[NTLUG:Discuss] mail server question

[Gregory A. Edwards]

Bobby Wrenn wrote:

> 
> I think I need to re-phrase the question. I need to have my inside
> machine behind a NATed firewall/router running ipchains and ipmasqadm. I
> want to test this before I have the domain name moved to my system. Do I
> need anything other than an MTA and POP3 client software in order to do
> this? If all I need is an MTA and POP3 clients, I can set up the clients
> ok. What is the minimum configuration for sendmail/postfix/qmail (I
> don't care which I use just so I can get mail). I'll learn all the
> little tweaks over time. Right now I just need to get mail without
> having to get an engineering degree.
> 
> I know everyone says qmail is easy to set up. That may be if you know
> what needs to be set up. I'm starting from dumb as a rock and would like
> to progress to at least "brown belt guru".
> 
> Thanks for the response. Hope I didn't run you off with my rant.
> 
> Bobby
> 
> Brian wrote:
> >
> > Bobby Wrenn wrote:
> > > I really just need someone to tell me what setting to put where. As
> > > usual all the books I have assume I already know about all the
> > > configuration options and don't tell me how to set up the software in
> > > the first place.
> >
> > My suggestion:  Install qmail as your MTA.  The installation docs are
> > very well-written, and there are an incredible number of resources
> > linked from the website (qmail.org).  It provides sendmail "wrappers,"
> > so your MUA's and the like don't even know they're not talking to a
> > sendmail daemon.
> >
> >   --Brian
> >

Bobby,

Not to be condensending, sendmail is pretty simple to setup a very basic
configuration.  Getting through all of the written crap about m4 and the
rules, yadda-yadda and finding the simple answer is the problem.

In sendmail.cf:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
# level 7 config file format
V7/Berkeley

# Alias for this host
Cw nas-inet.com
Cw localhost eagle.nas-inet.com
Fw/etc/mail/sendmail.cw
# Virtual email domain
# who I masquerade as (null for no masquerading)
DMnas-inet.com
# Smart host
DS
# Use this mailer to reach the Smart host
DNsmtp
# Central host for local mail
DHmailhost.nas-inet.com
# class L: names that should be delivered locally, even if we have a
relay
CLroot
# class E: names that should be exposed as from this host, even if we
# masquerade
CEroot

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

in sendmail.cw

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
# sendmail.cw - include all aliases for your machine here.
localhost
ns1.nas-inet.com
mailhost.nas-inet.com
mail.nas-inet.com
eagle.nas-inet.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

eagle is the host that I also run as my mail server so it has to be
named here to make sure mail gets back to itself.  mail.nas-inet.com is
known to the outside world and mailhost.nas-inet.com is known inside.

If you get DNS setup then setup your internal mail agents to access your
internal server name (mailhost.nas-inet.com) and the outside world is
shown the external server name (mail.nas-inet.com).

That's about it.  The names you run inside don't have to relate to the
names seen outside since DNS takes care of the name resolution and if
you use a private network number (RFC rules!!) then the outside world
can't use the inside routes (no security and spoofing flames, different
subject).

If your running a NAT device life is alot simpler as far as putting up a
barrier between internal and external IPs.

I run all my internal users access with IMAP and SMTP so that I have
sendmail running on a single server.  I also NFS mount my mail and
mqueue dirs, just cause I'm lazy.

-- 
Greg Edwards
New Age Software, Inc.
http://www.nas-inet.com