flatbield

There are not a lot of choices. People in the US typically either use Google, Microsoft, Apple, or their ISP. Beyond that you have to go to a hosting provider or host your own. One of the most important things of a mail provider is that it support MTA-STS. There are many providers in the EU that do. Not many in the US. It is also important to pay for an email product, rather then be the product.

Regarding MTA-STS. Fastmail did not the last time I checked, you should check if that has change. Google does. Microsoft was testing it but I don’t know how that turned out. There are EU providers that do including Proton does support MTA-STS last time I checked.

I actually use Namecheap cpanel email. They don’t do MTA-STS but the do allow opportunistic transport encryption. Technically I should be able to configure incoming MTA-STS but I’ve not gotten it to work. Maybe just does not, or maybe I’ve not put enough effort in to do it.

I use my own domain and cpanal email in the namecheap shared hosting plan.

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Just to emphasize it is the reputation problem and getting common mail providers the accept. You’ll need to get a well known domain like a .net or .com domain. You probably need to have a web site too on the domain. Then let that stuff age. You’ll also need to get a static IP for the VPS your using that has a good reputation and your hosting provider will have to allow you to send email which means you’ll have to talk with them to make sure everything it setup. You’ll also probably want certs both for the website, and for your SMTP server. Then there are SPF, DKIM, DMARK, and DNS configuration you’ll have to make too. Optional other configs like MTA-STS, or DANE. Just a lot of detail. Once your setup, there are testing sites you can go to test or SMTP server.

Another issue is you want email to be full time. So I think that probably means 2 incoming mail servers on two different VPS systems maybe in two different data centers. Then you need IMAP, and maybe a webmail system. I guess these last two could be one one of the VPS systems hosting one of the SMTP servers. Lot of components.

I don’t actually using my own VPS based mail system for my main email addresses. Instead we use a shared hosting plan and our own domain instead. You might want to look at is Namecheap CPanel Email that Comes with their Stellar Hosting plan. That is what we use. You can use up to 30 addresses on their base plan and maybe unlimited on the next level up. It is less then $100 per year after you add all you need, the hosting plan, a domain, and certs (maybe more in the $60 range?). The advantage of this, the hosting provider takes care of the infrastructure, and it is cheaper and lest time consuming then two VPS systems and all the work to maintain them.

About getting other providers to accept your mail, I’ve found Yahoo and the domains they serve to be one of the worst offenders.

There are so many good providers in the EU. In the US basically those that implement MTA-STS are Google, Microsoft, and Comcast with all of their issues.

I actually ended up at shared hosting provider. I get 30 mailboxes for less than $100 per year. Only incoming MTA-STS though unless I went to my own VPS.

VLC maybe.

Use an alternative ROM. That is what I do now.

Not anonymous or free but bitwarden send is nice. Thundermail from Mozilla will have this feature too.

Smart home type stuff is with minor exceptions a total nightmare. Bad security, bad privacy, and bad longevity. Just no. There are some of these things that just don’t work without connection back to the mother-ship, or at least lack major features. Generally it is recommended that if you do have these sorts of things, put them on a separate network at least.

Lookup alternatives at alternativeto.net. Signal is probably the best but there are others. Problem with chat, both people have to use. F-Droid is a good resource too.

I would not call FOSS a cult any more then unions or the civil rights movement.

Fairphone maybe.

Yes, there is that.

No but if you have a contract with a providor you pay for, those are the terms. For example Google free servicies they mine data but their paid services they do not. Sure e2ee is better but transport encryption is good.

Google is promoting MTA-STS. MS is at least testing it and some others. Proton mail might support, check. I use NameCheap shared hosting mail. The support incoming but not outgoing.

Sure it is clear inside each org but secures between. Nice because you can secure in your org by contract. Not as good as e2ee of course.

There is an advantage of using a provider that suports MTA STS. This is Strict Transport Security and forces at least transport encryption.

There is an advantage to use a provider you pay for too and at least claims not to read your email.

It is also nice if they can host your domain and have good delivery.

Edit: I meant MTA STS not SMTP STS.

Oh really. What are you even taking about. Have you even used GrapheneOS. Get real.

Why? Google closing android development? Lack of hardware to install it on?

Fairphone is the open platform. The GrapheneOS guys could start working with that. It is an actual project including a hardware supplier not bound to Google. Another one is Purism, but their stuff is often very expensive. As long as the Pixel is a fully open hardware platform we will be fine, but they could choose to lock it down at any time.

Avoiding apps if you can and focusing on using the web and/or PWAs as a good direction too. Lot of the stuff out there for apps really should not be an app to start with. Then there is F-Droid which has most of the actual apps you need.

The ones not in fdroid and where you can’t use a web app, and must have, these are not so many. For me this is some health devices, some transit and travel apps, my local library, a hearing test app, Google Maps, my bank app (for check cashing). All of these also run just fine on GrapheneOS. Lot of those don’t have to be on my phone though if you only have one android device maybe they do. Really transit and travel apps, maybe my local library, and Google Maps are the only ones I use out and about.

Yes some don’t work but frankly none I needed. Originally my banking app did not work, but they upgraded it and after that it worked fine. So I would say mostly it just works. Not all apps even work on all stock phones either.