dovecot - Jul 2021 - Dovecot book for a newbie

I am not aware of any Dovecot specific book, but maybe a good starting 
point would be the Dovecot Quick Configuration guide:
https://doc.dovecot.org/configuration_manual/quick_configuration/

For Postfix, a good starting point could be the VIRTUAL_README and 
ADDRESS_CLASS_README pages:
http://www.postfix.org/VIRTUAL_README.html
http://www.postfix.org/ADDRESS_CLASS_README.html

I've also heard good things about "The Book of Postfix". Even
though it
is quite old now, most of the parts/concepts/terminology still apply 
today. Part of it is also available on Google Books.

Setting up a mail server for the first time can be a bit challenging and 
time consuming, but once you get a hold of things, it gets much easier :)

Personally, I would take things step by step and not try to install and 
configure everything all at once.

You could create a local isolated virtual environment with multiple VMs 
(ex: 1 authoritative DNS server for local testdomain1 and testdomain2, 1 
mail server for local testdomain1, 1 mail server for local testdomain2) 
where you could experiment freely until everything works as expected.

That way you are in control of the entire environment and you can easily 
debug any issues. Plus, it can be a good learning experience :)

Once messages can be sent between the local test domains without any 
issues, you could take that configuration and, more or less, apply it to 
your internet facing mail server.
> Hi,
> 
> Please recommend a Dovecot book for a newbie... I have a fair amount of 
> Linux PHP hosting experience - LAMP virtual host configurations.? I'm 
> new to BIND, Postfix, and Dovecot.
> 
> I'm running Ubuntu 20.04lts.
> 
> Can send but not receive.
Assuming everything else is set up correctly, did you check your 
firewall just to make sure that is not blocking incoming connections on 
your SMTP port?



Cheers,

K.

On 2021 Jul 07, at 13:33, Kevin N. <kevin at notscheduled.eu>
wrote:
> I've also heard good things about "The Book of Postfix". Even
though it is quite old now, most of the parts/concepts/terminology still apply
today. Part of it is also available on Google Books.
Despite being quote oldies you say, this is a great resource for understanding
not just postfix, but how email in general works. I think it would be a handy
primer for anyone trying to be a mail admin, as the concepts have not changed
even if some of the commands and configurations have. Modern Postfix has more
and better tools that are not mentioned in the book, especially for dealing with
unwanted mail, but as a baseline, the book is still worthwhile.
> ersonally, I would take things step by step and not try to install and
configure everything all at once.
If you have the time, hang out reading the postfix and dovecot mailing lists,
and searching the archives. Look for configuration questions that people have
discussed. Do not really on a google search for something like :how to setup
postfix and dovecot" because most of these results will be garbage,
outdated, m or contain flat-out errors.

Pay close attention to the syntax of sample configs people post, and especially
to the comments and corrections of those samples.

Also, the man pages for Postfix are very good.

The most important thing to get straight is that what you think might be the
best plan for configuring your mail may in fact be a terrible idea, and you
really want to do the research first.

Understanding exactly where the separation is between postfix and dovecot is
crucial, and even people who've been doing this a lot can get caught out
sometimes.

The Dovecot web docs are decent enough and cover the information, but I find
them to be sometimes sparse on details and examples, and they are not really
designed for someone starting out IMO. More for refreshing something you forgot
or misremembered. Searching the list for doveconf outputs might be more
fruitful, as long as you follow the threads for comments and corrections.

Whatever you do, do not setup unauthticated submission, or submission that used
deprecated security settings no matter how much you thin this is a good idea.
It's not. If you have to support people using ancient software, force them
to use a email client like Horde or Roundcube so you maintain your mail
security. IMO, YMMV. TANSTAAFL. IANAL. ETC.

Oh, and consider if you really need or want to support POP3 (I recommend not
unless you have a users who want to use Gmail to suck in their mail). The more
mail you are dealing with, the worse POP3 is on your system and your users.

-- 
Windle shook his head sadly. Five exclamation marks, the sure sign of
	an insane mind. --Reaper Man