[GLLUG] Setting up an email server

[Asenchi]

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 23:50:13 -0500
>I have a guide from gentoo.org for setting up an email server with
>virtual users using postfix, mysql and every thing else available at
>http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/virt-mail-howto.xml .

I have heard from what I would reliably consider good sources that this
tutorial is wrong.  Please proceed with caution and use multiple howtos,
here are just a couple:

http://www.securitysage.com/guides.html (this one is very thorough and
very good.)
http://www.high5.net/howto/ (another very good resource.  used by most
people I speak with)
http://www.sweeney.demon.co.uk/pfix_imap_virtual.html (a good reference,
not entirely accurate, but should work well)
www.postfix.org (can't go wrong here, tons of documentation)

>When I went to use the pop account in Outlook it gave me an error
>saying that the Maildir does not exist. 
>
>When I looked in the home directory for the user, .maildir does not
>exist. And no mail was going out from the server

One thing to remember, unless you change this:
	home_mailbox = <dir>
Postfix defaults to placing mail in ~/Maildir/ so make sure you change
this. Or postfix won't know where to deliver it.

Also this may seem obvious, but it is just a check.  You do know that
Postfix is just a SMTP (MTA) server not a POP3/IMAP (MUA) right?

>How do I get one there?

I don't use Gentoo, but in BSD's you can in /usr/share/skel place
dirs/files that you want propagated to users directories once you add
them.

>How do I find out if I have another MTA (is that what they are called?)
>that could interfere with postfix?

Again, I don't use Gentoo, but in BSD's there is a command netstat -n -f
inet that will tell you what is listening where.  You can also do a ps
-acux and see if you see any other smtp servers in there, sendmail being
one that I am thinking of. 
>
>According to the Software module in webmin under system and clicking
>the package tree, under the net-mail category
>
>I have ssmtp 2.48 and mailbase 0.00-r5 installed.

I don't know what these are.

>Do they both have to go?
>
> 
>
>If I decide to do this on a separate computer, how can I get my
>webserver computer to send mail?

You can either point Apache to your mail server or install mini-sendmail
(i think that is the name, but it is a stripped down version of sendmail
that works brilliantly with Apache, especially nice for chrooted
environments).

>Which is better, qmail or postfix? Or any other? Which is a good one to
>use, but still easy to set up?

This is like asking what is your favorite editor, vi or emacs?  It is a
religious debate, one purely based off personal preference.  I have
worked with both and find Postfix  to be a lot easier, quicker to
install.  It is also very intuitive for me.  But I would recommend
trying both if you think it is necessary.  One other thing that I find
rewarding about Postfix, is that the developer (Wieste Vienma (sp?)) is
a great resource and answers lots of mail on the mailing lists.  I
haven't heard such great things about the Qmail developer.  But again,
this is what _I_ look for in products (read, personal preference)

Curt Micol