Linux /sendmail/ postfix email problems

which to use

[pony0325]

Hello, I have used Linux 8.0 but not as a mail server. The following is what I am trying to accomplish.

1) receive mail from ISP for users
2) store received mail on Linux server in user directory /home/bob
or /home/bob/mail
3) user can see these messages using Outlook on their WindowsXP boxes
and move to permanant save folders or leave for deletion.
4) using a script? or program administrator can purge outdated mail,
ie: longer than 6 months.

I have installed sendmail and procmail. Upon testing I can send mail but cannot receive any.

Please help

[jtara]

receive mail from ISP for users

This leaves me a bit confused about what you are trying to accomplish.

Do you mean to receive all the mail for a domain on the server? Then you need to install an SMTP server, and add or modify the MX DNS record for the domain to point to the server.

Further, you will need to install a POP and/or IMAP server, which will allow your users to download mail from your server. Otherwise, mail will just sit on the local system once it is received.

If you want to receive mail on behalf of your users from their mail accounts on various ISPs, you will need them to supply you with their login credentials (good luck!) and will need some software to fetch mail from the ISPs onto your server. You will also have to make sure you are not violating each ISP's terms of service.

While I am reasonably certain that such software exists, I can't offer any suggestions.

[SeanW]

To receive mail, there are a few things that has to happen

1. DNS has to be configured to get the mail to your box
2. sendmail (or whatever MTA) has to be configured to accept the mail for the domain and deliver it locally
3. something has to provide access to your client (IMAP, POP, local access) so it can pick it up.

I'd start by looking at /var/log/maillog to see which step you're at.

Sean

[pony0325]

1) DNS has been configured for the maillinux box on the 2003 server.

2) sendmail has been configured (for as much as I now how to)

3) I can send mail thru outlook via maillinux.company.local but can't receive.

I have also been ttold that I need to set up IMAP in order to have the separate directories that I want. Is this a part of sendmail setup?

[SeanW]

Sendmail hands off local mail to a local delivery agent, which usually saves to /var/spool/mail/$USER. Look at that file to see if the email made it.

From that file your IMAP server will pick up the mail. dovecot is a good pop/imap server, and is relatively easy to configure.

Sean

[pony0325]

I have procmail set up and have installed Dovecot as my IMAP server. I can send email but stll can't receive. I need to receive email from our ISP and store it in IMAP directories on our Linux server. Preferably in each user directories. The users are using Outlook express to send/receive email. We are doing this to comply with the document control dictated to us by our parent company. They use oracle and we don't wish for them to control us too. I have read a few things saying that i may need fetchmail!? Is there any truth isn this?