How to Set Up Roundcube on Saplo (Webmail for Your Mailbox in the Browser)

Anyone who manages company email from multiple devices knows the problem: one email client is installed on the desktop, another on the laptop, and on the phone you have to remember your password and manually enter the IMAP and SMTP settings every time you change devices. If more than one person uses the mailbox, you also have to share a password in the desktop app, with no way to control who logged in and when. Roundcube is a classic, open source webmail client for accessing your own mailbox in a standard browser, without installing a separate app on any device. It is not your own mail server, but an interface to an existing mailbox. Roundcube connects to any IMAP and SMTP server, by default to email in Saplo, so all you need to do is enter your login details and access the mailbox from a single address in your browser. Below is a step-by-step guide to setting up Roundcube on Saplo.

Why Roundcube instead of a mail client on every device

A locally installed mail application and your email provider's webmail panel have drawbacks that only become apparent when you use several devices every day or when several people share one mailbox:

• you have to install and configure a mail client separately on every device, and when you switch computers or phones, the entire IMAP and SMTP setup starts from scratch,
• sharing a mailbox in a desktop app means sharing a password, with no way to check who logged in and when, or revoke one person's access without changing everyone's password,
• your email provider's webmail panel runs under their domain and in their interface, neither of which you can tailor to your own brand or move to a new provider along with them.

Roundcube has none of these limitations because you deploy it as your own application on Box, under your own domain or subdomain, with a single address that works exactly the same on a computer, phone, and tablet, with no additional configuration on the device.

Requirements

To set up Roundcube on Saplo, you need:

• a Box with Docker running (the engine enables it automatically when installing from the directory, container nesting is required, which Saplo supports by default),
• at least 256 MB of free RAM on your Box and 1 GB of disk space, so the cheapest plan, Box S for $29 per year, is enough,
• a domain or subdomain *.saploapp.pl included in the price of every plan, under which the Roundcube panel will run,
• a working mailbox with IMAP and SMTP access, for example in Saplo email (mail.saplo.pl) or with any other provider, because Roundcube does not set up its own mail server, it only connects to an existing one.

You can find a full description of the app and its place in the catalog on the Roundcube on Saplo page.

Installation step by step

1. In the Saplo panel, go to Application Catalog and select Roundcube.
2. Choose a Box with at least 256 MB of free RAM where the application will run, along with the domain or subdomain where the webmail panel will be available.
3. In the IMAP Server field, leave the default value mail.saplo.pl if you use Saplo email, or enter the address of another IMAP server that Roundcube should connect to (the connection uses SSL on port 993).
4. You can leave the SMTP Server field empty, in which case Roundcube will use the same host as IMAP (the connection uses SSL on port 465), or enter a separate address if outgoing mail goes through a different server.
5. Confirm the installation. The engine deploys the official Docker image roundcube/roundcubemail in the apache variant, exposed only on the Box's loopback and connected to nginx with free SSL. It includes built-in SQLite for metadata such as contacts, settings, and cache, so there is no need to set up a separate Saplo database.
6. Once the installation is complete, the Roundcube login panel will be available at the selected domain.

First login

Roundcube does not create any account on its own, because it signs you in to an existing mailbox rather than using its own user database.

1. Go to the domain address and sign in with the full email address and password for that mailbox, for example, using the credentials for a mailbox in Saplo email.
2. After your first login, Roundcube retrieves the folders, messages and contacts from the IMAP server, so your first visit to a large mailbox may take longer than the usual dozen seconds or so.
3. In Settings, you can customize the mailbox layout, message signature, filters and additional identities if you send messages from the same mailbox using different sender addresses.
4. Every subsequent person using the same or another mailbox signs in with their own IMAP credentials at the same panel address, without creating a separate Roundcube account.

Roundcube on Saplo vs. a mail client on every device

Frequently asked questions

Is Roundcube a standalone mail server? No, Roundcube is only a webmail interface that connects outbound to an existing IMAP and SMTP server, by default to Saplo Mail, but it can be any other host.

Can I connect a mailbox outside Saplo? Yes, in the IMAP and SMTP server fields, you can enter any host that supports these protocols over SSL. Roundcube is not limited to Saplo Mail.

Do I need to set up a separate database? No, Roundcube stores contacts, settings and cache in its built-in SQLite database inside its own container, without using Saplo's shared database.

How many people can use a single Roundcube? There is no limit. Each person logs in with their own email address and password to access their mailbox under the same panel address.

Does Roundcube need port 25? No, the application makes outbound SSL connections on ports 993 (IMAP) and 465 (SMTP), so you do not need to open port 25 or grant any special network permissions on the Box.

If you are tired of installing an email client separately on every device or sharing a mailbox password in a desktop app, get in touch. We will help you choose the right Box and set up Roundcube.