Thank you all for your recommendations and hints. Bill: you are right, the less experimented latest is not always the best specially in the developer's world. I will go with majority and choose Postfix ( for MTA) + SpamAssassin. I will give a try to IMAP instead of POP protocol too. -Jila linux-request [ at ] lists [ dot ] oclug [ dot ] on [ dot ] ca wrote: Send Linux mailing list submissions to linux [ at ] lists [ dot ] oclug [ dot ] on [ dot ] ca To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://oclug.on.ca/mailman/listinfo/linux or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to linux-request [ at ] lists [ dot ] oclug [ dot ] on [ dot ] ca You can reach the person managing the list at linux-owner [ at ] lists [ dot ] oclug [ dot ] on [ dot ] ca When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Linux digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: Setting up a mail server questions! (Michael Walma) 2. Re: Setting up a mail server questions! (Bill Strosberg) 3. Re: Setting up a mail server questions! (Brett Delmage) 4. Re: Setting up a mail server questions! (Dan Langille) 5. RE: Setting up a mail server questions! (Peter Rofner) 6. Followup on TiddlyWiki (Prof J C Nash) 7. Re: Setting up a mail server questions! (Spencer Cheng) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:01:26 -0400 From: Michael Walma Subject: Re: [OCLUG-Tech] Setting up a mail server questions! To: linux [ at ] lists [ dot ] oclug [ dot ] on [ dot ] ca Message-ID: <200803241201 [ dot ] 27543 [ dot ] michael [ at ] walma [ dot ] org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" On Monday 24 March 2008 11:20:43 Jila Zakizadeh wrote: > Hi all, > > I am going to set up a Linux Debian computer to work as a Mail server. I am > looking for guidance and the latest software available for Debian systems. > Would somebody introduce me any documentation or a good book for this > matter? Any idea on what software for MTA, MDA, ... I could choose is > highly appreciated. > > > Thank you and have a nice day! > > Jila > Hi, Everyone has their favourite answer to this question. Mine is POSTFIX+MYSQL+SpamAssassin+Courier-IMAP+Maildrop and HORDE/IMP for webmail. There are lots of others, but most people are coming around to the idea of using Postfix for the MTA. I used any number of howto's to put my system together, but a quick scan of the howto links on the Postfix page (http://www.postfix.org/docs.html) finds this, tailored for Debian Etch: http://workaround.org/articles/ispmail-etch/ It proposes, (from the page): Postfix for receiving incoming emails from the internet and storing them to the users' mailboxes on the harddisk. And for receiving emails from your users that are sent out to the internet (relaying) Dovecot to allow your users to get their emails into their email client through POP3 and IMAP Squirrelmail as a webmail interface (although any IMAP capable webmail interface will do) MySQL as the database system that stores information about your domains, the user accounts and email forwardings AMaViS for scanning incoming emails for viruses, spam and unwanted attachments I had chosen courier-imap, but getting authentication and TLS/SSL working was a pain, especially smtp authentication. Looking at this page, it appears that using dovecot for authentication simplifies the whole process. You will also want to looking to other anti-spam measures, especially grey-listing. Here is a good guide: http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/168 You will also want to investigate header checks and checking senders against blockhole lists, info for which you will find on the postfix site. Good luck, Mike ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:01:07 -0400 From: Bill Strosberg Subject: Re: [OCLUG-Tech] Setting up a mail server questions! To: OCLUG Technical Message-ID: <47E7DE53 [ dot ] 6030306 [ at ] strosberg [ dot ] com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Michael Walma wrote: > Everyone has their favourite answer to this question. Mine is > POSTFIX+MYSQL+SpamAssassin+Courier-IMAP+Maildrop and HORDE/IMP for webmail. > There are lots of others, but most people are coming around to the idea of > using Postfix for the MTA. I used any number of howto's to put my system > together, but a quick scan of the howto links on the Postfix page > (http://www.postfix.org/docs.html) finds this, tailored for Debian Etch: > > http://workaround.org/articles/ispmail-etch/ > I've been working with Christopher Haas's Postfix/MySQL/blah/blah stuff for four years with absolutely no complaints. I use Courier IMAP, and didn't have terrible problems getting things to work. The new version on Etch looks far simpler. I grafted on Squirrelmail as I found it simpler than SQWebMail. I'm going to have a go at getting Roaring Penguin's MimeDefang running - SpamAssassin just doesn't cut the mustard in comparison. Postfix versions 2.3 and greater are SUPPOSED to support the Milter interface, so on my next server upgrade I'll go with the new Dovecot replacing Courier and get the RP MimeDefang running. In response to the original poster, the latest software is very often not the best. A stable, reliable mail server is far more important than one with the latest versions of everything. Don't get hung out to dry on the bleeding edge. Production boxes don't run experimental/testing versions of anything. -- Bill S. ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:31:25 -0400 (EDT) From: Brett Delmage Subject: Re: [OCLUG-Tech] Setting up a mail server questions! To: OCLUG tech list Message-ID: Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Mon, 24 Mar 2008, Jila Zakizadeh wrote: > Thank you for your reply. My goal is to store all the mails locally on > the machine that I can have access the emails anytime via pop. Like the other poster, I recommend postfix. It is relatively easy to use. postfix.org is a good site to start at for more info, on top of what debian provides. I have been using it for up to 20 hosted email domains for years, millions of messages, and it works well. Condigured with SpamAssassin, black hole rules, and especially greylisting you will eliminate the vast majority of spam. Depending on your requirements, you might want to consider IMAP instead of POP, and leaving the mail centralized on the server, where it can be easily backed up. The other poster mentioned dovecot for an IMAP server. I have used it for years too and it is simpler and works reliably. Brett ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:31:22 -0400 From: Dan Langille Subject: Re: [OCLUG-Tech] Setting up a mail server questions! To: Brett Delmage Cc: OCLUG tech list Message-ID: <47E7E56A [ dot ] 3010405 [ at ] langille [ dot ] org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Brett Delmage wrote: > On Mon, 24 Mar 2008, Jila Zakizadeh wrote: > >> Thank you for your reply. My goal is to store all the mails locally on >> the machine that I can have access the emails anytime via pop. > > Like the other poster, I recommend postfix. It is relatively easy to use. > postfix.org is a good site to start at for more info, on top of what > debian provides. I have been using it for up to 20 hosted email domains > for years, millions of messages, and it works well. Condigured with > SpamAssassin, black hole rules, and especially greylisting you will > eliminate the vast majority of spam. +1 for Postfix. > Depending on your requirements, you might want to consider IMAP instead of > POP, and leaving the mail centralized on the server, where it can be > easily backed up. The other poster mentioned dovecot for an IMAP server. I > have used it for years too and it is simpler and works reliably. +1 for IMAP and dovecot. -- Dan Langille BSDCan - The Technical BSD Conference : http://www.bsdcan.org/ PGCon - The PostgreSQL Conference: http://www.pgcon.org/ ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:59:05 -0400 From: "Peter Rofner" Subject: RE: [OCLUG-Tech] Setting up a mail server questions! To: "OCLUG tech list" Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I use Postfix with dspam and it works great. I used to use Qmail, but dropped it since it doesn't do per-user mail rejection during the receive stage to reduce spam. Unfortunately, it's still a relay in front of an Exchange server until the time Linux has an Exchange alternative. Peter Rofner Richmond Nursery http://www.richmondnursery.com ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:43:39 -0400 From: Prof J C Nash Subject: [OCLUG-Tech] Followup on TiddlyWiki To: linux [ at ] lists [ dot ] oclug [ dot ] on [ dot ] ca Message-ID: <47E7F65B [ dot ] 30202 [ at ] ncf [ dot ] ca> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed I did a VERY tiny amount of testing: 1) The whole content and software of each "wiki" is inside a single HTML file, so it is very easy to save and move, but.... 2) It cannot be put on a server without some fuss -- to my taste as much work as putting up a proper wiki, and .... 3) It seems to get slow very quickly as the content grows. Just a brief view. Seems suitable for personal notes, but not for easy sharing and collaboration. I wanted it for sharing stuff at home, so wanted an "easy" site to go to. I suppose I could try a samba serve. Will continue pondering this one. JN ------------------------------ Message: 7 Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:25:05 -0400 From: Spencer Cheng Subject: Re: [OCLUG-Tech] Setting up a mail server questions! To: linux [ at ] lists [ dot ] oclug [ dot ] on [ dot ] ca Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes On Mar 24, 2008, at 11:20, Jila Zakizadeh wrote: > I am going to set up a Linux Debian computer to work as a Mail > server. I am looking for guidance and the latest software available > for Debian systems. Would somebody introduce me any documentation > or a good book for this matter? Any idea on what software for MTA, > MDA, ... I could choose is highly appreciated. > Courier Imap is not very fast on big IMAP mailboxes. Debian defaults to something else which is suppose to be much faster (dovecote?). I use qmail+Courier Imap+ Spamassassin+ procmail but my mail server is mainly for my own use (a few thousand emails per day and 1/2 of that is SPAM) so YMMV. ) Regards, Spencer ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Linux mailing list Linux [ at ] lists [ dot ] oclug [ dot ] on [ dot ] ca http://oclug.on.ca/mailman/listinfo/linux End of Linux Digest, Vol 39, Issue 8 ************************************ --------------------------------- Instant message from any web browser! Try the new Yahoo! Canada Messenger for the Web BETA