I maintain SUSE Linux 8.2 and I am a bit confused about whehter I need an email client or email server setup on my Linux box.

Here is my current scenario:

1 linux server installed in my business unit & mulitple windows users both local and remote to my location. All systems are sitting behind a network firewall. The windows users are currently running Novell client but soon to be migrating to MS Active Directory. We currently utilize MS outlook 2002 on our windows boxes.

Here is what I would like to do:

We will house change management solution on linux server with ANT build support. We need to be able to have nightly build results emailed to users on a nightly basis.

I would also like to have administrative messages sent to me from linux box on normal occurence.

Do I need email server or email client setup on this box?

As in depth as your setup is, I'll take a stab:
If you feel comfortable using your existing mail service (if you have one, likely through your ISP) then you can simply send/recieve email as you probably already do via pop3 or IMAP. However, if you are allowed by your ISP to host your own mail server, and feel that it would also be better for your situation to control mail delivery locally, then you will want to setup your own mail server.

Mail server = Local mail delivery/reciept control
Mail Client (without local mail server) = Ability to send/recieve email via existing protocols such as POP3 or IMAP through an established email account with an external source (for example, if your ISP is verizon, then something like: user1@verizon.net would be the email address you have).

It's always nice for learning experience to setup a mail server, however, if you don't have the desire or time to learn, then it's really not necessary. You can accomplish your goal with something like a cron job or the likes.

Cool

MasterC thanks so much for your response! See below for a couple of questions:

******If you feel comfortable using your existing mail service (if you have ******one, likely through your ISP) then you can simply send/recieve ******email as you probably already do via pop3 or IMAP.

Currently, if I need to send or recieve an email on this box, I logon to a personal email account via my personal ISP carrier. I am looking for the ability to send automated email messages from this box to my work email account (MS Outlook 2002).


******However, if you are allowed by your ISP to host your own mail ******server, and feel that it would also be better for your situation to ******control mail delivery locally, then you will want to setup your own ******mail server.

We have roughly about 10 user accounts on this Linux box. These users rarely need the ability to send/receive email from this box. We simply need one email account (LINUX) Host to send emails on administrative issues on this box related to Change Control & Database status updates

Based on the information I have provided above, what is your recommendation?

Thanks,

John

Set it up as a cron job to connect to your remote email server provided to you by your private ISP. That'd be the very easiest solution, and since you really don't need to run a mail server for any other reason on that box, I'd keep it more secure by not.

Check around the boards (or post up in software about any options for emailing attachments from the command line), there are a few options for emailing attachments via the command line, however I don't know how to set these up to communicate with an external mail server (and if the case is "They can't" Well then it sounds like maybe you will want to set it up, just for that small purpose However, you'll want to wait to cross that bridge when/if you come to it.

Cool