How to set up a mail server on a GNU / Linux system

• Editions

  List of different versions of this document.

• Introduction

  Brief description of this document.

  • Aim

  • Research

  • Donate

• Software

  Which software packages are we using and why.

• Installation

  How to install all packages and which ones.

  • Distrobution

  • Base Install

  • Repositories

  • Packages

• Configuration

  Post install, what to configure for each section, with full command examples.

  • Firewall (Shorewall)

  • MTA (Postfix)

  • Database (MySQL)

  • Pop/IMAP (Courier)

  • Content Checks (amivisd-new)

    • Anti-Spam(SpamAssassin)

    • Anti-Virus (ClamAV)

    • Policy Check (PostGrey)

  • Authentication (SASL)

  • Encryption (TLS)

  • Webmail (SquirrelMail)

  • Administration (phpMyAdmin)

• Data

  Creating the basic stub of data, and how to add your own.

  • Add users and domains

  • Common SQL

• Test

  Testing and troubleshooting each element.

  • Common problems

  • Test strategy

  • Switch debug on

  • Tail, tail and tail again

  • Telnet is your friend

  • Can postfix receive?

  • Can postfix send?

  • Can courier read?

• Initialize

  If receiving an already setup machine, a list of actions to do to initialize and configure it.

• Extend

  Post working system, detailed instructions on optional features to add.

  • Remote MX mail backup

    • Relay recipient lookup

  • Local file backup

  • Sender ID & SPF

  • Spam Reporting

  • White/Black lists

  • PGP & S/MIME

  • Relocation notice

  • Pop-before-SMTP

  • Auto Reply

  • Block Addresses

  • Throttle Output

  • Mail Lists

  • Admin software

  • Google Apps / GMail

  • Maildrop, spam folder and vacation messaging

  • Roundcube webmail client

• Elastic Compute Cloud (ec2)

  Amazons' hosting service. Used as examples for this howto.

  • Impressions of EC2

  • ec2 introduction, tips and hwotos

  • Using EC2 with this howto

  • Amazon EC2 Images: AMIs

  • EC2 Links

• Appendix

  • About author

  • Contact

  • Why

  • References

  • Software Links

  • Difference between Ubuntu versions

  • Download

  • Todo

  • Change Log

  • FAQ

Further details available in the change log and below in the introduction.

Aim

This is a step by step howto guide to set up a mail server on a GNU / Linux system. It is easy to follow, but you end up with a powerfull secure mail server.

The server accepts unlimited domains and users, and all mail can be read via your favourite clients, or via web mail.

It is secure, traffic can encrypted and it will block virtually all spam and viruses.

Return to top.

Research

Dont take my word for it! Research others opinions and methods. Look at my references, look at Postfix.org's howtos, read the excellent books available (E.g. Kyle's or Hildebrandt's), search the web or read the properdocumentation.

If you refer to this howto in your own document, or find useful links, then let me know.

Donate

If you found this howto very useful, spread the word and help others? If this howto was exceptionally useful why not donate me some beer money? Or buy a postfix book using my amazon affiliate links further down? Or buy a t-shirt from my t-shirt shop? Otherwise send me a Thank You note?
	UK