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janime

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Webmail access for internet users

HI,
We have 3 accounts hosted on our Centos dedicated server with WHM/Cpanel installed.
Currently we are accessing our mails through Cpanel or POP (outlook client). However sometimes people need to access it directly via web/internet.  
How do we set up that web interface for them?
Thank you.
J.
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compaqus
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you need to install something like squirrel or horde. What do you run as the email server (postfix, qmail)?
cPanel has Horde, SquirrelMail and Roundcube installed by default doesn't it?

Try accessing http://webmail.yourdomain.com if it's a recent release of cPanel (should work on port 80), or http://yourdomain.com/webmail if it's not (will redirect to port 2082).
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janime

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Yes RedLondon is right. SquirrelMail, horde and Roundcoube are there by default. We prefer using Squirrel Mail for accessing the mail via cPanel.  The advice to access the mail as per RedLondon advice is not what we are looking for. This still brings clients to the cPanel. We want to have a classic web interface access as any other ordinary webmail service (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc). Of course it doesn't have to be that advanced but there must be a landing webmail interface page  (we can create that if needed) with simple user login and password. Is there any script or software we can use (it doesn't have to be free we are willing to pay for this).
Thank you.
J.
I'm not sure I understand, you want webmail access to your mailboxes but not via either Squirrel, hOrde or Roundcube?

If you want to use one of them (eg Roundcube) and not offer the choice, create a page manually and provide a link to http://webmail.yourdomain.com/3rdparty/roundcube/index.php ?
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We don't mind having the system backed up by Squirrel mail. However we need a proper access to it. It's all about accessing the mail. Take a look at  a yahoo webmail. Are they accessing it through any kind of webhosting panels? No. They have a nice webmail interface with login and password (even resending the frogotten password if needed). I am looking for that kind of web email interface. Examples: https://webmail.shaw.ca/uwc/auth , https://sm.webmail.pair.com/src/login.php,https://mail.yahoo.com/ , etc ..  Everywhere there is a webmail landing page.
The example link in my previous reply would take you directly to Roundcube.  Is that what you wanted?  No.  I'll leave this to someone else.
If you host your email "in house" then RedLondon is right. You already have a webmail, you need to make a page that would redirect your users to one of the 3 and skip the cpanel part. All of them have login capabilities built in.

If you host the server in the cloud,then RedLondon is right again, try talking to your provider, they might help setting up a direct access to one.

You HAVE webmail, you don't have a direct access page to login directly into one of them.
try this one:
(1) create subdomain, i.e webmail.domain.com
(2) create .htaccess file in there that contains:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^webmail.domain.com$ [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.webmail.domain.com$
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://domain.com:2096/3rdparty/roundcube/index.php?_task=mail$1 [R=301,L]

http://forums.cpanel.net/f5/direct-login-roundcube-webmail-85841.html

This will redirect the user to the round cube interface. Apparently you cannot get the standard login interface "it's a feature".
I mean the standard login of the ones built in Cpanel. The reason is the users getting access to forwards, change pass etc.

You can always install yet another one on the side if you really want to. The example above, taken from the Cpanel forum should redirect after the login without user intervention.
Compaqus, I think that suggestion predates the current release of cPanel - webmail subdomains are now created in all hosting accounts by default.  There were lots of solutions like that before so that people could access webmail on port 80, because previously it was only http on 2095 or https on 2096 (which in turn was redirected from domain.com/webmail by default).  Whichever release of cPanel that brought in the webmail subdomain also introduced port 80 access on that subdomain too.  I guess your solution would still work, but may conflict with the webmail subdomain handled by the server already - probably worth using a different subdomain name.
Thanks, RedLondon did not think of that. True.

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So I am back where I was at the beginning. Using that approach we always get a ceritificate validation warning which doesn't look professional.  And as I said we want to use Squirrel mail no Roundcube. Actually I have access to cPanel forum myself I can read many related threads there. What  I am looking for is a clean MAIL LANDING PAGE as posted above. If I have to create one, fine, then please show me a quick example (php page I assume). The Forgotten Password feature will be definitively welcome. I thought there is some script ready to be installed which would take care of this. What about Nutsmail script, will that do the job - create a nice webmail interface?
Thank you.
You don't seem to want anyone to help you because each time someone does, you introduce a different problem - this is the first time you've mentioned a certificate validation warning for example.

If you want to link people directly to Squirrelmail, use http://webmail.yourdomain.com/3rdparty/squirrelmail/index.php instead of http://webmail.yourdomain.com/3rdparty/roundcube/index.php

I don't think Experts Exchange rules allow me to link to my own website, but I create a www.newaccount.com/mail subfolder by default (using the skeleton account) which redirects to www.mycompany.com/mail and there I have a help page explaining to people how they can access their email using either of the 3 clients and link directly to them.

None of my customers are under the illusion that they have their own server and all know that they have an account on my server, so they are happy to see mycompany.com if they want to access their webmail.  They can do it via SSL without certificate warnings if they want, too.  If you didn't want them to see that page in your branding, duplicate it and match it to their design for every account - but be ready to have to change them all if the direct-access links change in a future version of cPanel.

In other words, from what limited information you've given us, I know what you're trying to do is possible because I've done it - but what makes it difficult to answer your question is the new things you introduce along the way.

If you get a certificate error, that is a different issue entirely - likely either you have set http:// to redirect to https:// and don't have a certificate for each domain (in which case, set all cPanel requests to be served from your hostname which does have an SSL cert), or you have already done that but have a cpanel generated self-signed SSL cert instead of an externally purchased/trusted one (in which case get one, they're $peanuts)
Configure your apache and install openwebmail http://openwebmail.org/...
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RedLondon - my intention is no to confuse people here but to find help. Any classic webmail interface doesn't get any pop ups screen to be confirmed!
Since the beginning I said I am looking for that WEBMAIL Landing page! I sent the links as examples. Do you see any pop ups  there with certificate validiations?
Sorry, I thought it was obvious but then when I saw you are still pushing that cPanel  webmail access (I know about that one) I had to mentioned that.
 Not to disregard you advices but to outline the right path.
Logically I replaced the roundcube with the squirrelmail in the posted links above but unfortunately this doesn't work:
http://webmail.yourdomain.com/3rdparty/squirrelmail/index.php 
nor
http://yourdomain.com/webmail/3rdparty/squirrelmail/index.php 

As for that SSL problem I thought there would  be that software/script (I am looking for) which will take care of this. The price is not the issue here (as long as it is not above ($2000 US). The quality service we want to provide to our clients is. If the SSL certificate is required in order to have that clean WEBMAIL LANDING page, we'll get it for sure.
Then what's next? I am looking for a Script/Software which will create the nice stand-alone webmail login page (whit a forgotten password option).
Is there any software/script like that (you have experience with)? Of course all the mail will be run by Squirrelmail in the background.
Thanks.
J.
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Sorry, for "If that get the webmail. subdomains working...", read "If that DOES NOT get the webmail. subdomains working..."
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Hi RedLondon, I appreciate your help. I am not a web host specialist so I plan to get a programmer who can quickly set this up.  
Again I know you are right if roundcube link works eventually I can get the squirrelmal's one working too. But our main problem was - the cPanel webmail just wasn't giving us that standalone (static/html/php) landing page. All we were getting was that gray box with the login and password (the same way you log into your cpanel). This just did not look professional enough. I read the cPanel forum before and was not able to find the clear information I needed for this.  
So yes, we need a customized CLEAN STATIC LANDING MAIL PAGE (where we can put our logo and info) . Yes, you are right this might be just  that "customized cPanel "Theme" as you state above. Please, send me any example of your webmail login page - I believe that would settle down any misunderstandings.
Thank you very much.
J.
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Thank you all. I think for now we will have to go without that "Forgotten password" option. I got that guy I was mentioning before - he will help us to set up that static landing page (hewill customize the page with our logo and other details). He will certainly use all you advices as a resource for his work.
Thanks once again.
J.
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The solution is ok, however we could not incorporate all the features we have planned.