(apologies in advance if this isn’t the right community for this question)

I’ve been flirting with Linux on and off for about 15 years and I think I’m ready to make the switch mostly full-time. I use a laptop for work and have a Microsoft 365 plan with email and such. I need to replace that with something Linux-friendly and would much prefer something that works with a desktop email client. Easy syncing of email, contacts and calendar to Android is a must.

Proton seems like it might be a good option but the privacy features aren’t a huge selling point for me so I’m open to other options!

  • abraham_linksys@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    Just in case you don’t know, you can use those Microsoft services no problem in Linux through a web browser. You can also “install” them since they’re PWAs and integrate them with your system notifications.

    There’s also Thunderbird from Mozilla, and the open source fork Betterbird that has a far more modern appearance and options. That will work easily with your existing Microsoft email.

    I’m by no means encouraging that you stay on Microsoft, but moving to Linux AND changing providers for important stuff like email and calendar might be a lot all at once.

    • cygnus@lemmy.caOP
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      1 year ago

      Good advice - I should have clarified that I’m already doing this. I’ve been dual-booting PopOS for a while and using webmail Outlook. I hardly ever log in to Windows anymore. OneDrive is unusable in Linux so I’m going to use Nextcloud instead; after that I just need to replace the email system.

      • krnl386@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        OneDrive is unusable in Linux

        Look into rclone mounts, assuming your org allows you to use rclone with OneDrive and SharePoint Online.

        There’s also this open source, and commercial client, but I haven’t used them myself.

        • cygnus@lemmy.caOP
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          1 year ago

          I looked into these but the “on demand” functionality is missing; I don’t want to download the entire OneDrive contents to my laptop or have to manually sync and unsync folders. Nextcloud does have that feature.

          • abraham_linksys@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            Nextcloud is awesome. I work in cloud engineering and we’re implementing them for a client right now. So many cool extensions, and everything open source

          • krnl386@lemmy.ca
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            1 year ago

            rclone mounts don’t download anything; they cache “hot” data, and you can tweak that behaviour.

            • cygnus@lemmy.caOP
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              1 year ago

              That sounds like it’s beyond my current proficiency level – I’m willing to put in some work to de-Google/Microsoft myself, but still want something that “just works”.

        • holland@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          OneDrive is unusable in Linux

          OneDrive works better in Linux than in Windows with the open-source client. Takes up almost zero memory or resources, downloads files quicker than the Windows client. Only doesn’t have the “on demand” functionality but that often didn’t work properly in Windows either.

    • Vilian@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      I’m by no means encouraging that you stay on Microsoft, but moving to Linux AND changing providers for important stuff like email and calendar might be a lot all at once.

      i agree, i encourage you to try others systems, but it’s a different OS, it work differently, so take it slow, try in a VM, to try apps, them make a dual boot, so you still have windows there while you learn

  • Synestine@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    If you’re (going to continue) using Office 365, you can use Evolution as an Outlook replacement. Evolution EWS rides OWA and ActiveSync protocols to give you email, calendars, contacts, notes, etc. I’ve used it for over a decade. It works very well once setup.

    As for Android, there are several, including Outlook for Android (which is bloated and slow, being a Microsoft product), which I am forced to use because of our company SSO config.

    If you’re looking for an Office 365 replacement, I use Nextcloud for my personal stuff. It has files, contacts, calendars, notes, etc. If you install the OnlyOffice plugin, you get multi-user online document and spreadsheet editing. I use the DAVx5 connector to get (shared and personal) contacts, calendars, and tasks in my Android phone. It integrates into the environment so all calendars and contacts apps work automatically. It also automatically backs up pics/vids I take with my phone automatically.

    • cygnus@lemmy.caOP
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      1 year ago

      This is great, thank you. I don’t see a compelling reason to keep using MS email if I’m ditching the Office apps and OneDrive, so in my case it’ll be all or nothing. This is the second recommendation here for OnlyOffice; I’ve been using LibreOffice but might have to give that a shot.

      • Synestine@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        If you’re replacing all of O365 (excellent choice, BTW), I do recommend Nextcloud with a few plugins. I use it specifically for sharing contacts and calendars among my family.

        LibreOffice is my desktop word processor and spreadsheet, and I use it more than OnlyOffice, but if you need two people in the same file at the same time, OnlyOffice is a better option.

    • bahmanm@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Evolution (with Gnome) is pretty great! Smooth integration with both Google and Microsoft accounts with a decent UI.

      • Neil@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        Another vote for Evolution. I’m the only person in my o365 company that uses Linux and it checks all the boxes. Trying to get the same in Thunderbird is an extension headache and never fully worked for me, especially with contacts.

  • sat012e@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    I’ve been on Linux desktop (Mint) for over a decade now. My company uses O365 for email, as did the organization before them.

    I use Thunderbird with several add-ons: Mailbox Alert, Owl for Exchange (paid), Provider for Exchange ActiveSync, and TbSync. I honestly couldn’t tell you which one or ones I find most useful - it’s been so long since I’ve installed them, I don’t remember which addon provides which functionality. My most recent install was Owl, for calendaring and because things got a wee bit fucky with O365 servers for a week or two last year. I have Thunderbird set to collect addresses when I reply to users. You can have it query AD for contacts, I think, but it tends to be a wee bit slow.

    On my Android phone, I use the default Google Calendar app, and the Gmail app to query O365.

    • PenguinCoder@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      The problem here is the way in which Exchange, and Microsoft, do things with what should be Interopobile. Instead there’s additions and extension only available if you’re using exchange or Microsoft products. It’s absolutely intentional to make you frustrated at what the alternatives are and how they don’t work,. Buy exchange and it’ll be fixed.

  • bbbhltz@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    So, you need a groupware/email provider and app recommendations?

    Thunderbird will likely be the most recommended client as it does all 3 of the things you need. So, it gets points for being easy. And you can try it out on Windows before to see if you like it.

    There are other OK clients. Overall I am not a big fan of Thunderbird or most of the other options. I settled for Claws, but it is not for everyone.

    Proton is highly recommended, along with Disroot and Tutanota and Mailbox and many others.

    As for Android syncing, it is all pretty easy. I use Mailbox and on my Android FairEmail, Davx5, Icsx5, and Etar to keep everything synced.

    • Kory@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Could you elaborate a little on the syncing please, it doesn’t sound “all pretty easy” to me :). You are mentioning 3 apps, why do you need all of them?

      • bbbhltz@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        Depends on the protocols used.

        Mailbox uses CalDAV and CardDAV. If I want the Android calendar to sync my contacts, I need Davx5 to speak to the server. Same goes for Calendars. The stock calendar app works, but I just prefer Etar. Anyway…

        FairEmail gets the email. Easy to setup.

        Davx5 gets the rest. Just put in the username and password. Done.

        Icsx5 is the same as Davx5, but for iCal things. So, I subscribe to my partner’s public calendar, my work calendars, etc.

        I wouldn’t classify it as “not easy” but rather jumping a few extra hurdles. I think Proton has an app that takes care of this… Not sure.

        Switching email providers is not a frictionless process. It caused a lot of stress for me. And my laptop, well, I use Claws for email and 3 other command line applications to get my calendars and contacts synced. Bit of a pain, but it works.

    • cygnus@lemmy.caOP
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      1 year ago

      Wow this seems like a far better deal than Proton, Tutanota etc. Do you use their service?

      • harl3k1n@feddit.de
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        1 year ago

        I do. Only on Android though. I’m not sure how well the cloud drive integrates with Linux DEs.

        • cygnus@lemmy.caOP
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          1 year ago

          How is the deliverability? Do you have any issues with it going to people’s spam folder?

          • harl3k1n@feddit.de
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            1 year ago

            I haven’t had any issues yet with my @etik.com address. However, I only use it privately, not for business.

    • cygnus@lemmy.caOP
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      1 year ago

      I have, and I’ll probably use it - I just need a replacement for the email provider.

        • cygnus@lemmy.caOP
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          1 year ago

          I’ve read mixed feedback on deliverability with Zoho. As this is for work, I don’t want my emails going into clients’ spam folder.

          • Engywuck@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            I didn’t personally experience any kind of problem during all the time I have used them on a free tier (more than 6-7 years, for sure).

      • planish@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        You could try Google. Most big email and calendar apps will support their nonstandard login flow.

    • Kleysley@discuss.tchncs.de
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      1 year ago

      If you dont care about privacy, what advantages are therw with proton over tutanota? Proton also has apps for all these platforms…

    • cygnus@lemmy.caOP
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      1 year ago

      They would be on my list if they offered an import service, without which their offering is useless to me… I’d lose years of work emails.

  • excitingburp@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Fastmail is well-regarded, although they are hosted in Australia (which has some really dumb privacy laws). I use them. There’s an import tool.

    If you are privacy paranoid, mailfence is hosted in Belgium, which is a brick wall when it comes to privacy and warrants - likely the best jurisdiction in the world in this regard. The interface is dated.

  • _edge@discuss.tchncs.de
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    1 year ago

    Google Mail/Calender/Workspace or what it’s called. Works perfectly in a web browser and you can connect Thunderbird or Evolution. Most people who use Linux professionally are on Google. And most other people, too. Microsoft is a niche player unless you are locked in.

    You can add self-hosted and open-source stuff anytime, but you’ll need good email and calender that plays nice with the outside world, so Google. Maybe something like mailbox.org. Maybe you ISP’s email + Thunderbird + nextcloud + K9 on Android will do, but you do not want to self-host or experiment with email if your business relies on it.

    Nextcloud works fine for internal file exchange (but so does google drive), internal calendar, many apps on top of it. It even has a web-based mail client, but personally I would not use this is as my primary business email unless you are a hosting pro.