smtp? mua? mta? lda?postfix? AWWWW
 

I really have no clue what I'm doing. I want an email server that I can use to send emails to other people <like yahoo.com or hotmail.com users> with remote windows machines and outlook express <or some other windows email client>. I've read "Red Hat Linux Networking and System Administration" and "Red Hat Linux 8 Bible". I know believe I am more confused than I was before. My linux computer has no internet hostname. the only hostname it has is "TheWeb" and thats for my home networking. postfix keeps giving me something about a bad host name cause it's not "***.domain.com" format. All I can configure it with is ipaddresses, can I not host my own email server with only ip addresses?

You can.You should use the following form: account@[mail_server_ip_address]
of email address. The brackets [ ] are important.

I dont think I understand. The postfix configuration file wants this format to even start "computer_name.domain_name.com" I want this computer (which doesn't have a public domain name) to send emails to a yahoo or hotmail email address. I need postfix to work first <I want to use postfix instead of sendmail>. I just want to setup a pop3 and smtp server on my home computer, so I dont have to use public accounts, and therefore get spammed. I just dont know how to get it running.

I am sorry, but I don't know postfix. I also never used sendmail. The server which I'am using is running qmail which is totally bug-free program.
My statement that you could use IP was a general statement - I am using the this feature so it is possible. Qmail is able to work with IP instead of domain name.

postfix is easy !
u must configure /etc/postfix/main.cf
on clients u may give your linux ip for pop and smtp server name

i hope it works

I tried the postfix main.cf file below. I have tried typing <as root, if that means anything> sendmail hotrodowner, su hotrodowner, mail hotrodowner; and it says there is no mail. I also tried "sendmail <user>@hotmail.com", but no message gets there. I tried "mail <user>@hotmail.com", test for subject, <control-d>, enter; and that doesn't get there either. What am I doing wrong?
ok, heres my postfix file:

<This file has been removed, due to security reasons>

# Common e-mail tools
sendmail - postfix - sends mail to local users (and internet when configured correctly)
fetchmail - gets mail from internet accounts (non-Hotmail type)
procmail - sorts and delivers into separate mailboxes
mutt - mail client that sucks less than all the others
Email the Linux Way
Suresh Ramasubramanian's email guide
The Linux Mail User HOWTO
The Linux Electronic Mail Administrator HOWTO
SquirrelMail web mail
Gotmail, a utility to download mail from Hotmail type accounts

ok, I know what the tools are, but does someone know how to configure postfix to send mail to local users? Then I have to learn how to send mail to other computers with only an IP address to work with. I dont mean to sound lazy <I know I do.>, but I just dont understand the how-to's. I need someone to clear things up a bit.

Sorry, I use sendmail.

Isn't it configured that way by default? I know sendmail is on Redhat.

Local mail can be found in /var/spool/mail/<user> if it's being delivered.

Most apps have a user mailing list. Perhaps you shoud sign up for it. All the ones I use are very friendly and helpful.

What does the file /var/log/maillog say when you send mail.

I dont understand this, I didn't configure sendmail any what so ever, and when I use mail <user>@yahoo.com, it goes through. But when I start postfix instead, I get nothing. /var/log/maillog says the following:

Jan 7 04:02:23 TheWeb sendmail[2151]: a0792NEM002151: from=root, size=4174, class=0, nrcpts=1, msgid=<199601070902.a0792NEM002151@localhost.localdomain>, relay=root@localhost
Jan 7 04:02:24 TheWeb sendmail[2151]: a0792NEM002151: to=root, ctladdr=root (0/0), delay=00:00:01, xdelay=00:00:01, mailer=relay, pri=30039, relay=localhost.localdomain. [127.0.0.1], dsn=4.0.0, stat=Deferred: Connection refused by localhost.localdomain.

<ps. the cmos battery is dead>

Well, I gave my computer a fake domain name and it can now send mail to my yahoo account, what ports need to be open for it to accept replies?

port 25 to recieve mail

also make sure your sendmail or postfix is listening on the right interface....i had a slight problem with that, i had port 25 open but
sendmail was only looking for mail on IP 127.0.0.1 so i was sending
all i wanted but wasnt getting any back, i used webmin to find the problem,
webmin is a web based tool for configuring almost anything on the
system
http://webmin.com

but how do I use webmin when I have no gui? can I connect to webmin from another machine?