AutoConfig doesn't return JMAP and doesn't adhere to latest spec

Issues
1

Issue Description

AutoConfig

  • Should deliver a JMAP config. Currently there’s no JMAP at all. That prevents Parula from setting up a JMAP account. Stalwart is primarily JMAP, so why not advertize that? It should be the first = most preferred config. Thunderbird is written to ignore a “type” that it doesn’t understand, so no compat issues there.

  • Authentication should be <authentication system="http">basic</authentication>, not authentication>http-basic</authentication> . The latter was an outdated version of the spec - sorry for that. The system=“http” is in the latest version of the spec, not yet uploaded, but about to be published this or next week. Thunderbird ignores everything apart from IMAP, POP3 and SMTP right now, so no there are backwards compat problems with this change for TB. Parula reads these values and needs them as stated. Other clients can also use them, as the mechanism is designed to be generic and generally useful for all kinds of clients.

  • For OAuth, use <authentication>OAuth2</authentication> as you already do. Both for TCP- and HTTP-based protocols.

  • <displayName>Pia Software</displayName> is the name of the email provider, i.e. the company, not the email address. Same for the <displayShortName>. An email client can always use the email address as account name, if it wants to, so putting the email address in there is not helpful. But e.g. Parula wants to use a pretty name for the company (and has logic to disambiguate when there are 2 accounts from the same company). If possible, both display name values should come from config fields in the Stalwart config, which reflects the name of the company or organisation. If that’s too difficult to add config fields in the admin UI, and also as default value for the field, please use the email domain (part after @).

Thanks for your support of the standard! Much appreciated.

Expected Behavior

<clientConfig version="1.1">
<emailProvider id="mail.pia.im">
  <domain>mail.pia.im</domain>
  <displayName>Pia Software</displayName>
  <displayShortName>Pia</displayShortName>
  <incomingServer type="jmap">
    <hostname>mail.pia.im</hostname>
    <port>443port>
    <socketType>SSL</socketType>
    <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
    <authentication>OAuth2</authentication>
  </incomingServer>
  <incomingServer type="imap">
    <hostname>mail.pia.im</hostname>
    <port>993</port>
    <socketType>SSL</socketType>
    <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
    <authentication>password-cleartext</authentication>
  </incomingServer>
  <incomingServer type="pop3">
    <hostname>mail.pia.im</hostname>
    <port>995</port>
    <socketType>SSL</socketType>
    <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
    <authentication>password-cleartext</authentication>
  </incomingServer>
  <outgoingServer type="smtp">
    <hostname>mail.pia.im</hostname>
    <port>465</port>
    <socketType>SSL</socketType>
    <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
    <authentication>password-cleartext</authentication>
  </outgoingServer>
</emailProvider>

<calendar type="caldav">
  <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
  <authentication system="http">basic</authentication>
  <serverURL>https://mail.pia.im/dav/cal</serverURL>
</calendar>
<addressBook type="carddav">
  <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
  <authentication system="http">basic</authentication>
  <serverURL>https://mail.pia.im/dav/card</serverURL>
</addressBook>
<fileShare type="webdav">
  <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
  <authentication system="http">basic</authentication>
  <serverURL>https://mail.pia.im/dav/file</serverURL>
</fileShare>

<clientConfigUpdate url="https://autoconfig.mail.pia.im/mail/config-v1.1.xml"/>
</clientConig>

Actual Behavior

<clientConfig version="1.1">
<emailProvider id="mail.pia.im">
  <domain>mail.pia.im</domain>
  <displayName>%EMAILADDRESS%</displayName>
  <displayShortName>mail.pia.im</displayShortName>
  <incomingServer type="imap">
    <hostname>mail.pia.im</hostname>
    <port>993</port>
    <socketType>SSL</socketType>
    <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
    <authentication>password-cleartext</authentication>
  </incomingServer>
  <incomingServer type="pop3">
    <hostname>mail.pia.im</hostname>
    <port>995</port>
    <socketType>SSL</socketType>
    <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
    <authentication>password-cleartext</authentication>
  </incomingServer>
  <outgoingServer type="smtp">
    <hostname>mail.pia.im</hostname>
    <port>465</port>
    <socketType>SSL</socketType>
    <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
    <authentication>password-cleartext</authentication>
  </outgoingServer>
</emailProvider>

<calendar type="caldav">
  <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
  <authentication>http-basic</authentication>
  <serverURL>https://mail.pia.im/dav/cal</serverURL>
</calendar>
<addressBook type="carddav">
  <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
  <authentication>http-basic</authentication>
  <serverURL>https://mail.pia.im/dav/card</serverURL>
</addressBook>
<fileShare type="webdav">
  <username>%EMAILADDRESS%</username>
  <authentication>http-basic</authentication>
  <serverURL>https://mail.pia.im/dav/file</serverURL>
</fileShare>

<clientConfigUpdate url="https://autoconfig.mail.pia.im/mail/config-v1.1.xml"/>
</clientConfig>

Reproduction Steps

https://autoconfig.pia.im/mail/config-v1.1.xml

Stalwart Version

v0.16.x

Installation Method

Docker

Database Backend

RocksDB

Blob Storage

RocksDB

Search Engine

Internal

Directory Backend

Internal

Additional Context

I am the original author and maintainer of the AutoConfig protocol.

I have reviewed the documentation and FAQ and confirm that my issue is NOT addressed there.

on

I have searched this support forum (open and closed topics) and confirm this is not a duplicate.

on

2

Hi Ben, My understanding is that PACC will be the only autoconfig mechanism that the mailmaint WG will work on from now on. Stalwart treats AutoConfig as a legacy mechanism and updating it to your latest draft has the risk of breaking existing clients. We can discuss this in Vienna.

3

Hey Mauro, yes, that’s a misunderstanding, but a very understandable one. For one part, I haven’t gotten around to update the Draft yet, and that’s the only reason why it was parked (I had backchatter with the chairs).

I will update the spec in the coming weeks, and I’ll also try to explain the differences between PACC and AutoConfig a bit better, on the mailing list or in Vienna or both. Hopefully, that will clear things up.

But long story short: No, AutoConfig is by no means “legacy”, but very much alive.

4

FWIW, no mail client supports PACC yet, and at least 10 different mail clients support AutoConfig.

To address your valid compat concern: None of the changes that I propose affect existing clients out there. Apart from Parula: the currently returned config breaks Parula (e.g. because it doesn’t return JMAP, has the wrong display name etc.) and this change fixes it.

AutoConfig is specifically designed to be backwards- and forwards-compatible. And I paid attention not to break the existing clients.