John wrote:

I am attempting to set up a mail server on a local Suse 10.3 box. I am totally lost!! Have tried to follow the info at: http://en.opensuse.org/Mail_server_HOWTO but, being a bit thick, haven't succeeded....

If I am setting up a local server, do I need fetchmail, etc?? I may be wrong (prob am!), but this info seems to be mostly client oriented, not server....??

What programs are actually needed, just to set up the server, (initially, just internally) and how do you then connect your clients to the server?? Sorry if I'm being a bit slow.....

You're saddling the horse from the wrong side. The first thing you need to do is to define what services should be available for what clients, everything else will follow that design. The usual questions are: Does this server accept mails directly from the internet? - requires fixed ip and official domain name possible but not recommended is a dialup with dyndns account Does this server provide mail services for internal LAN users only or does he relay for internet users? - in that case you have to set up smtp authentication Do you require Webmail? - that would need an imap server to connect to Is this a private server only for your amusement or do you want to set up a company mailserver? -- Sandy List replies only please! Please address PMs to: news-reply2 (@) japantest (.) homelinux (.) com -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org

Hi John, John wrote:

I am attempting to set up a mail server on a local Suse 10.3 box. I am totally lost!!

Don't attempt to do it, just do it :) This is a LOONG, hopefully informative reply.

Have tried to follow the info at: http://en.opensuse.org/Mail_server_HOWTO but, being a bit thick, haven't succeeded....

If I am setting up a local server, do I need fetchmail, etc?? I may be wrong (prob am!), but this info seems to be mostly client oriented, not server....??

What programs are actually needed, just to set up the server, (initially, just internally) and how do you then connect your clients to the server?? Sorry if I'm being a bit slow.....

OK, Sound like you were as confused as I was when I wanted to set one up. Basically the process goes like this, and the OP and I would appreciate corrections: You need to decide what the purpose of your email server is going to be besides fun i.e. is it just going to act as a receiving gateway for mail when it is connected to the internet i.e. POP or is it going to be an IMAP store of your mail so that you can keep information ad-infinitum. POP is what most M$ clients do and whilst you can stick with it, mail can then only be accessed from a single computer that the mail is read on. If the machine you use to read the mail dies all the email you have religiously kept becomes expensive Japanese smoke. :) IMAP allows a machine to act as a store and you can access it from any machine on the same network i.e. your dad's laptop. If your dad's laptop dies, all your email is still safe on your IMAP server. If the IMAP server fails the email can become expensive Japanese smoke so it is wise to keep a regular backup to an external device. The cost of having an IMAP server permanently(24/7/365) connected to the internet with its own IP address is EXPENSIVE.(ask any company as the ISP needs to advise the on-line world that any email to your email address must be sent to a specific IP address. As ISP's already have their own IP addresses for their own mailservers, My suggestion would be to have a single POP email account with an ISP and fetch your mail from it onto your IMAP server from time to time. This doesn't require any large expenses as it is what most folk worldwide have i.e. a POP email account with an ISP. This allows you to decide when to connect to the internet if you do not have a permanent connection as the ISP will store your mail, up to the size of your mailbox, for you until you come and fetch it. Once you have decided this the next question is what 'services' do you want for your email i.e. anti-virus, spam checking etc. Most decide to do both antivirus and spam checking as no one says a carefully crafted email SPAM cannot contain a virus. With both protection options you identify, and can act on, the offending mail twice. Next question is how is the email going to be stored i.e. what form as there are several IMAP programs available that each basically do the same thing but possibly slightly differently i.e. Courierimap and '.......'( what ever it is called. Right now you have figured out the main bits you need to decide on what software to install to accomplish your goal. Basically you need a program to fetch the mail from the ISP. Linux provides Fetchmail which needs installing. Fetchmail then 'hands' the mail to a program called Postfix who is the main enchilada and also needs installing. Postfix sees that the mail needs scanning for virii and spam so it sends the email to amavisd which also needs installing. Amavisd is the program that manages the antivirus(antivir/avg) and the spam software(clamav). When finished it 'hands' the email back to Postfix. Postfix checks there is nothing else to do i.e. sorting and then forwards the mail to the IMAP store software(possibly courier-imap or cyrus-imap or whatever), which also needs installing. You can then use a PC in the same network as the IMAP server to view the IMAP email store. What program you use to view the store is up to you as you can use a web browser, Thunderbird and the host of other email clients out there, provided they are configured to access the IMAP store machine. Messages you delete on the PC are actually deleted from the IMAP store and much like deleting POP email there is no way to recover it once it has been purged from the Trash bin. If you now go to another machine you will be unable to access those same messages as they have been deleted from the IMAP store, but you can continue reading your other different email. Regards Hylton -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org