Librem5: ProtonMail app

fagus · October 9, 2021, 7:40pm

First, as of October 2021, I was able to generate a HTML ProtonMail app, accessing ProtonMail via the phone’s web browser log in and then I was able to generate an app from the menu. Super convenient.

This app works very well, the only problem is (in my opinion) that the contacts do not get synced.
(And the problem from Gnome Contacs is that you cannot import contacts by uploading a vCard file, but that is another story. My findings there are that you have to go with Nextcloud if you can…)

Anyhow, I contacted ProtonMail and this is what I found out:

/****** begin email from proton mail ******/
Hi Fagus,

Thanks for the message.

As of this time the Bridge app is available only for desktop devices, not mobile devices.

Unfortunately we don’t have a version compiled for ARM. We would like to mention that you can run Bridge in CLI mode with protonmail-bridge -c or protonmail-bridge --cli from the terminal.

If you wish to build the Bridge from source, you can get it from the link below:

Additionally, if you so desire, you can build the Bridge app from source with make build-nogui

github.com

ProtonMail/proton-bridge/blob/master/BUILDS.md#build-bridge-without-gui

# Building ProtonMail Bridge and Import-Export app

## Prerequisites
* 64-bit OS (the go-rfc5322 module cannot currently be compiled for 32-bit OSes)
* Go 1.13
* Bash with basic build utils: make, gcc, sed, find, grep, ...
* For Windows it is recommended to use MinGW 64bit shell from [MSYS2](https://www.msys2.org/)
* GCC (linux, windows) or Xcode (macOS)
* Windres (windows)
* libglvnd and libsecret development files (linux)

To enable the sending of crash reports using Sentry please set the
`main.DSNSentry` value with the client key of your sentry project before build.
Otherwise, the sending of crash reports will be disabled.

## Build
In order to build Bridge or Import-Export app with Qt interface we are using
[Qt Go Binding](https://github.com/therecipe/qt).  The dependencies and
installation of this tool is part of `make build` target.  If you have issues
with installation of therecipe/qt we recommend to follow [this

This file has been truncated. show original

You can open the BUILDS.md file for some additional information in regard to building the Bridge app.

Do not hesitate to reach out to us for any further assistance, or if you have any additional questions.

Regards,

Milan
Customer Support
ProtonMail
/****** end email from protonmail ******/

Best, Fagus

cyber_fu · June 29, 2023, 8:44pm

Had anyone tried this for it to work with Geary?

db579 · June 29, 2023, 9:21pm

A few people have as you can see from this thread https://github.com/ProtonMail/proton-bridge/issues/323.

There’s also been some efforts to document the process here https://gist.github.com/mbohun/5b6c0054ec566d5d7961bda921bcc2b7

Unfortunately the official response from Proton is that arm64 is not a priority for them at the moment, which is a bit of a shame.

veleno · September 9, 2025, 1:01pm

I just created my first, new proton email account (I want escape from bigG)… but still I can’t use geary because no bridge yet! So, still now September 2025 Proton didn’t develop bridge for my beloved L5?

Ok I can use web version but I’d prefer geary (or similar)!

Thank you

Photon · September 10, 2025, 4:29am

Perplexity (not me):

Yes, there is a ProtonMail Bridge available for Linux. It enables integration of your Proton Mail account with IMAP and SMTP email clients such as Thunderbird and Evolution. The Proton Mail Bridge for Linux supports DEB, RPM, and PKGBUILD-based distributions, covering most popular Linux derivatives like Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch Linux. It requires a paid Proton Mail plan to use.

The Bridge app runs as a local IMAP/SMTP server that syncs with your Proton Mail account, allowing you to use traditional email clients. It is available for download from Proton’s official site and supports password managers like GNOME Keyring or Pass for storing credentials securely.

Installation instructions and packages are offered for Debian-based distros, RPM-based distros, and Arch-based distros. The Bridge runs in the background and can be configured to start automatically on system boot.

Hence, ProtonMail Bridge is fully supported and available for Linux users with paid accounts, providing seamless integration with common Linux email clients.proton+3

https://proton.me/support/bridge-for-linux

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/proton-mail-desktop-app-linux

https://gist.github.com/githubcom13/2f30f46cd5273db2453a6e7fdb3c422b

https://pychao.com/2020/06/10/update-on-using-protonmail-bridge-on-headless-wordpress-linux-servers/

https://proton.me/support/install-bridge-linux-rpm-file

https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86_64/protonmail-bridge/

https://proton.me/support/installing-bridge-linux-deb-file

https://github.com/ProtonMail/proton-bridge

https://proton.me/support/mail/bridge/installation-linux

https://www.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/1ge25ud/proton_vs_linux/

irvinewade · September 10, 2025, 4:34am

… which leaves the outstanding question: Yes but is it for architecture x86, architecture ARM or architecture-independent?

I think that might be the actual stumbling block i.e. it’s for architecture x86.

Photon · September 10, 2025, 4:39am

You got me… x86 only. Some reports of successful build from source for ARM. Arch AUR has some, but too much hassle for me.

irvinewade · September 10, 2025, 4:45am

Indeed. That should be possible but …

In my opinion security and privacy should not be only for those who have the expertise and perseverance to complete that task successfully.

veleno · September 10, 2025, 12:12pm

Thank you for your answer

Unfortunately I downloaded .deb install file but it doesn’t work with L5! I suppose because it’s developed for x86 architecture and not for arm. I sent email to Proton and I’ll post here their answer if they’ll answer me!

Anyway thank you for your help!!

Loki · September 10, 2025, 3:16pm

If you only need/want the CLI version, you can build an arm64 binary directly from the ProtonMail/proton-bridge git sources. The only caveat is that if you are running byzantium the version of Go within the byzantium repos is too old. However, it is fairly trivial to install a newer version of Go and build the proton-bridge cli client on byzantium.

The GUI version is a little more involved as it depends on Qt6 and it’s a bit more work getting suitable Qt6 libraries into/onto byzantium. There are also most likely a couple of other dependencies required to be resolved.

Pirate_Praveen · September 10, 2025, 4:47pm

Librem One sign ups don’t work at the moment, you could try one of,

All of them have pretty good track record when it comes to privacy and will work with any email client like geary or thunderbird with mobile-config plugin.

veleno · September 10, 2025, 5:37pm

Thank you!! In the Meanwhile they (Proton Company) will develop bridge for L5, I’m using it in website mode!

Best way for me at the moment

veleno · September 10, 2025, 5:40pm

Thank you!! tried riseup but I need invitation and I don’t have it

I asked here too but no one seems be part of them!

Tried disroot too but no vpn that I want so, finally, I chosen proton! Thank you anyway

nerd7473 · September 10, 2025, 10:36pm

aarch64 of protonmail bridge would be interesting to see.

Loki · September 11, 2025, 1:32am

nerd7473 · September 11, 2025, 1:34am

Nifty! How did you manage it?

nerd7473 · September 11, 2025, 1:34am

I will have to do it

Loki · September 11, 2025, 1:37am

It’s a relatively straightforward build, it’s built directly from the Proton/proton-bridge git sources. The only additional step was installing a more recent version of Go than is available from the byzantium repo.

Loki · September 11, 2025, 1:38am

I can detail the steps if you like?

irvinewade · September 11, 2025, 2:14am

Probably something that should go in a Wiki page as I guess for the foreseeable future Proton isn’t providing an ARM client. Would also need updating though when crimson and/or dawn are released.