Well, how does this system works ? what can you do with it ? what is it
anyway ? and ... am i used to read it ? ... to all those questions - there
is an answer ...
This HOWTO is dedicated to all the off-line linux users/servers ...
You got a group, or organization, and you want all your members to have
a contact (email) address, without paying for the 24/24 direct line or for
the email accounts ... Or you got a internal network - with a masq'd server
and you want to give all the users using it a email address, you could use
this way to do it. I personally am using it to give my users & members of
a demogroup all a e-mail account without being 24/24 online; since it is a
non-commercial demogroup - and we don't got THAT much money to pay a direct
line with instant email access - and different ip's. Everybody got a email
address, even when they don't got internet access. The ones with internet
access can receive their mail on their personal email address - viavia the
system described below. Your users can still send mail as they used to do,
since - your system will hold the mail queue from the users. The only thing
what should be changed for the users - is that they add their "email address"
wether (described below) it is the method with the subject line, or with the
header "to" ...
A organization with members, for all a email address, so they can be
contacted when neccesary.
A anonymous mailservice - they can't read your "mail setup file" - so they
don't know where the mail is forwarded/rerouted to.
A group who doesn't got enuf money (don't laugh), or is free, and don't
WANT to spend money for it (eheh) - and still wants to provide the members
a email address.
A masq'd network - with a server connected to the internet, where the users
using the masq'd network need to have a email account
You want to put some documents "autoreplied" - like i do with my
HOWTO, statistics, or documents ... like "[email protected]" or
"[email protected]".
You only need one account at the "main" server to fetch from, for the
+200 email accounts you can create at your server ...
I used the "B" method with +- 300 email accounts - with a public
server; 80486DX4-100 - and was processed in 1 minute.
Not every (free) mailservice is happy when you are going to distribute
mail to other users, or putting up an anonymous mail server, so, please
try to contact your mailserver administrator before "just doing it".
It is slower than a direct 24/24 connection, since your server will need
to get online before it will process the mail.
It needs a administrative force to administrate the "mailrouting" and to
add the user ... you will need work with it ! - it is not that automatic.
(well - i made it "semi-automatic" with my server :) you could try it as
well).
Bandwidth and space is needed when you got many users - on the mailserver
you are working on ... and sure - when they send files - you need to have
enough space on it !.
All mail will be transferred into "one step" - so - the last mail received
on your server will be last sent to the recipient. "first in - first out".
In the first method (to:) there is no prob with the usernames - but in the
second "cheaper" method - users can't put in a subject line, since that
one will be used to send the mail to the recipient. Many users forget to
use the "subject" ... - or they will need to know it clearly.
If you poll enough for your mail, (for example 4 times a day) - the mail
will be sure be delivered to as from a recipient the least every 6hrs. So
the processing will go a little smoother.
you CAN use it as a "online" mail server as well :) since it will poll
for it's mail for every XX minutes. but - when you are online - why using
another server ? and not asking your own domain for your own server ?
(dough).
method 'A' - now called "(m(A))".
The "mailsystem" will look to the header, and will see to the "to:" line.
This is the best way, since it are "real email addresses". You will need
another account on some server *AND* you need a DNS (MX) entry (your own
domain for instance). If the system administrator wants to help you with
that, then there will be no problem !. The system administrator will need
to reroute ALL mail sent to your (MX) maildomain -> to your account !.
This will take some time for him to do it :) so be really nice to him :))
Thanks to my system administrator (Fred) i got my maildomain and the user-
services of my "free" demogroup. It can be a DNS entry costs something,
what you will need to consider to take it or not.
method 'B' - now called "(m(B))".
The "mailsystem" looks to the subject line, and will forward to the user
indicated into the subject line. If the user is not found, it will bounce
a mail back. This will need a pop server with only one useraccount, and
don't need your own DNS or you don't need to be nice to your system-
administrator who arranges you the mail address :). You can use a public
mailserver, as well your own mailserver or a private one. You can even
sacrifice your own email address for it :). I used this approach as first
what worked for me for over a year now ... I know this is sloppy, but, i
ain't telling you need to use this way, so don't shoot ME - since i'm only
offering you some solutions to your mail problems :) - you could use
method A what isn't that sloppy !
