpenAPI 3.0 specification, making it straightforward to generate client SDKs in any language. For real‑time collaboration, the push‑server implements WebSocket and MQTT protocols, which can be integrated with external chat or notification services. The platform also supports SAML2 and OpenID Connect for single sign‑on, as well as LDAP/Active Directory integration for user provisioning. Custom CSS and JavaScript can be injected through the administration UI, enabling branding or feature tweaks without touching core code.

The project maintains comprehensive documentation in its GitHub wiki, covering installation, API reference, and plugin development. The community is active on the forum and Slack channel, with a dedicated “Developers” section that hosts tutorials and sample plugins. The codebase follows PSR‑12 coding standards, and unit tests cover over 70% of the core logic. Licensing is dual: the Community Edition (CE) is GPL‑v3, while the Enterprise Edition (EPL) provides additional modules for e‑invoicing and advanced CTI integrations. This dual model gives developers the flexibility to extend the platform without licensing constraints, while still benefiting from commercial support if needed.

• Enterprise Collaboration: Companies that require a fully on‑premises, GDPR‑compliant suite can deploy EGroupware to replace disparate tools (Outlook, SharePoint, Teams). The plugin system allows integration with existing LDAP directories and CTI hardware.
• Educational Institutions: Universities can use the learning‑tool modules (VIDOTEACH) and the online office suite to provide students with a unified workspace, while keeping data on campus servers.
• Government Agencies: The upcoming e‑invoice module supports XRechnung and ZUGFeRD, making it suitable for public sector procurement workflows that demand legal compliance.
• SaaS Providers: By containerizing the application, providers can offer a multi‑tenant hosting service that still preserves data sovereignty for each client.

EGroupware’s biggest selling points for developers are its modular architecture, container‑friendly deployment, and open API surface. Unlike monolithic solutions that lock users into a proprietary stack, EGroupware lets you cherry‑pick features and scale components independently. The use of mainstream technologies (PHP, React, PostgreSQL) lowers the learning curve and allows teams to leverage existing