RH Linux mail lab setup.

vdi_nenna · 09-03-2002, 12:09 PM

Hi,

I want to learn more about mail systems. What would be the minimum number of machines or hardware I would need to setup an email environment? I use Juno, so I don't have a dialup to the internet. A cheap ISP w/ non-perpriotary software would be a nice recommendation. I live outside phila, pa.

For now I'd like to keep it to a LAN or intranet. I want to learn about mixed environments, if possible.

Ok...

I have 4 pc's, a 2507 Cisco router/hub, and I'm putting together a linux router- freeSco or LPR.

I have qmail, sendmail and Xmail software. I can also get my hands on most Microsoft stuff.

How simple can I start off and how elaborate can I get later?

Thanks for your advice.

Vince

acid_kewpie · 09-03-2002, 12:54 PM

well you can have a mail server on one machine... at an utterly basic level most basic linux installations come with a "mail server" installed. just because you are inside a single machined doesn't mean it's not networking...

a "mail server" doesn't really exist as an entity, other than what you call the machine that deals with email. so many different individual servers go together to creaet a mail server, SMTP, POP3, IMAP4, local access methods, webmail front ends etc...

i can see what you're asking, but it is still vastly open ended... if you can define exactly what you want your system to be able to do then you're already halfway to finishing it.

so what DO you want to do?

vdi_nenna · 09-03-2002, 01:53 PM

Thanks Chris,

I get a bit confused with the MTAs and their functions. Let's say I want to provide mail services on a LAN with 2 clients and 1 " mail server". No internet mail yet. Is this a possible lab setup? How simple can I start?

Which MTA would you recommend for a beginner? Something I can get working relatively fast, e.i., Xmail, SendMail or qmail? I know SendMail is a bit tough.

I'm trying to get a small view of how email systems function.

Thanks,

Vince

acid_kewpie · 09-03-2002, 02:38 PM

well you have to decide what services you want, picked from my list and others aswell. ok, i presume you want to be able to send mail from all internal nodes to the big wide world? well then that's where the MTA comes in, i use sendmail, cos i couldn't be arsed to learn postfix or qmail, which are meant to be an awful lot nicer. you'll need to make which ever MTA you want to use relay mail from the internal nodes, and after that you should be pretty much fine for that. to recieve mail from outside is pretty similar, and just a configuration difference, i.e. to relay all mail to or from any of your nodes.

that's as far as the MTA goes. after that you'd need to access the mail from your nodes. for a linux client, i'd suggest an nfs share to replace the local mailbox (/var/spool/mail/*) with the servers one. as for windoze... get an imap or pop3 server package installed on the server

Mara · 09-03-2002, 02:43 PM

I reccommend qmail. It's quite easy to configure (justr read the documentation that comes with it and do what it says) and powerful (you can add more features later). It's wort it to read "Life with qmail" (you can get it from www.qmail.org).

badjooda · 09-03-2002, 05:18 PM

I suggest throw a vanilla (actuallually valhalla) 7.3 Redhat at it.
Follow the boot cd instructions and install a sendmail email server. It will automatically install a pop3 and imap services.
Leave firewall options turned off for now, you can read about iptables and such later. Just make sure this machine is not part of the public lan(internet), until you secure it.. Then install webmin (webmin.com) and you'll be up on email in no time!
You can control what services (pop3 and imap or pop3s & imaps) you want running. (not-secure or secure) I recommend the redhat howto's for a beginner. Also go to linuxdoc.org for How To's and info. Webmin allows you to control your email server form your workstation through a browser. Even using SSL. (encrypted web pages). More later , just ask