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Mail-in-a-box: easy to set up modern SMTP/SMTPS server stack

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Re: Mail-in-a-box: easy to set up modern SMTP/SMTPS server stack

#21

Post by [deleted] »

morsch wrote: post #18
rsync wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't remember this ... can you elaborate ? Are you speaking of people who failed to disable relaying ?

I lack the expertise to elaborate much, but the gist is that people running their own server were caught by measures that were put in place to combat spam. I recall some providers (AOL?) used to be infamous for silently discarding your mails, which is very aggravating for the involved parties. You had to jump through certain hoops to ensure that your mail arrived. DKIM/SPF are two such hoops (or related techs, anyway…

[deleted]

Re: Mail-in-a-box: easy to set up modern SMTP/SMTPS server stack

#22

Post by creeble »

fredsted wrote: post #11

If you need email, but also web/ftp/git/mysql/dns, try Virtualmin - http://www.webmin.com/virtualmin.html - you can easily run this on a $5 digital ocean server. You basically follow a web installation wizard, create a domain and then you can use Roundcube (included) or any IMAP client. Couldn't be easier.

A +1 for Virtualmin. Does all that th OP's server does (I think) plus can do it for multiple domains and has a simple web ui. Free, and their support forum is helpful.

Re: Mail-in-a-box: easy to set up modern SMTP/SMTPS server stack

#23

Post by chrissnell »

Be aware: Rackspace (and surely many other cloud server providers) intentionally submit their IP blocks to DNS blacklists to dissuade spammers from using their hosts to send/relay mail. I'm not sure if the other big players do this but it wouldn't surprise me. Same goes for most consumer-class cable modem ISPs.

Re: Mail-in-a-box: easy to set up modern SMTP/SMTPS server stack

#24

Post by mbq »

morsch wrote: post #9

Very nice. Comes with Roundcube so you've got a webmail client available. - DKIM signing on outgoing messages (opendkim). - The machine acts as its own DNS server and is automatically configured for SPF and DKIM (nsd). I remember many people running their own SMTP server used to have massive issues with their outgoing mail being silently or non-silently ignored or sent to the spam folder. Does this take care of this?…

From my experience, Gmail will send to spam everything from a small server that has no SPF (even when DKIM is on and OK -- which is strange because it basically has SPF built-in) and when the sender is not in the address book -- this is pretty enough for massive issues.

Re: Mail-in-a-box: easy to set up modern SMTP/SMTPS server stack

#25

Post by carsonreinke »

mbq wrote: post #24
morsch wrote: post #9

Very nice. Comes with Roundcube so you've got a webmail client available. - DKIM signing on outgoing messages (opendkim). - The machine acts as its own DNS server and is automatically configured for SPF and DKIM (nsd). I remember many people running their own SMTP server used to have massive issues with their outgoing mail being silently or non-silently ignored or sent to the spam folder. Does this take care of this?…

From my experience, Gmail will send to spam everything from a small server that has no SPF (even when DKIM is on and OK -- which is strange because it basically has SPF built-in) and when the sender is not in the address book -- this is pretty enough for massive issues.

DKIM has nothing to do with SPF

Re: Mail-in-a-box: easy to set up modern SMTP/SMTPS server stack

#26

Post by chacham15 »

morsch wrote: post #9

Very nice. Comes with Roundcube so you've got a webmail client available. - DKIM signing on outgoing messages (opendkim). - The machine acts as its own DNS server and is automatically configured for SPF and DKIM (nsd). I remember many people running their own SMTP server used to have massive issues with their outgoing mail being silently or non-silently ignored or sent to the spam folder. Does this take care of this?…

Jeff Atwood talks about this: http://blog.codinghorror.com/so-youd-like-to-send-some-email.... . And its unlikely that the code takes care of all these things. For example, how are you going to configure the reverse ptr in code?

Re: Mail-in-a-box: easy to set up modern SMTP/SMTPS server stack

#27

Post by dhoe »

rsync wrote: post #15
morsch wrote: post #9

Very nice. Comes with Roundcube so you've got a webmail client available. - DKIM signing on outgoing messages (opendkim). - The machine acts as its own DNS server and is automatically configured for SPF and DKIM (nsd). I remember many people running their own SMTP server used to have massive issues with their outgoing mail being silently or non-silently ignored or sent to the spam folder. Does this take care of this?…

I don't remember this ... can you elaborate ? Are you speaking of people who failed to disable relaying ?

I had heard of this too, and it was one of the reasons I was extremely cautious when starting to host my own email. To my surprise, I didn't run into a single problem like this.

Re: Mail-in-a-box: easy to set up modern SMTP/SMTPS server stack

#28

Post by iSnow »

chacham15 wrote: post #26
morsch wrote: post #9

Very nice. Comes with Roundcube so you've got a webmail client available. - DKIM signing on outgoing messages (opendkim). - The machine acts as its own DNS server and is automatically configured for SPF and DKIM (nsd). I remember many people running their own SMTP server used to have massive issues with their outgoing mail being silently or non-silently ignored or sent to the spam folder. Does this take care of this?…

Jeff Atwood talks about this: http://blog.codinghorror.com/so-youd-like-to-send-some-email... . . And its unlikely that the code takes care of all these things. For example, how are you going to configure the reverse ptr in code?

http://blog.codinghorror.com/so-youd-like-to-send-some-email...

Re: Mail-in-a-box: easy to set up modern SMTP/SMTPS server stack

#29

Post by thisishugo »

clarry wrote: post #20
thisishugo wrote: post #16

It remains a constant frustration to me that Postfix, Exim, Cyrus, Dovecot and the like still feel as if they belong very much in the "here be dragons" territories of the Unix world. Configuring these systems is an exercise in constant frustration and bafflement. They're such a pain to use that since becoming the sysadmin in charge of our work email servers, I gave up running personal ones as well and just pay FastMa…

Have you tried OpenSMTPD[1]? I've been running it for a few years now, admittedly with a very basic setup. My config is about ten lines long, written in five minutes or so. I haven't really needed to touch it since. [1] https://www.opensmtpd.org/

It's on my radar, but to date I've not had (or more accurately made) the time to seriously evaluate it. I'm looking at an architecture overhaul soon, so will make the effort to take a proper look before then.

Re: Mail-in-a-box: easy to set up modern SMTP/SMTPS server stack

#30

Post by lazyant »

rsync wrote: post #15
morsch wrote: post #9

Very nice. Comes with Roundcube so you've got a webmail client available. - DKIM signing on outgoing messages (opendkim). - The machine acts as its own DNS server and is automatically configured for SPF and DKIM (nsd). I remember many people running their own SMTP server used to have massive issues with their outgoing mail being silently or non-silently ignored or sent to the spam folder. Does this take care of this?…

I don't remember this ... can you elaborate ? Are you speaking of people who failed to disable relaying ?

This happens as a matter of routine; the biggest problem with running your email server is you are not guaranteed that your messages will be delivered.
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