Help needed with mail server setup

[Ugo Bellavance]

Chris Lemire wrote:
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I'll answer what I can.

> 
>              I am trying to setup the following,
>  and I have made some progress. Here's my setup.

>    Mailman (I'm still trying to figure out what I
>  am going to use this for, but I think it would
>  be very cool and useful to learn.)

This is to manage mailing lists... if you don't need a mailing list and 
if you don't have a reliable server on a reliable internet link with 
port 25 open, you shoud probably play with something else.

>    Postfix (smtp server for relaying mail to a
>  smarthost.)

Why can't you configure your e-mails client to use the smarthost instead?

> 
>  Here are my questions.
> 
>    How can I know if I need SASL when setting up
>  Postfix?

I don't think you need postfix.

>    How can I know if I need SMTP Authentication?

You need it in your client, that is enough.

>    Do I need it because gmail uses it even though
>  I will be relaying mails to my internet

You should use gmail's servers, or your emails may bounce or considered 
as spam because of SPF failure.

>    Should I configure Postfix to use mbox or
>  Maildir format?

I don't know.  I don't think you need postfix.

>    Why should I configure it to use one or the
>  other?

[...]

>    Does Fetchmail use mbox or Maildir?

 From what I've seen, fetchmail sends to an MTA, it doesn't store the 
e-mail itself

>    Which one does it use by default?

[...]

>    Should I configure Postfix to use the same as
>  Fetchmail?

[...]  Honestly, you're making this all a lot too complex for what it 
is.  Gmail's interface is very good.  Why don't you use it?

Or if you'd like to use evolution, do so and follow the configuration 
for gmail and pop/smtp.

Why do you absolutely need to be able to take your e-mails with mutt?

Ugo