There is a new #chatmail server deployment using #chef tooling, put together by @feld , incorporating the same "chatmaild" services used by the mainline chatmail server template, and also otherwise achieving feature-parity ... Thanks Mark!

https://github.com/feld/chatmail-cookbook

The #chatmail #fosdem talk from @compl4xx is public. It goes into topics such as

- why chatmail servers?
- how to setup a server with your child
- (avoiding) spam filtering
- metadata and guaranteed end to end encryption in #deltachat
- #cryptographic #interoperability for email message routing

Thanks to attendees for the great energy even if was the last talk on the day and also for questions and conversations afterwards!

https://ftp.fau.de/fosdem/2025/k4601/fosdem-2025-5217-chatmail-server-networks-for-anonymous-end-to-end-encrypted-messaging.mp4

the quoted post does not well reflect what delta chat is today. Since end 2023 there are #chatmail servers and since april 2024 anonymous onboarding on chatmail servers is directly integrated. A pre-existing e-mail address is not needed. Messages in the growing chatmail server network are always end-to-end encrypted as clear text messages are not relayed. For any security-related discussion, we suggest to keep this new reality in mind.

Seguint amb el meu enamorament per #DeltaChat, increïble de ràpid enviant fotos de molt alta resolució, un segon ha trigat des del servidor per defecte al meu servidor, una foto de 24 Mpx amb una resolució de 5712 x 4284 i 2,8 MB d'espai en disc.
Es nota molt que el servidor #chatmail està molt optimitzat per a que sigui tant ràpid com les apps de missatgeria tradicional.

As an excellent programmer once noted: constraints induce creativity and focused design. Delta Chat has been running against classic e-mail provider constraints for years and had to evolve its code to work against these constraints (rate limits, spam filters, signups, delays etc) and thus we were uniquely positioned to create a minimal #chatmail server template that beats Gmail, Outlook, iCloud etc regarding security, performance and efficiency. It's a similar story with #deepseek if you will.

#chatmail servers are fully interoperate with classic e-mail servers. But end-to-end OpenPGP encryption is required (#autocrypt or #securejoin) and not all e-mail apps manage it in the automatic way that Delta Chat does it. Chatmail servers are minimal Postfix/Dovecot setups, fully FOSS, and anyone can run an chatmail server instance permission free without telling us.

we understand the sentiment and reluctance of "creating yet another account". Everybody is tired of signing up somewhere. But since chatmail servers and instant onboarding was introduced some 9 months ago, usage strongly increased and there are now at least a dozen independent #chatmail servers with many more we don't know. Did you try it? There is no "heavyness" of registration typically associated with "signing up". Chatmail addresses make e-mail cheap again! :)

also, we have no intention of ceasing to support classic e-mail servers. The team went through *lots of efforts* to add support for many classic e-mail providers many of which users in Europe and the US have never heart off. But we are not interested in doing excessive work for making it seemless to use eg GMail, Outlook or iCloud mail -- as we would be furthering their platform and central controls in the e-mail system. #chatmail servers allow for a much better experience.

It's totally fine to go with self-hosting but >99.99% percent of potential users are not running their own e-mail servers and it doesn't make sense to recommend it as the sellling-point then generally? Also, Delta Chat has multi-profile support. There is nothing speaking against first trying things with friends with default profiles, and if you like it use self-hosted addresses. Some first users evolved to run their own #chatmail server and migrated there.

the app works like a local email client, you are not sending your email address to any 3rd party server, it is similar to using #Thunderbird, that said, you don't need to use your #email address, you can login anonymously using #chatmail servers that basically provide you similar advantages to #Nostr and #Session

PSA: please recommend newcomers to use chatmail servers instead of suggesting they start first with an existing classic e-mail address.

#Chatmail servers provide a dependable, fast and secure messaging experience, with instant push notifications for Google and Apple phones. No personal data needed. Delta Chat profiles with chatmail servers come closest to mainstream messaging experiences and typically "just work" also in many repressive situations with bad internet or partial blockings.

A main technical and economic difference to #matrix servers/clients:
The family of #deltachat apps uses #chatmail servers as ephemeral message transports that know nothing and forget everything: Servers don't store group metadata or cryptographic identities and delete messages after download by default. In effect, a 30EUR/month #chatmail server with 10K's of active users hums along with 2% IO and CPU pressure, 1GB RAM and negligible disk usage. No Pro-version or Kubernetes needed to scale ;)

Note to my-self and other people like me:
Read the #deltachat help it's all perfectly explained there in easy to follow language. It's even translated to various different languages already.
The number one answer for me is that there are #deltachat specific so called #chatmail servers suitable for anonymous instant messaging over email.
So eventhough I like to self host my emails, I think I'll go with existing #chatmail server at least initially.