Account switcher: more than one account signed in at once

jcoffey-dev commented

2026-10-06 01:44:50 +00:00

Owner

Someone who looks after several mailboxes of their own can now keep
them all signed in in one browser and move between them from the
account menu, without signing out (multi-account spec, MA-B; forum
topic 75).

How it holds them. The session cookie is unchanged: it is the account
in front, and every request is answered with it, so nothing else in the
server changes. The others ride in a second cookie, _more, as a
list of their own session cookies. Each session stays its own -- sealed
credential, expiry and "this is my device" -- and nothing about one is
read through another. At most 5 in all, all on this mail server.

Add account (account menu): with sign-in on the mail server's page
it goes there with prompt=login, so the server asks again rather than
reuse the first sign-in; with the password form, a small dialog asks.
Refused, and the front stays, when either account's organization has
addAccounts off (inbuxa:SharingPolicy), the account is on another
server, or 5 are open. The same account again just comes to the
front.
Switching (POST /api/auth/accounts//front) swaps it into front;
the web app clears what it cached for the previous account and
reloads. A message being written blocks the switch.
Sign out ends only the account in front, and the next one comes
forward; Sign out of all accounts ends every one.
GET /api/auth/accounts lists them, the front first, and says whether
one more may be added.

Not in this change: unread counts and notifications for the accounts
not in front (MA-8), which the spec puts last.

The mock can sign in a second user (MOCK_SECOND_USER/PASS) and answer
addAccounts false (MOCK_NO_ADD_ACCOUNTS), for the new server tests:
two accounts joining, switching, the same account twice, a switch to a
session it doesn't hold, signing out of one and of all, and an
organization that forbids it; and the OAuth start asking prompt=login.
The client tests cover listing, switching (cache cleared, reload) and
both sign-outs. Checked in Chrome against the mock: add, switch, sign
out of one.

New strings (9, English only in the other ten catalogs): "Add
account", "Sign out of all accounts", "Add an account", "Both accounts
stay signed in here; switch between them from this menu.", "Working…",
"That account couldn't be added.", "You can't add more accounts here.",
and the other-server and organization refusals. typecheck, tests (web
1538, server 276) and build pass.

Someone who looks after several mailboxes of their own can now keep them all signed in in one browser and move between them from the account menu, without signing out (multi-account spec, MA-B; forum topic 75). How it holds them. The session cookie is unchanged: it is the account in front, and every request is answered with it, so nothing else in the server changes. The others ride in a second cookie, <name>_more, as a list of their own session cookies. Each session stays its own -- sealed credential, expiry and "this is my device" -- and nothing about one is read through another. At most 5 in all, all on this mail server. - Add account (account menu): with sign-in on the mail server's page it goes there with prompt=login, so the server asks again rather than reuse the first sign-in; with the password form, a small dialog asks. Refused, and the front stays, when either account's organization has addAccounts off (inbuxa:SharingPolicy), the account is on another server, or 5 are open. The same account again just comes to the front. - Switching (POST /api/auth/accounts/<id>/front) swaps it into front; the web app clears what it cached for the previous account and reloads. A message being written blocks the switch. - Sign out ends only the account in front, and the next one comes forward; Sign out of all accounts ends every one. - GET /api/auth/accounts lists them, the front first, and says whether one more may be added. Not in this change: unread counts and notifications for the accounts not in front (MA-8), which the spec puts last. The mock can sign in a second user (MOCK_SECOND_USER/PASS) and answer addAccounts false (MOCK_NO_ADD_ACCOUNTS), for the new server tests: two accounts joining, switching, the same account twice, a switch to a session it doesn't hold, signing out of one and of all, and an organization that forbids it; and the OAuth start asking prompt=login. The client tests cover listing, switching (cache cleared, reload) and both sign-outs. Checked in Chrome against the mock: add, switch, sign out of one. New strings (9, English only in the other ten catalogs): "Add account", "Sign out of all accounts", "Add an account", "Both accounts stay signed in here; switch between them from this menu.", "Working…", "That account couldn't be added.", "You can't add more accounts here.", and the other-server and organization refusals. typecheck, tests (web 1538, server 276) and build pass.

jcoffey-dev added 1 commit 2026-10-06 01:44:50 +00:00

Account switcher: more than one account signed in at once

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34baca4365

Someone who looks after several mailboxes of their own can now keep
them all signed in in one browser and move between them from the
account menu, without signing out (multi-account spec, MA-B; forum
topic 75).

How it holds them. The session cookie is unchanged: it is the account
in front, and every request is answered with it, so nothing else in the
server changes. The others ride in a second cookie, <name>_more, as a
list of their own session cookies. Each session stays its own -- sealed
credential, expiry and "this is my device" -- and nothing about one is
read through another. At most 5 in all, all on this mail server.

- Add account (account menu): with sign-in on the mail server's page
  it goes there with prompt=login, so the server asks again rather than
  reuse the first sign-in; with the password form, a small dialog asks.
  Refused, and the front stays, when either account's organization has
  addAccounts off (inbuxa:SharingPolicy), the account is on another
  server, or 5 are open. The same account again just comes to the
  front.
- Switching (POST /api/auth/accounts/<id>/front) swaps it into front;
  the web app clears what it cached for the previous account and
  reloads. A message being written blocks the switch.
- Sign out ends only the account in front, and the next one comes
  forward; Sign out of all accounts ends every one.
- GET /api/auth/accounts lists them, the front first, and says whether
  one more may be added.

Not in this change: unread counts and notifications for the accounts
not in front (MA-8), which the spec puts last.

The mock can sign in a second user (MOCK_SECOND_USER/PASS) and answer
addAccounts false (MOCK_NO_ADD_ACCOUNTS), for the new server tests:
two accounts joining, switching, the same account twice, a switch to a
session it doesn't hold, signing out of one and of all, and an
organization that forbids it; and the OAuth start asking prompt=login.
The client tests cover listing, switching (cache cleared, reload) and
both sign-outs. Checked in Chrome against the mock: add, switch, sign
out of one.

New strings (9, English only in the other ten catalogs): "Add
account", "Sign out of all accounts", "Add an account", "Both accounts
stay signed in here; switch between them from this menu.", "Working…",
"That account couldn't be added.", "You can't add more accounts here.",
and the other-server and organization refusals. typecheck, tests (web
1538, server 276) and build pass.

jcoffey-dev merged commit 351a5aa01d into main

2026-10-06 01:47:37 +00:00

jcoffey-dev deleted branch feat/account-switcher

2026-10-06 01:47:38 +00:00

jcoffey-dev referenced this issue from a commit

2026-10-06 03:10:10 +00:00

New mail in the other signed-in accounts: counts, a dot, and a notification

jcoffey-dev referenced this pull request

2026-10-06 03:10:12 +00:00

New mail in the other signed-in accounts: counts, a dot, and a notification #51

Account switcher: more than one account signed in at once #49