Call for email server help (kind of OT)

[David Fletcher]

On Wednesday 19 November 2008 06:42:25 Donn wrote:
> >Tell us what you're
> > trying to do first, and we'll do our best to help.
>
> It's much like I mentioned: I have a virtual server running Ubuntu LTS. I
> control it by ssh from home. I got a domain name yesterday.
> I have apache and Django and mysql all running ok.
> I have postfix running and it sends mail (from my web app) to external
> email addys; that's fine -- the web app can talk to users.
>
> What I need now is for users to be able to talk to the admin (me and
> whomever) via the new domain. So:
>
> 1. A user can send an email to help at mydomain.blah : this seems to be the MX
> record you spoke of working with Postfix to receive the mail and put it
> somewhere. As 'help' is not a user on the server I imagine we are talking
> some kind of aliasing or virtual whatsit-ing here.
Looks like you need to edit /etc/aliases and add the line
help:	yourloginname

and then issue the commands
sudo newaliases
sudo postfix reload

A google search for:-
postfix alias
revealed this information.


>
> 2. I don't want to read those user emails from the command-line under ssh
> on the server. I want their email to come to me at home on kmail. So I need
> a way to fetch the mail inbox of 'help' from there to home.
You don't need a help mailbox - the alias takes care of it. You should be able 
to get kmail to filter on the To field to separate out help messages so that 
they stand out from the rest.

> This is where Dovecot or Courier seem to come in. I can't test this
> properly until I have an email waiting to be 'fetched'. (Step 1)
Choose one. I know nothing of Courier. Dovecot works for me but the choice, as 
always, is yours alone.

>
> 3. I want to reply to those user email from kmail too. For this you
> suggested a default 'reply-to' address on my usual ISP (gmail) address.
> Nice one. I will give it a go.
>
> 4. I don't want to run the risk of being an 'open relay' but with the
> complexity of email I am not sure I can avoid it... I will learn as I burn
> :)
Avoid it. I mean that. Really.

If you don't, you are liable to burn, or maybe get your domain black listed. 
That's not good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNSBL

If you initially tell postfix to act as an outgoing only server, I think you 
should be OK. The server at home was initially set up to relay mail from the 
local network only. I then had to add localhost to the list to get it to 
relay from itself when calling up the sendEmail program for auto notify 
messages. It then acts as an SMTP client to send out mail via the 
authenticated SMTP service at 1 and 1.

My router has no port forward set for incoming SMTP requests, so in effect 
it's firewalled out anyway.

> Don't even start on iptables! I think I'd sooner master ancient Latin...
> For now my server relies on the default settings of Ubuntu LTS and hope.
>
Much safer to play with iptables on a machine physically located next to your 
desk, until you know exactly what you're doing. I don't know exactly what I'm 
doing, so that's the only advice I'm going to offer on the subject.

Have fun, and remember "Google is your best mate"

Dave