Mozilla is updating its web browser, however it is not the only Foundation program we use. There are still many users who use an email client, in this case Mozilla Thunderbird. But fortunately it is not the only email client out there for Gnu / Linux.
There are many alternatives just as good as Mozilla Thunderbird and others that, despite not offering the same, are efficient and lightweight for computers with few resources. We are going to present you four alternatives to Mozilla Thunderbird that are found in all official repositories and that we can install and use them.
Sylpheed
The first of them is quite famous, old and effective. Sylpheed is an email client that not only offers us email, but also possibility of multi-account, GPG signature and the edition of html messages. This client does not have personalization or a calendar, but it is effective when it comes to sending and receiving emails. The basic functions that every user looks for are also found in Sylpheed. Thus, in addition to sending emails, we can filter and search them with basic tools of the email client.
Ferry
This email client is lighter but also has fewer features. Balsa supports the management of multiple email accounts, also supports IMAP and POP protocols. We can find in Balsa basic functions such as marking emails, searching for emails, classifying them, etc ... But We will not have other options such as the encryption of the emails or the edition of signatures in html. Nor will we find calendars or customizations through add-ons. Something that makes Balsa quite a thin client.
Alpine
If we are looking for an ultralight email client, Alpine is the solution. So light is Alpine that it only works in terminal, it does not have a graphical interface. This client is basic and although it may seem difficult to use, due to the style of the terminal, the truth is that Alpine is as easy as Nano, the Linux code editor. Alpine does not allow the reading of files in html and in other formats incompatible with the terminal, but it does support multi-account management as well as POP and IMAP protocols.
little piece
If Alpine is the simplest expression, we can say that Trojita is an intermediate solution. Trojita only works with the IMAP protocol which means that we need to have an internet connection to work. Once we have the connection, Trojita will manage all our emails remotely, which makes the program quite light. We have basic functions and we can read html files and even add keyboard shortcuts and certain personal settings. Trojita is ideal for those who have a remote mail server and want to manage it from their computer.
Conclusion
Finding a good email client is difficult. Mozilla Thunderbird is very good and a difficult replacement; but if I have to choose an alternative, I would possibly choose Sylpheed. This program is quite complete and lighter than Thunderbird. The rest of the options are very good, but they lack some functions and at certain times, their absence can be quite annoying. In any case, If we have several email accounts, we can always try the four options and decide which is the best option for us..
Everything that Mozilla is doing in Firefox is great, but leave Thunderbird aside as they are doing… ummmm I hope that when they get to where they want to go with Firefox they will resume the development of Thunderbird.
I know that 5 years ago they said that it was no longer a priority and they stopped its development (except for security updates, which is not little) ... but the community has been waiting since then for them to move a file.
And I do not doubt that the proposed alternatives are better (at least in certain cases) but when you have spent years and years with a style of program that requires a certain skill and method ... the changes are complex.
Anyway I'll try Sylpheed (yes, linux though, I'm UI meat :-D)
Thanks for the info. I stayed the same with thunderbird hahaha