THE project (was Re: [wellylug] Last nights meeting)

Sat Feb 16 23:09:24 NZDT 2002

I'm sure it must be a configuration that has been designed, and re-designed
a 1000 times.  But browsing the internet I can't find any easily
configurable (read menu driven, integrated) mail server program.  For those
who don't know what I'm trying to set up, basically the spec is this:

A single linux box providing the following services to machines on a local
network:
1) dhcp server
2) dial on demand internet access
3) local network mail server and internet mail router:
3a) act as pop3 server for small local network
3b) act as pop3 client to clear mail from a single mailbox on an ISP
3c) act as smtp server to distribute this mail to appropriate addresses on
local network
3d) act as smtp client to send mail via ISP
3e) do all connections to ISP via dial on demand connection

Sounds like a pretty simple spec to me :-), but I've got a steep linux
learning curve to surmount.

Currently I have all the above implemented via two boxes, one is a 486
running coyote linux which does (1) and (2) really well.  The second
(please forgive me!) is a P133 running win95 and mercury mail server
(written by the author of pegasus) which does the whole of (3) quite
elegantly.

I'm sure someone who knows what they're doing could set this up under linux
in no time flat!  It'll take me a little longer :-(

Once that's all up and running (with no bugs, and no security holes), I'll
probably want to add:
4) virus mail scanning
5) banner advert filtering

Then I'll be happy :-)

It would help if the whole system had a user friendly front end so that a
non-computer savvy office manager could do simple management, add remove
local accounts etc.

I found a commercial program for Suse Linux called "SuSE Linux eMail Server
III" http://www.suse.de/en/products/suse_business/email_server/
which might do what I want (including a clicky-de-click interface) but they
want real money - 990Euro = $2047NZD!

Last year Phil Daintree <p.daintree at xtra.co.nz> had this to say:
:Sendmail has a bad reputation for requiring a degree to set up and maintain.
:However with the macro commands even I mastered it. Sendmail is the mail
:transport for a huge chunk of the worlds email and is rock solid. Most
:distributions come with it and have default configurations for most
:situations. I use Suse and it sets up sendmail by default. It is worth the
:effort to learn the basics at least. It has all the aliasing forwarding you
:will ever need. The complexity comes because it has that many options and
:facilities. My configuration uses procmail to deliver messages locally ie
:putting the mail in user mail boxes - procmail again is industrial strength
:and can also be used to filter out virus attachments for windows clients.
:Sendmail is just an smtp mail relay ie for receiving and sending mail. I use
:qpopper for the pop3 mail server for windows clients to connect to and
:retrieve email.

:Sendmail is the smtp transport, qpopper is the pop3 server and if you are
:fetching the group email from a POP3 box on an isp you will also need
:fetchmail. This is a small program to handle the fetching of IMAP or POP3
:mail box mail and convert it into an SMTP stream to be handled by sendmail.

So looks like I might just have to tackle sendmail and friends.

So looks like me (ajwills at paradise.net.nz), phil
(phil_hayward at paradise.net.nz) and lindsay (?) have a lot of hills to
climb, if anyone else is interested or wants to act as a guide let us know!

--- Tony

At 21:51 15-02-02 +1300, phil_hayward at paradise.net.nz wrote:
>Hi Tony,
>Being a first time attendee of the WellyLUG also, I agree with a most of
>your comments. A good collective wealth of knowledge there though and I look
>forward to sharing in it and even perhaps contributing one day when I come
>up to speed.
>
>As for taking an interest in your project....not sure that I did much.
>However Lindsay and and I are currently trying to put together a mail server
>as well and would be quite happy sharing/pooling any knowledge we might
>gain.....kind of like the blind leading the blind perhaps...:-)
>I am genuinely interested in your project as I think it is for a good cause
>and am willing to assist in anyway I can.
...
...
>Phil
...

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