How to install and use the Kube mail client on Linux
There are so many email clients on Linux, and we’ve talked about these programs a lot on AddictiveTips. For the most part, these email clients are perfectly fine, though, the community is begging for something new.
Meet the Kube email client; a “modern communication platform” for Linux. It can handle multiple email accounts, supports encryption via GPG, has support for the CalDAV calendar system and more!
Note: the Kube mail client is a work in progress. It’s mostly stable, but some issues may arise. It may not work for you! Use at your own risk!
Install Kube Mail
The Kube mail client is under active development. For this reason, installing it is limited to just a few options (specifically, Flatpak, Arch Linux, and Fedora Copr). Open up a terminal window and follow along to get the program working on your system.
All Linuxes via Flatpak
Before installing the KDE Kube email client via Flatpak, it’s important to install and configure the Flatpak runtime software on your Linux distribution. Luckily, getting Flatpak working is simple and involves loading up theĀ flatpakĀ package in your Linux OS’s package manager.
Note: unsure of how to set up the Flatpak runtime? We can help! Check out our guide on how to set up the Flatpak runtime here!
With the Flatpak runtime working on Linux, it’s possible to install Kube to it. In the terminal, run the command below.
flatpak -y --user install --from https://files.kube-project.com/flatpak/com.kubeproject.kube.flatpakref
When the installation completes, run the KDE Kube email client instantly with:
flatpak run com.kubeproject.kube
Alternatively, run KDE Kube by searching the “Internet” section of your application menu for “Kube.”
Arch Linux
Arch Linux is famous for bleeding-edge software, so it’s not hard to understand why they’d put the Kube mail client in the official software sources. Follow the step-by-step instructions below, and soon you’ll be running the latest version of Kube on Arch!
Step 1: In the terminal, open your Pacman.conf file in the Nano text editor.
sudo nano /etc/pacman.conf
Step 2: Use the arrow keys on the keyboard and scroll through Pacman.conf for “Community.” Remove all of the # symbols on “Community,” as well as any lines directly below it.
Step 3: Save the edits to Pacman.conf by pressing the Ctrl + O keyboard combination.
Step 4: Exit the Nano editor with the Ctrl + X keyboard combination.
Step 5: Re-sync Pacman and allow it to set up the “Community” software source on your PC.
sudo pacman -Syyuu
Step 6: Install the Kube email client.
sudo pacman -S kube
Fedora Linux
Thanks to Copr, the Kube email client has found it’s way to Fedora.
Note: the Kube Copr repository for Fedora is unstable. It may refuse to install in some cases. If this happens, try the Flatpak instead.
sudo dnf copr enable rajeeshknambiar/kube
With the repo set up on Fedora, install Kube and all dependencies:
sudo dnf install kdav2 kimap2 kube sink -y
Set up Kube
Opening up Kube for the first time will show you the new account screen. It has three options to choose from: Kolab Now (the paid communication service), Google, and custom. Click on one of the account options to go through the account setup process.
Using Kube with Kolab Now
To use a Kolab Now account with the Kube mail client, click the “Kolab Now” button on the new account page.
Enter your first and last name in the “Name” box, and your Kolab Now email address in the “Email address” box. When done, click the “Save” button to add the account to Kube.
If your Kolab details are correct, Kube will start to download your email.
Using Kube with Gmail
Looking to add Gmail to Kube? To do it, click the “Google” button on the new account page. Then, fill out your first and last name in the “Name” box, and your Gmail address in the “Email address” box.
When you’ve filled out your Gmail information, follow this link to enable IMAP for Kube. You’ll also need to allow “less secure apps” to let Kube access your email.
After enabling IMAP and the “less secure apps” feature within Gmail, click the “Save” button in the account window to access your Gmail account in Kube.
Using Kube with any email account
Aside from services like Gmail and Kolab Now, the Kube email client can work with any old email provider. To add your email, click the “Custom” box.
Note: to use a custom email provider with Kube, you must know it’s IMAP and SMTP address. It’s also a good idea to know the CALdav address if your account supports that as well.
Fill out the all of the information boxes to connect your email account to Kube. When you’ve finished filling out the account information, click the “Save” button to load your email messages.
