Cypht — All Your Inboxes, One Browser Tab, Zero Nonsense
Let’s be honest — juggling five email accounts isn’t fun. Some are on a local server, others tied to a third-party host, and a couple just linger from projects that never quite died. Cypht doesn’t fix email itself, but it makes keeping track of all that mess… tolerable.
It’s not trying to be Google Workspace. There’s no calendar pop-ups, no document editors, no flashy dashboards. Just a webmail client — one that’s surprisingly fast, aggressively minimal, and built to sit quietly on a server doing its job.
Written in PHP, no database by default, flat-file config, and works fine on low-end hosting. Feels a bit like it came from the early 2000s, but with a mindset that still makes sense: transparency, simplicity, and complete control.
What It Offers (Without Making a Big Deal Out of It)
| Feature | Why It’s Useful (Not Just Theoretical) |
| Unified View of Email | IMAP, POP3, multiple accounts — all show up in one screen, side by side. |
| Modular Build | Everything’s broken into chunks — turn off what isn’t needed. |
| No SQL Needed | Runs flat-file out of the box. Database optional. Good for tight setups. |
| Feeds in the Inbox | Pulls in RSS and Atom next to email — useful for dev updates, mailing lists. |
| Keyboard Shortcuts | Built for speed. Touch the mouse only if you really want to. |
| Tiny Resource Footprint | Can run on shared hosting or an ancient VPS without breaking a sweat. |
| Self-Contained | No external APIs, no vendor services, no weird dependencies. |
| One-Page Interface | Everything happens inside a single view — no full page reloads ever. |
| Straightforward Setup | Drop it on a server, configure, done. No black boxes, no hidden logic. |
| Privacy-First | What happens on your server stays on your server. No tracking, no leaks. |
Where It Actually Fits
This isn’t a product for enterprise rollouts or shiny demos. It’s more like that tool an admin installs once and keeps around for years — not because it’s flashy, but because it quietly works.
Some ideal scenarios:
– Small setups where people want to check mail from a dozen sources without switching tabs.
– Internal tools where minimalism matters more than UX polish.
– Recovery situations — spin up a backup inbox view in under ten minutes.
– Shared hosting environments where mail needs a frontend, but resources are limited.
– Admins who trust text configs more than GUIs and prefer control over convenience.
How to Get It Up and Running (No Hand-Holding Needed)
*Requires PHP, Apache or Nginx. Runs best on Linux. No container required.*
Step 1: Get the Files
git clone https://github.com/jasonmunro/cypht.git
cd cypht/hm3
Step 2: Make a Config Copy
cp site-default.php site.php
Edit it directly. Server paths, protocols, modules — all configurable from a single file.
Step 3: Point the Web Server
Whether using Apache or Nginx, just aim your virtual host at `/hm3`. PHP must be enabled. That’s all.
Step 4: Add Users
Create accounts via flat files, or use the browser form if you enabled user signup. Optional: plug in a database.
Step 5: Start Using It
Log in. Add accounts. IMAP, POP3, whatever’s needed. Activate modules you care about, ignore the rest.
Parting Thoughts
Cypht isn’t perfect. It won’t impress with animations or sleek icons. But that’s never been the point.
It’s a tool for those who want email access that’s quick, self-hosted, and doesn’t involve handing credentials to cloud giants. It’s one folder of PHP, a config file, and a browser tab — and sometimes that’s all that’s needed.
No noise. No vendor pitches. Just mail, plain and simple.
