# Looking for a simple SMTP server

## swingarm

All I want is an simple smtp server, any suggestions?  I tried http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Email_System_for_the_Home_Network but that looks a little to over-the-top for what I need.

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## magic919

I agree about the complexity.  I'm a happy Postfix user.  I think it takes some beating.  But that's without all the SASL/TLS and assorted add-ons.  I couple that with Dovecot to serve up the mail as POP3 and IMAP.

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## adsmith

The question is this:

What do YOU mean by "server"?

Do you just want to forward outgoing mail to an ISP's mail server?

Do you just want local email for system messages, etc?

Do you want to accept mail at your local domain?

Do you want a relay through which another machine (laptop?) can send email?

The first could be any "dumb" smtpd, such as ssmtp.  The second could be something local-only like maildrop. The latter two require postfix or another real smtpd.  If you let us know what you actually want to accomplish, we can help.  postfix configuration is actually really easy, and I think that document obscures it for the sake of an absurdly complicated setup.

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## swingarm

Totally dumb is what I want which I have working through another machine running Postfix at the moment.  What I would like to do is put the dumb smtp server on the same machine that has the Egroupware on it but every time I try to get it running I run into this:

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> Your message could not be sent!
> 
> The mail server returned:
> ...

 

Do I have to have the smtp server running on a different computer?

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## NotQuiteSane

 *adsmith wrote:*   

> Do you want a relay through which another machine (laptop?) can send email?
> 
> The latter two require postfix or another real smtpd. 

 

IS there a better "lightweight" choice for the clients than postfix?   I currently have 2 boxes, and when I try to send from the client, it gives an error about no smtp.  not at the box right now, so I can't get the exact error.   if I send from the server with postfix installed, stuff goes out.   

so that being the case, do all boxes need postfix & procmail?  or can I at least skip procmail and have all messages from a particular box sent to my account on the mail server?

NQS

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## adsmith

no. usually only one machine, the actual mail server, needs to be postfix.  The rest can be running ssmtp or similar.

Most likely, you need to adjust your smtpd_recipient_restrictions setting in postfix to allow relay.

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## NotQuiteSane

 *adsmith wrote:*   

> no. usually only one machine, the actual mail server, needs to be postfix.  The rest can be running ssmtp or similar.
> 
> Most likely, you need to adjust your smtpd_recipient_restrictions setting in postfix to allow relay.

 

ok, i'd forgotten about this, until i did a search on this problem.

in postfix/main.cf I set:

```
[root@mike /root]# cat /etc/postfix/main.cf| grep d_r                                    

# through Postfix.  See the smtpd_recipient_restrictions parameter

# relay mail to.  See the smtpd_recipient_restrictions description in

smtpd_recipient_restrictions = permit_mynetworks, :ermit_sasl_authenticated, reject_unauth_destination

[root@mike /root]#       
```

in /etc/ssmtp/ssmtp.cof:

```
[nqs@miverna nqs]% cat /etc/ssmtp/ssmtp.conf | grep mailh

# no MX records are consulted. Commonly mailhosts are named mail.domain.com

# The example will fit if you are in domain.com and your mailhub is so named.

mailhub=mike.nqs.is-a-geek.net
```

when i try to send from mutt, it hangs for several moments, then reports:

```
sendmail: Connection lost in middle of processing
```

suggestions?

NQS

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## yawm

 *NotQuiteSane wrote:*   

> 
> 
> in postfix/main.cf I set:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

what does 

```
tail -f /var/log/message
```

say? when trying to send a e-mail outside your local network?

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## NotQuiteSane

 *yawm wrote:*   

>  *NotQuiteSane wrote:*   
> 
> when i try to send from mutt, it hangs for several moments, then reports:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

strangly enough, i fixed it.   I was delayed fixing a seperate problem, but then started getting "relay access denied" instead of the previous error.

did a search, and when I proofread i found I had listed my networks as 192.169.0.0.  changed it to 192.168.0.0, and it works.  or at least it s-ays it does.  waiting for a test message i sent to a remote account to return via fetchmail

NQS

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## makenoob

 *NotQuiteSane wrote:*   

> strangly enough, i fixed it.   I was delayed fixing a seperate problem, but then started getting "relay access denied" instead of the previous error.
> 
> did a search, and when I proofread i found I had listed my networks as 192.169.0.0.  changed it to 192.168.0.0, and it works.  or at least it s-ays it does.  waiting for a test message i sent to a remote account to return via fetchmail
> 
> NQS

 

/var/log/mail.log will tell you, what postfix does and the results of the communication with the other MTAs. mailq qill show you, if and which mail postfix is holding at the moment. if it can't send the mail out, it will show you a status message there too (e.g. communication lost)

hth,

marc

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## NotQuiteSane

 *makenoob wrote:*   

> /var/log/mail.log will tell you, what postfix does and the results of the communication with the other MTAs. mailq qill show you, if and which mail postfix is holding at the moment. if it can't send the mail out, it will show you a status message there too (e.g. communication lost)
> 
> hth,
> 
> marc

 

this is what I see:

```
[nqs@miverna nqs]% sudo tail /var/log/mail/current &&sudo mailq

                - Last output repeated twice -

Nov  7 21:26:03 [sSMTP] RCPT TO:<Baradium@deleted> (554 5.7.1 <Baradium@deleted>: Relay access denied)

                - Last output repeated 2 times -

Nov  7 22:53:56 [sSMTP] Sent mail for nqs@miverna (221 2.0.0 Bye)

mailq: Mail queue is empty

[nqs@miverna nqs]%
```

one of those messages was to me @ an account in montana.  I haven't recived it yet.  which makes me wonder why.

on mike I see:

```
[root@mike nqs]# mailq                                                                   

-Queue ID- --Size-- ----Arrival Time---- -Sender/Recipient-------

DCB8A2027B     1678 Thu Nov  2 20:34:15  nqs@nqs.is-a-geek.net

(host mx.lax.untd.com[64.136.28.83] refused to talk to me: 550 Access denied:...06bd0d79913d75591114f9f9d114d099d1994441a08041906055696d94fd250db9841911a011fd9dad20c0ed853551c9c03189a0adbd796179c0e0491db124d9a171f0b199a561494dd0b4d0b10dedc4c18440c5a930c1649db4edb5e4f9e4c189249014ad7980c009a959e0bd24b4e9d904dd31757121d4792dd4f43109a97909b9e1b41d...)

                                        deleted@deteted

(host mailin-01.mx.aol.com[64.12.137.249] refused to talk to me: 554- (RTR:DU)  http://postmaster.info.aol.com/errors/554rtrdu.html 554  Connecting IP: 70.56.253.76)

                                       deleted@aol.com

                                         deleted@aol.com

                                        deleted@aol.com
```

Dunno about the first, but aol is rejecting my mail because i use a dynamic ip

NQS

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## makenoob

okay, sSMTP gives out the code 554, so the mail is sent back with an error message (that's why the mailq is empty). you should check the configs and find out, why sSMTP denies relaying (sorry, don't having any experience with sSMTP)

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## FLP

 *NotQuiteSane wrote:*   

> 
> 
> in postfix/main.cf I set:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

Typo...  :Very Happy: 

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## NotQuiteSane

 *FLP wrote:*   

>  *NotQuiteSane wrote:*   
> 
> in postfix/main.cf I set:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

Already corrected, but thanks.

NQS

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## Sakkath

If this is solved, please prefix the topic subject with [SOVLED].

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