Hello, I am hoping you folks on the list could advise me on this... Can anyone point me towards a HOW-TO that describes how to transform a normal CentOS install into a very basic POP3/IMAP/SMTP email server? Our current ISP where we host ~15 domains and ~25+ email accounts has a mandatory incoming "auto-discard" spam filter that is far too strict to continue using. Unfortunately, switching ISPs is not an option right now. I am looking at signing up for a basic low-memory CentOS "Virtual Dedicated Server" to handle our own incoming (& outgoing) mail. There will not be a full-time IT person to maintain the server, so simplicity is a must. I am perfectly fine with leaving out complex server-side spam filtering, though I suspect that some basic blacklist usage would be a good idea. Most specifically, I don't want to add the security liability and maintenance requirements of a typical "default" server. (Apache, PHP, MySQL, Bind, etc.) Basically, I want an ultra-basic server that I can set for automatic updates and let it continue running "hands-off" until CentOS 4 is no longer supported with security patches. Does such a HOW-TO exist? If not, and there are experts here willing to help out, I would be happy to write up my experience. Thank you for reading, David ____________________________________________________________________________________ Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check. Try the Yahoo! Mail Beta. http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/newmail_tools.html
> I am hoping you folks on the list could advise me on this... > > Can anyone point me towards a HOW-TO that describes how to > transform a normal CentOS install into a very basic > POP3/IMAP/SMTP email server? > > Our current ISP where we host ~15 domains and ~25+ email > accounts has a mandatory incoming "auto-discard" > spam filter that is far too strict to continue using. > > Unfortunately, switching ISPs is not an option right now. > > I am looking at signing up for a basic low-memory CentOS > "Virtual Dedicated Server" to handle our own incoming (& > outgoing) mail. > > There will not be a full-time IT person to maintain the > server, so simplicity is a must. > > I am perfectly fine with leaving out complex server-side spam > filtering, though I suspect that some basic blacklist usage > would be a good idea. >Hi I do not know of a simple howto for this, but have a email server farm to process email for my friends/family and can process your emails and forward them to your existing ISP, you would just need to change your MX records. I do not make a charge, but paypal donations welcome. If you want to know more, please email me off list. Regards Denis
Dave wrote:> Hello, > > I am hoping you folks on the list could advise me on > this... > > Can anyone point me towards a HOW-TO that describes > how to transform a normal CentOS install into a very > basic POP3/IMAP/SMTP email server? > > Our current ISP where we host ~15 domains and ~25+ > email accounts has a mandatory incoming "auto-discard" > spam filter that is far too strict to continue using. > > Unfortunately, switching ISPs is not an option right > now. > > I am looking at signing up for a basic low-memory > CentOS "Virtual Dedicated Server" to handle our own > incoming (& outgoing) mail. > > There will not be a full-time IT person to maintain > the server, so simplicity is a must. > > I am perfectly fine with leaving out complex > server-side spam filtering, though I suspect that some > basic blacklist usage would be a good idea. > > Most specifically, I don't want to add the security > liability and m caintenance requirements of a typical > "default" server. (Apache, PHP, MySQL, Bind, etc.) > > Basically, I want an ultra-basic server that I can set > for automatic updates and let it continue running > "hands-off" until CentOS 4 is no longer supported with > security patches. > > Does such a HOW-TO exist? > > If not, and there are experts here willing to help > out, I would be happy to write up my experience. > > Thank you for reading, > DavidIf you don't want to manage the server yourself you could purchase an account with any web host and point your DNS or just the MX to that host. I don't want to turn this into an ad so send me a message off list or check out our web site if interested.
Dave wrote:> Hello, ><SNIP>> > Does such a HOW-TO exist? > > If not, and there are experts here willing to help > out, I would be happy to write up my experience. > > Thank you for reading, > David >Try Johnny's Postfix w/dovecot install guides @ http://www.hughesjr.com/content/category/4/15/29/. Best Regards, Camron Camron W. Fox Hilo Office High Performance Computing Group Fujitsu America, INC. E-mail: cwfox at us.fujitsu.com
On Wednesday 17 January 2007 07:19, Dave wrote:> Can anyone point me towards a HOW-TO that describes > how to transform a normal CentOS install into a very > basic POP3/IMAP/SMTP email server?CentOS is prebuilt to be a nice, low-maintenance mail server. I've got several of them that I maintain, if by 'maintain', you really mean 'leave plugged in'. Yum is your friend, and so are the other people on this list.> There will not be a full-time IT person to maintain > the server, so simplicity is a must.Simplicity. Check> I am perfectly fine with leaving out complex > server-side spam filtering, though I suspect that some > basic blacklist usage would be a good idea.Not complex. Check> Most specifically, I don't want to add the security > liability and maintenance requirements of a typical > "default" server. (Apache, PHP, MySQL, Bind, etc.)Don't install all that other stuff. Check> Basically, I want an ultra-basic server that I can set > for automatic updates and let it continue running > "hands-off" until CentOS 4 is no longer supported with > security patches.Automatic. Check> Does such a HOW-TO exist?(Scratches head) Dunno. Wanna make one? 1) Install packages # yum -y install dovecot sendmail sendmail-cf; 2) Basic config: # chkconfig dovecot on; # chkconfig sendmail on; 3) Edit sendmail.mc: Change this line DAEMON_OPTIONS(`Port=smtp,Addr=127.0.0.1, Name=MTA')dnl so that it says: DAEMON_OPTIONS(`Port=smtp, Name=MTA')dnl Add this line at/near the bottom: FEATURE(dnsbl,`sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org')dnl save file, and then run m4 < sendmail.mc > sendmail.cf; 4) Other sendmail configs, google up local-host-names : list of server names you're receiving for virtusertable : email addresses and where you want them to go. 5) Start the services! service start sendmail; service start dovecot; 6) Open up the iptables firewall to allow inbound on ports 25, 143, and 110. (I usually edit /etc/sysconfig/iptables directly, but that can be problematic if you ever use a GUI to edit firewall rules, which I don't) 7) Update your DNS records so that the STATIC ip of the server you've just put together is your first (lowest numbered) MX record. There's more that you can do, but for getting started, that should pretty much do it. No, it's not really all that difficult! -Ben> If not, and there are experts here willing to help > out, I would be happy to write up my experience. > > Thank you for reading, > David > > > >____________________________________________________________________________________> Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check. > Try the Yahoo! Mail Beta. > http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/newmail_tools.html > _______________________________________________ > CentOS mailing list > CentOS at centos.org > http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos > > -- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean. >-- "The best way to predict the future is to invent it." - XEROX PARC slogan, circa 1978