[NTLUG:Discuss] Re: mailserver

[David South, Jr.]

Bobby,

I can understand your frustration. Sometimes the advantages of Linux can be a
hindrance. For example, the ability to see the operating environment -- the
WHOLE system -- can be daunting. I know it was (and sometimes still is) for me.

There are really three issues here, an e-mail server, e-mail client, and a mail
management software.

For all Internet services, there is a server (also called a daemon) and a
client. To reduce confusion I will refer to server SOFTWARE as daemons and
server HARDWARE as servers.

When someone surfs the web they use a web client (netscape/explorer) on their
computer to connect with a web daemon (apache/iis) running on the web server.

The same is true for e-mail but it is divided into two parts -- sending and
receiving.

When you send e-mail you use an e-mail client (netscape
mail/outlook/pine/elm/eudora) to connect to an SMTP (Simple Mail Transport
Protocol) daemon (sendmail/qmail). The client gives the daemon the addresses and
text of the mail and the daemon delivers it.

When your client receives e-mail it connects to a POP3 (Post Office Protocol) or
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) daemon (imapd/ipop3d). These daemons are
often called a Post Office service because they accrue your mail until you
connect and retrieve it.

If you use a dial-up account, your SMTP/IMAP/POP3 daemon(s) are located at your
ISP. You will only use client software.

If you run the IT department at work with dedicated Internet access, then you
will probably have an e-mail server for all three protocols (SMTP/IMAP/POP3) or
even multiple server and divide up the work (SMTP on one, IMAP/POP3 on the
other).

Remember that client and daemon SOFTWARE can run on any computer. When someone
is talking about a server they are probably referring to computer HARDWARE
specifically set up to run mainly daemon software. A client computer is set up
for a user to use and runs mainly client software.

Mass mailing, discussion lists, web e-mail, and other mail management software
comes in many forms. Some run on the e-mail server, others run on the client
machine. In all cases they connect to the IMAP/POP3/SMTP daemons to do their
work.


For a Linux e-mail server you could use sendmail ( http://www.sendmail.org/ )
and imapd/ipop3d ( http://www.washington.edu/imap/ ). It's free and remarkably
reliable. Our e-mail server needs to be shutdown roughly once a year -- maybe.
Plus I'm working off an environment full of open software and open standards.
Apache, FTP, DHCP, DNS, firewalls, Samba. Plus it has flexibility to spare.

If you are looking for a "cookbook" in creating a Linux server look up the book
"Securing & Optimizing Linux: Red Hat Edition" from Open Network Architecture (
http://www.openna.com ). If you buy the book (I think it's about $35) it comes
with a copy of Red Hat 6.2 and a disk full of utilities. In other words, for
$35, you get a road map to a complete server environment.


I hope this lengthy e-mail answers your questions.

Dave