email server

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Revision as of 14:42, 19 August 2009 by Woozle (talk | contribs) (what needs to happen; webmin)
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Overview

An email server is server software which accepts email for one or more recipients and stores it until deleted by an email client (usually as part of the delivery process). The term "email server" may refer to the software, the hardware on which the software runs, or the combination of the two.

This is a growing seedling article. You can help HTYP by watering it.

In order for a minimal email server to function, the following must happen:

  • The hardware must have MTA (to receive email) and MDA (for clients to pick up the mail) server software installed and working
  • The domain(s) for which the server is expected to handle email must have at least one MX record pointing to the server's IP address or hostname (otherwise nobody else will know how to deliver email sent to those domains)
  • If the server is behind a firewall, that firewall must be configured:
    • to route incoming SMTP connections to the server
    • to route incoming POP3 and/or IMAP connections to the server (if users need to connect from outside the firewall)

The tricky part of configuring the server appears to be the account names and aliases; these can be configured via a baffling array of standards which I have not yet figured out. The "easy way" seems to be to configure it via a control panel such as Webmin.

Terminology

Software

stacks

These packages include both the MTA and MDA.

Setup

For now, a collection of links:

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