mail server setup questions

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Russell E. Meek
> Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 5:20 PM
> To: Jim Stapleton
> Cc: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> Subject: Re: mail server setup questions
> 
> 
> Quoting Jim Stapleton <stapleton.41 at gmail.com>:
> 
> > I need a mail server to take incoming mail, and provide a pop3 (or
> > better yet, SSLed POP3) connection. I've tried akpop3d and qmail, but
> > have had less than brilliant success getting them functional. Could
> > you all suggest to me what you use and a good web site for configuring
> > it as it would be done in FreeBSD?
> >
> > Please cc me, as I have the list subscribed in digest mode.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > -Jim Stapleton
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> 
> http://www.tnpi.biz/internet/mail/toaster/
> 
> Perfection - and qmail based also.
> 

No, this isn't perfection.

Jim (and Russell) let me point out one thing about solutions like
this.

Something like this is designed for people who don't know
how to build a mailserver, to download some files, pull the
trigger, and Blammo - instant mailserver.  In short, a big
black box that works as a mailserver.

The problem is, however, that the only guy that really and truly
knows how everthing works in that black box is the guy that
wrote the black box - the author of toaster, himself.

You, being the clueless admin who pulled the trigger, are not
going to be instantly converted into a knowledgeable mail server
admin by pulling the trigger.  You are just going to be a
clueless admin who now has a big powerful black box that can
go kill people, just as easily as explode in his face.

Kind of like the country of Iraq buying a nuclear device - 
they don't know what they have, don't know how to build it,
and are not qualified at all to use it.

If something in that black box goes kablooie - which sooner
or later it will, since all mail systems have problems - you
are going to be screwed over.

If you have a small home mailserver with a couple of friends
on it, a system like Toaster can be a real help - IF you install
it, then spend months picking it apart, to learn how to not
be a clueless admin.  However if you install it then spend
the next 3 months watching reruns of Lost, then assume you
now know all there is to know about a mailserver, you are then
a stupid fool.

Or, if your an admin with a big string of mailservers already
under your belt who is looking for interesting code bits he can
steal to incorporate into his own mailservers, then Toaster
is also of value.

But if your just a guy looking for a quick gun to shoot a
problem so he can go on to the next thing, then your just
going to screw yourself with something like Toaster.  You would
be much better advised to build the mailserver from scratch.
Sure, your mailserver won't have all the pretty graphs and
admin interfaces that something like Toaster has.  But, you will
know how it works and the day you get a phone call and 400
users now can't get mail, you will know how to fix it.

Ted