toaster or do-it-myself?

[Tim Judd]

On 8/10/09, Identry <jalmberg at identry.com> wrote:
> Frack... qmail is impossible. I've been hacking at this for 14 hours
> and it's just not working. I must be stupid.


If you're open to suggestions, there are two typical camps on this.
first one being a majority.  I've done both, and don't know which one
to favor


1) A mix-n match bag of software daemons that make it all work:
postfix MTA, dovecot POP3/IMAP, your choice of virtual user database,
squirrelmail (or another webmail) product.  That gives basic
functions.  Add anti-spam (spamassassin is common), and anti-virus
(clamav).

2) Install Courier suite, in which the same developers have a MTA,
POP3/IMAP, webmail suite.  Add Anti-Spam and Anti-Virus and your kit
is complete.


For the first time, I was able to install an email subsystem that
eliminates all spam without an anti-spam software app.  Based on the
blacklists for known spammers, and a blacklist for accidental
spammers, we're curbing most if not all other spam mails from being
accepted by the MTA.  The first blacklist are blocked by the firewall,
second blacklist is checked at each incoming connection and the MTA
will send notice to the remote connection (in the event it's a real
person sending mail from a spamming host), on how to clear themselves.

There isn't any AV suite to speak of, but if we're killing all
susceptable spams, the viruses are from the same bunch so we're
killing two birds with one stone.


Soon, I'll revisit Courier and see if my same mail setup is able to
accomplish the same goal, and I know the first blacklist will happen,
it's the 2nd I'm not so sure about.



Getting a toaster-application is nice, speedy setup.  but you work
with it's limitations or drawbacks.  Building your own gives more
flexibility, and depending on setup, it'll be no more than a
toaster-application -- or a whole lot more.


Ask us questions, there's lots of posts online.
For a quick setup, i always
- Install FreeBSD
- Run freebsd-update fetch install && reboot
- Install binary packages, and update them using your choice port
upgrade utility, if any

That's the quickest way to get a server live and operational...
because a non-modified port options = same binary that's offered as a
package.


Identry, send me a mail offlist if you want clarification on this post.

Good luck.