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Users

Users are individuals who connect to BlueMind. Users have access to BlueMind features depending on their profile.

Creating users​

To create a new user:

  1. From the Directories home page, click on "Create a user" or from the list of directory entries, use the button New > User:

  2. Enter the new user's details in the popup that opens:

    Full name​

    The full name is generated automatically when you enter your first and last names, and cannot be modified.

  3. Select the default group: user for users, admin for administrators, or a default group created by the administrator

  4. Check the desired options:

    • Hide BlueMind address lists: the user exists but is not visible in autocompletion (webmail dialer or calendar) or in the directory. Its address can still be used by administrators or those who know it.

    • Mail address: the mail account is activated and a default address based on the login is automatically created. To add aliases, click at the end of the line. If the installation includes multiple domain aliases, each additional address can be specified on a specific domain or on all aliases.

      Maximum number of possible addresses​

      In BlueMind, you can create as many aliases as you like, on as many domain aliases as you like.

  5. Click "Create" for a simple and direct user creation or click "Create & Edit" to create the user and access configuration options.

    Quick creation​

    The "Create" button allows a quick creation with the information entered in the popup and the following default options:

    • server location (time zone, time format, etc.)
    • default storage server, with no disk space quota
    • no auto-reply or auto-forward
    • empty coordinates
    • the calendar can be shared with the option "can invite me to a meeting". This means that other domain users cannot view this user's calendar but are able to invite them to an event
    • the mailbox is not shared

    The user can then be modified via the administration interface.

Editing and managing users​

From the page Directories >> Directory entries, select the user to be edited from the list.

General​

Account information​

The "General" tab displays the user's main information: account details, profile, group(s), location settings, etc.

The tab allows, in particular, to define the user as a member of one or more groups or of a delegation and define the roles assigned to the user.

Change username​

The account username can be changed on this page. Once a modification has been saved, it takes effect immediately.

Change login and Outlook

If the user whose login is modified works with Outlook connected via MAPI, it is necessary for them to create a new profile with the new information.

The same applies to o365. For more details, visit https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/add-users/change-a-user-name-and-email-address?view=o365-worldwide

Group membership​

By clicking on the "Modify group membership" link, a popup window allows you to view and modify the groups to which the user belongs:

To delete a group, click on the corresponding cross; to add one, enter the first letters and validate a choice of those proposed by autocomplete.

Roles: administration rights and access to features​

Here it is possible to customize, for each user, access to applications, certain specific features, or even administration rights: 

Inherited rights

The rights granted can only be added to the rights inherited from a group: the rights assigned to a group the user belongs to cannot be unchecked in the user's page.

For example, applications may appear checked but grayed out, unmodifiable: the user belongs to a group in which the application is activated. In this case, it is advisable to check the user's group membership (see above).

For more details on roles, see Roles: access and administration rights and Delegated administration.

User information​

The "User information" tab allows the administrator to enrich a user's contact record.

This tab shows the information that will be displayed on the directory entry for the user.

Signature placement

These data can also be used to implement Corporate Signatures.

Here, the administrator can enter information such as telephone numbers and postal addresses, or assign a photo to be used throughout BlueMind (contact sheet, event invitation, etc.).

Who can modify the information?

Contact details belong to the BlueMind internal directory and can be accessed by all users of the solution. For this reason, only an administrator with the appropriate role can modify this information: users, even with full sharing right on the box, cannot modify it.

Mail​

The "Mail" tab shows the user's mailbox settings (space, addresses, identities, sharing, etc.):

Mail addresses​

  • Storage server: server on which this user is managed.
  • Quota: the maximum size the mailbox can reach. The space used is indicated by a progress bar. For further information, see, Managing storage capacity (quota).

  • Hide BlueMind address lists: the mailbox exists but is not visible in autocompletion (webmail dialer or calendar) or in the directory. Its address can still be used by administrators or those who know it.

  • Mail addresses and aliases: the user can have as many mail aliases as you like, on any or all of the available domain aliases.
Change default e-mail address​

The default mail address can be set to any of the mail aliases. This address can be modified as many times as required. Once a modification has been saved, it takes effect immediately.

Default address modification and Outlook

If the user whose default address is changed works with Outlook connected via MAPI, it is necessary for them to create a new profile with the new information.

The same applies to o365. For more details, visit https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/add-users/change-a-user-name-and-email-address?view=o365-worldwide

My identities​

Identities allow users to write under the name of one of their aliases or shared mailboxes, or to define different signatures that they choose according to the emails they write.

To find out more, visit the dedicated page in the user guide: Managing Account Identities.

Sharing and delegation​

The section "Mailbox sharing" lets you manage sharing and delegation options for the mailbox of the user :

the user has full sharing and delegation rights to its own mailbox, which cannot be modified or deleted.

Enter the desired user or group, then use the 2 drop-down lists to define :

  1. The sharing right on the mailbox :
    • Can see my mailbox: designated users can read emails
    • Can update my mailbox: designated users can add, delete and move emails and folders. They can also Writing as a delegate
    • Can update my mailbox and manage sharing: in addition to the right to edit, designated users can manage sharing rights for the mailbox

      ⚠️ This is a full share of the the user mailbox.

  2. The right to delegate :
    • No Delegation: the designated user only has sharing right on the mailbox.
    • Send as (total impersonation): corresponds to the Write as me option of the delegations.
    • Send on behalf: corresponds to the Write from me option of the delegations
    💡 Full delegation rights applied​

    In the case of a fully shared mailbox (see above), the maximum delegation is applied (right level "Send as (total impersonation)") and cannot be changed.

For further information, see user guide pages :

Automatic email forwarding​

Automatic email forwarding transfers all incoming emails to one or more mail addresses.

It is possible to specify several addresses to which emails can be forwarded.

Check the box to activate the transfer and enter a valid e-mail address:

Validate the autocomplete proposal, even if it is identical to the address entered. It is necessary that the blue cartouche with the deletion cross appears:

External transfer

It is possible to add external addresses manually; these will not be added to the address book collected during transfers.

This type of transfer is subject to authorization by the administrators. For further information, see: Mail roles.

Automatic reply​

This section allows you to enable or disable the automatic responder for the user. When auto-reply is activated and for the specified period, an email will automatically be sent to the sender when the box receives a message.

Please note that :

  • Start and end dates are not mandatory :
    • if no start date is specified, the automatic reply is activated as soon as the new settings are saved.
    • if no end date is specified, the automatic reply remains active until the user changes its settings and selects "Do not send automatic replies".
  • The subject is optional: if it is not filled in, an email with an empty subject will be sent.
  • The content of the email is mandatory, it will appear in the body of the email sent.
info

Just one away message is sent in reply to a single sender (email address) for every 3-day period.

If the user disables and then enables auto-reply again during that time without editing the subject or the message content, the senders who have already received an automatic reply will not receive a new one – the countdown for the period starts again where it was left off.

For example:

  • you enable auto-reply
  • you get an email from user B on day D. An auto-reply is sent to user B and the 3-day countdown starts
  • you disable auto-reply on day D+1
  • you receive a new email from user B. No auto-reply is sent
  • you enable auto-reply with the same settings on day D+2
  • you receive another email from user B: auto-reply considers this to be D+2, therefore no automatic message is sent.
For further information, see Managing out of the office

My filters​

Filters can be used to apply sorting rules and automatic actions to the user's new incoming emails.

To find out more about how to set up these filters, see the dedicated page in the user guide: Applying sorting and action filters.

Address books​

This tab lets you manage the user 's subscriptions to the address books available to it (its own address books or shared address books), as well as manage the sharing of its address books with other users or groups:

Creating an address book

It is not possible for the administrator to create address books for the user, they can only be created from the preferences of this one.

For further information, see Creating and Editing Address Books

For further information, see:

Calendar​

The Calendar tab lets you :

  • access the calendar settings of the user (working days and hours, items displayed, default reminders, etc.):

    ⇒ For further information, see Setting Calendar Preferences.

  • to create additional calendars:

    ⇒ For further information, see Creating and Editing Calendars.

  • manage calendar sharing and availability:

    • internally: with all users or with specific users or groups
    • externally: by generating a public or private address

    ⇒ For further information, see Sharing Calendars.

  • manage subscriptions to shared calendars (users or domains):

    ⇒ For further information, see Subscribing to a shared calendar.

Task lists​

This tab allows you to manage the sharing of the user's to-do lists and its subscriptions to the lists that are shared with it:

Creating a task list

It is not possible for the administrator to create lists for the user, they are created exclusively from the of this one.

For further information, see Creating and Editing Address Books

Related BlueMind documentation pages

Maintenance​

This tab provides the administrator access to maintenance functions and management of user mobile devices:

External ID​

The field in this section is filled in when the group is synchronized with an AD or LDAP account (For further information, see pages LDAP Synchronization and Active Directory Synchronization). This field can be filled in or modified in order to force or correct the user's UID corresponding in the AD or LDAP directory.

Validate the user​

The "Execute" button in this section allows launching a "Validate and Repair" operation on the user's account. This covers a set of operations that check and, if necessary, correct the integrity of the user and his/her data in the BlueMind system: checking mailboxes, calendar and address book containers, folder hierarchies, subscriptions, mail filters, etc.

This operation corresponds to the bm-cli command:

bm-cli maintenance repair user@domain.net
bm-cli

For further information, see the page CLI Admin Client.

As the user​

The link in this section is accessible by the super administrator admin0 or another administrator with the "Sudo (elevation of privileges)" role. The link gives access to the user's BlueMind, i.e. logs on to BlueMind in the user's place, without the user having to give his or her password.

Password​

In this section, the administrator can change/reset the user's BlueMind login password, without needing to know the user's old password. This section also shows the date the password was last modified (by the user or an administrator), if applicable.

The administrator has 2 additional options:

  • Change password at next login: the user will be required to change his password the next time he logs in (this does not log the user out if he is currently logged in).
  • Password never expires: this option allows excluding the user from the domain password expiration policy if it has been set up.
  • Force OTP: the user will be forced to configure authentication via OTP (One Time Password).

    ℹ️ Due to an authentication cache, implementation may not be immediate, the user may still log in directly for some minutes after the option has been activated. For further information, see hereinafter Multi-factor authentication via OTP.

  • Disable password: users will no longer be able to log in using a simple password from applications other than webmail (thick client connected via IMAP, EAS mobile application, etc.).

    💡 This option offers enhanced security, especially when OTP is activated: if OTP is activated, access to BlueMind without double authentication is no longer possible.

To activate these options, check the corresponding box(es) and click on the "Save" button at the bottom of the page.

Mailbox indexing​

This section launches the mailbox index consolidation operation: this completes the current indexing of the mailbox, indexing only the missing elements.

To launch the operation, click on the "Execute" button next to "Consolidate mailbox index".

Mobile devices​

This section lets you manage the user's mobile devices: synchronization authorizations, information on devices known to the system, synchronization reset, remote wiping.

  • Partnership: this box is used to suspend or enable a device's syncing without removing it altogether.
  • Identity: shows the serial number the device signed in under
  • Type: device brand/OS
  • Last Sync: date and time of the device's latest sync with the server
  • Reset sync: resets the device's sync information. The next synchronization will be performed in the same way as an initial synchronization: the device will perform a complete synchronization as if it had never been known to the server.
  • Actions in case of loss or theft of a device :

    • Remote wipe :

      ⚠️ Irreversible operation​

      If the phone tries to re-synchronize with BlueMind, it will be deleted again.

      • on Android : deletes the EAS account and all its data (messages, contacts, calendar). For a device to be completely wiped remotely (accounts, photos, SMS, files, etc.), the EAS account must be created using the "Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync" account type.
      • on iOS : deletes all data on the phone, whether related to the BlueMind account or private (accounts, photos, SMS, files, etc.).

    • Cancel device deletion: allows a deleted device to be synchronized again with BlueMind

    • Trash icon: removes a device from synced devices. When unknown smartphones are not authorized by default, deleting a smartphone from the list will block its synchronization with BlueMind.

For more information, refer to the Administrator Guide > EAS Server Configuration

Deleting users​

Suspend​

A user can be suspended: this allows you to deny access to BlueMind without deleting the user's data. He can then be reactivated, and his account restored to its previous status.

To suspend a user:

  • go to the management record of the relevant user: Directories > Directory Entries > select the user.
  • on the first tab ("General"), tick the box "Suspended" on the right side of the page then click on "Save" to apply the modification

Delete​

To delete one or several users completely and permanently, go to the page Directories > Directory Browser.

In the list of users, tick the box at the beginning of the row corresponding to the users to be deleted and then click on the button "Delete". A deletion confirmation will be requested, once confirmed, the users and all their data will be permanently deleted.

User restoration

A user can be restored in BlueMind by going back to a previous backup. Data modified since the last backup cannot be recovered (new messages, modified contacts, calendar events added/deleted/modified, invitations received, etc.).

See Backing up and Restoring Data for more information on the restore backup feature, which allows you to restore all or part of a user's data.

See also User Departure and Email Redirection

Secure authentication​

Multi-factor authentication via OTP​

OTP stands for "One Time Password". This is a randomly generated 6-digit number that strengthens authentication and complements the user's password. This number is valid only once for 30 seconds, after which a new number is generated.

Scope of application

Multifactor authentication is currently only available for connections to BlueMind webmail, including on mobile devices, and does not apply to connections via a third-party mail client.

Consequently, as admin0 has no user account and no access to webmail, multi-factor authentication cannot be applied to it at present.

Activate security​

This security feature can be activated in the user's management file:

  • go to the Maintenance tab
  • check the "Force OTP" box
  • Save to accept the change

The next time the user logs on, he or she will have to set up a secure connection using OTP.

Implementation period

As the server has a 5-minute cache, activation or deactivation may not be immediate and may take some time before being visible to the user.

For further information, see Secure connection with OTP.

Manage identification keys​

Identification keys are administered from the user's Maintenance tab: the "User credentials" section lists the keys set up by the user, using the device name they indicated when they were created:

To delete a user-set identification key:

  • go to the Maintenance tab
  • go to "User credentials" section
  • click the trash icon corresponding to the key you wish to delete
  • confirm to proceed

    💡 Deletion is immediate, there is no need to click "Save"

As with activation, this will have the effect of prompting the user to set up a secure connection.

Reset

To force a user to reset his credential, simply delete it.

Password security add-on​

For added password security, you can install the "Password SizeStrength" add-on to define strict password validity rules.

Installation​

The plugin is simply installed by installing 2 packages on the command line, logged in as root on the:

aptitude install bm-plugin-core-password-sizestrength bm-plugin-admin-console-password-sizestrength

To complete installation, you must restart BlueMind:

bmctl restart

Configuration​

Password policies are configured in the admin console > System Configuration > Password policy tab.

For earlier BlueMind versions, please refer to BlueMind 4 Documentation.

The changes are effective immediately – no restart required.

tip

Changes are not retroactive and only apply to future password changes – users whose current password does not meet newly set rules will not be asked to change it and it will continue to work.

info

These rules do not apply to administrators (global administrator admin0 or domain administrators) whose choice of password continues to be free.

If a user fails to comply with these rules when they attempt to modify their password, an alert will be displayed at the top of their page:

Find out more​

Related BlueMind documentation pages

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