sendmail setup

Finlay · 03-10-2003, 01:03 AM

I am trying to setup sendmail for the first time.
I have read the docs and i am still a little unclear on how to proceed.

I have version 8.12.4 installed.

I have not been able to find any configure walkthroughs or tutorials related to that version.

I was wondering if anyone knows of one, or better yet a configuration tool or script that would make the process a lot easier.

I am running slackware v8.1, permanant connection to internet, and i want to connect to a smtp server to send mail to.

Thanks,

peter_robb · 03-10-2003, 01:55 AM

I can see you wanting to use sendmail for incoming mail directly to your sendmail server,
but are you asking for outward smtp connection?

Most mail clients will do this without having to run sendmail.

For a maintenance tool, have a look at Webmin

Finlay · 03-10-2003, 11:33 AM

The way i understand it is:
Fetchmail gets the mail from the pop3 server, i can then connect to fetchmail with an email client to receive the email.

Sendmail is used to send outgoing email msgs only.

If this is wrong let me know?

Basically i want to configure my linux box to be a 'middleman' in the email process, mainly for the experience.

Thanks,

Finlay · 03-10-2003, 01:13 PM

webmin=GODLIKE

I'm going to go home sick from work and install it.

THANKS

peter_robb · 03-10-2003, 01:51 PM

Fetchmail is used to collect from somewhere.

Sendmail is used to receive from everywhere, (listen for connections) and send to everywhere, post.

For a client to send out of a system, it needs an MTA, transport agent.
Evolution has one built in, as many others do, to enable it to send via a remote server, not just localhost based.
No sendmail or other server required...

And what's all this talk of going home to install it?
What happened to ssh??

Finlay · 03-10-2003, 02:13 PM

my linux box is behind a firewall, and i haven't setup a rule for that port.

now i'm a bit confused about these programs.

if i want to use an email client to connect to my linux box to send and receive mail to a pop3/smtp server i need to install and configure {fill in the blank}

Remember i am on Slackware v8.1

Thanks,

peter_robb · 03-10-2003, 02:31 PM

If you want to have your own pop3 & smtp server,
with it's own domain name,
install sendmail and ipop3

If you already have an email account with an isp etc, use e.g. Ximian Evolution as a mail client and talk directly to the isp's server.

From behind a firewall, you should be able to start an outgoing connection to ports below 1024 without any changes to the firewall.

And I've never seen inside Slackware, so I'm not sure how you load packages.

Finlay · 03-10-2003, 02:56 PM

how does fetchmail fit into the picture, or does it?
what is fetchmail used for.

peter_robb · 03-10-2003, 03:37 PM

Fetchmail will collect mail from a remote location and place it in a local 'mail' format folder.
The pop server can then make it available to users to read.

Usually, you would only add a server if you wanted many mailboxes off your domain name without paying an ISP for the privelege...

Finlay · 03-10-2003, 04:25 PM

so if i had a domain name and a static IP i would install fetchmail and configure it to work with sendmail to create a working email server?

peter_robb · 03-10-2003, 04:54 PM

Sendmail and ipop3, yes.
With a static ip and domain name, you would need to make sure the main dns settings for mail point to your new sendmail server on your static ip.
You only need to supply the MX mail record, so people sending mail to you find your server.

Fetchmail is like a mail client, it goes and finds mail from a mailbox somewhere and brings it 'home' to a local file.
ipop3 gives access to the file.
With a domain name, people send to you, rather than you going to collect from somewhere.

Finlay · 03-10-2003, 06:10 PM

Thank you very much for the information.

Finlay · 03-11-2003, 02:35 PM

I can't find ipop3 anywhere, do you have a link?

Thanks

peter_robb · 03-11-2003, 03:56 PM

From the package imap-2001a-1.72.0

linuxfond · 03-18-2003, 06:48 AM

Why does my sendmail in KMail send the message, but the message never arrives?

What's the difference between:
/usr/sbin/sendmail
and
/usr/lib/sendmail
?

rgds, l