[OT]Appropriate OS and other software to work with SA

[Ben Wylie <sa...@benwylie.co.uk>]

Currently I am running my mailserver on a windows box.
I have just bought a new server and will probably be running CentOS on it. I
would like to migrate my mailserver onto this linux box so that hopefully I
will be able to get a faster, more stable system.

I'm looking for advice as to what the 'standard' setup is for a linux based
mailserver if there is such a thing.

I'm looking for a comprehensive mailserver setup with pop3, smtp, imap
supporting multiple domains, users and aliases, with the ability to make
filtering rules, rules to backup all messages, SA integration with mysql.

I have heard of things like procmail and milter and other things, but don't
really know anything about them. I know I have a lot of learning to do as
the only experience I have of linux so far is cygwin.

Is there a standard combination programs used as a mailserver as I hope?

Thanks for your help,
Ben

Re: [OT]Appropriate OS and other software to work with SA

[James R <ja...@trusswood.dyndns.org>]

Ben Wylie wrote:
> Currently I am running my mailserver on a windows box.
> I have just bought a new server and will probably be running CentOS on it. I
> would like to migrate my mailserver onto this linux box so that hopefully I
> will be able to get a faster, more stable system.
> 
> I'm looking for advice as to what the 'standard' setup is for a linux based
> mailserver if there is such a thing.
> 
> I'm looking for a comprehensive mailserver setup with pop3, smtp, imap
> supporting multiple domains, users and aliases, with the ability to make
> filtering rules, rules to backup all messages, SA integration with mysql.
> 
> I have heard of things like procmail and milter and other things, but don't
> really know anything about them. I know I have a lot of learning to do as
> the only experience I have of linux so far is cygwin.
> 
> Is there a standard combination programs used as a mailserver as I hope?
> 
> Thanks for your help,
> Ben
> 
> 
> 
> 
Add ClamAV to your list: http://www.clamav.net

-- 
Thanks,
James

RE: [OT]Appropriate OS and other software to work with SA

[George Breahna <sa...@top-consulting.net>]

I would recommend FreeBSD + Qmail as MTA.

My company runs an e-mail outsourcing business and this combination has done
wonders for us.

-George


On 5/12/2005 12:54 PM, Ben Wylie wrote:
> Currently I am running my mailserver on a windows box.

> would like to migrate my mailserver onto this linux box so that 
> hopefully I will be able to get a faster, more stable system.

> Is there a standard combination programs used as a mailserver as I hope?

No. The UNIX model is historically based on writing smallish tools (I said
historically) that are called upon for specific tasks. What this has
produced is what you are running into: there are options for just about
every function in a complex system, but its really up to you to figure out
which features you want and what components provide them.

For a mail system, you need to pick a transfer agent (SMTP server), a
delivery store, and the retrieval agents (pop and IMAP servers), along with
whatever glue components you might also need to tie these together.

The granddaddy MTA is sendmail, but there are lots of others to choose from,
including postfix, qmail, exim and more. For POP/IMAP, there is Cyrus, UW
imapd, Courier and others. If you need to do some kind of message filtering,
you might want to use hooks provided by the MTA itself (as with sendmail's
milter interface, and postfix filters), or you might want to use filters
that manipulate messages in the delivery store (as with procmail).

If you need to get something up and running rights now, your best would
probably be starting with commercial package like Communigate Pro
(http://www.stalker.com/content/solutions.htm) that offers all of the
functions, but is also extensible, and then test with other technologies on
a different box when you aren't under pressure to make something work.
If you're just looking to kick some tires, it is pretty easy to get UW imapd
working (it sits on top of existing *NIX mail spool directoriess), and
postfix is an easy MTA to configure. You can play with calling in stuff like
procmail or postfix filters pretty easy from there.

Re: [OT]Appropriate OS and other software to work with SA

["Eric A. Hall" <eh...@ehsco.com>]

On 5/12/2005 12:54 PM, Ben Wylie wrote:
> Currently I am running my mailserver on a windows box.

> would like to migrate my mailserver onto this linux box so that hopefully I
> will be able to get a faster, more stable system.

> Is there a standard combination programs used as a mailserver as I hope?

No. The UNIX model is historically based on writing smallish tools (I said
historically) that are called upon for specific tasks. What this has
produced is what you are running into: there are options for just about
every function in a complex system, but its really up to you to figure out
which features you want and what components provide them.

For a mail system, you need to pick a transfer agent (SMTP server), a
delivery store, and the retrieval agents (pop and IMAP servers), along
with whatever glue components you might also need to tie these together.

The granddaddy MTA is sendmail, but there are lots of others to choose
from, including postfix, qmail, exim and more. For POP/IMAP, there is
Cyrus, UW imapd, Courier and others. If you need to do some kind of
message filtering, you might want to use hooks provided by the MTA itself
(as with sendmail's milter interface, and postfix filters), or you might
want to use filters that manipulate messages in the delivery store (as
with procmail).

If you need to get something up and running rights now, your best would
probably be starting with commercial package like Communigate Pro
(http://www.stalker.com/content/solutions.htm) that offers all of the
functions, but is also extensible, and then test with other technologies
on a different box when you aren't under pressure to make something work.
If you're just looking to kick some tires, it is pretty easy to get UW
imapd working (it sits on top of existing *NIX mail spool directoriess),
and postfix is an easy MTA to configure. You can play with calling in
stuff like procmail or postfix filters pretty easy from there.

Good luck.

-- 
Eric A. Hall                                        http://www.ehsco.com/
Internet Core Protocols          http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/coreprot/