Reef

Reef Messenger

A local-first messenger with an offline thread that always works, plus optional IMAP/SMTP mail accounts.

• Launch: python3 apps/Reef/main.py or Ctrl+Alt+Z
• Memory target: ~40 MB
• Engine: pure Python stdlib (no Qt) — apps/Reef/engine.py

Overview

Reef is built around a Local Thread — you can compose, store, and browse messages entirely offline with no account and no network. Optional IMAP/SMTP accounts add real mail sync on top. The engine is a pure-stdlib mail + store layer; the GUI is a clean three-pane reader.

Features

• Offline-first — the Local Thread works with zero configuration.
• 3-pane layout — folder list | message list | message viewer.
• Mail accounts — label / email / password / hosts, stored locally in ~/.reef/accounts.json. IMAP inbox sync with auto-dedupe by message ID; SMTP outbound via STARTTLS; Sent folder records outbound mail.
• Background workers — RefreshWorker + SendWorker QThreads keep IMAP and SMTP off the UI thread.
• Dialogs — Compose and Account dialogs; Reply from the viewer.

Engine

engine.py (pure stdlib):

• MailStore — JSON persistence in ~/.reef/ (accounts.json, messages.json).
• Account / Message dataclasses.
• fetch_inbox via imaplib (RFC822 parse, newest N).
• send_mail via smtplib + STARTTLS.
• append_local for the offline thread.

Data

Location	Contents
~/.reef/accounts.json	IMAP/SMTP account config
~/.reef/messages.json	Local thread + synced messages

Your credentials are stored in plain JSON locally — no cloud, no servers besides the mail hosts you configure yourself.