# Mail server

## cedric

Hi everybody !

I'm trying to build a mail server for my little home network.

I'd like to send mails to my isp (smtp), retrieve mails from my isp (pop3) and then be able to access them via imap.

For what I have understood, I should respectively use fetchmail, qmail (or postfix) and courier-imap. Is this right?

I have never set up such a configuration and I can't find a good documentation describing how to do it simply, so if you could help me a little  :Wink: 

Cédric

----------

## klieber

 *cedric wrote:*   

> Hi everybody !
> 
> I'm trying to build a mail server for my little home network.
> 
> I'd like to send mails to my isp (smtp), retrieve mails from my isp (pop3) and then be able to access them via imap.
> ...

 

No -- use fetchmail to retrieve mail (pop3) and qmail/postfix to send mail (smtp).

However, if your ISP supports IMAP, the easiest thing to do is simply use a mail client like kmail, that supports mail retrieval via IMAP.

--kurt

----------

## cedric

Yes. That's what I wanted to say  :Smile: 

My ISP only supports POP3, and what I'd like is to retrieve my mails (via POP3) and then access them via IMAP within my home network (with KMail).

----------

## klieber

 *cedric wrote:*   

> My ISP only supports POP3, and what I'd like is to retrieve my mails (via POP3) and then access them via IMAP within my home network (with KMail).

 

OK, so in that case, you'll need to install the software that you mentioned above.  I've no direct experience with Postfix, but I've heard from other users that it's easier to set up than qmail -- you might start there for your SMTP server.  (though you should be able to continue to use your ISPs SMTP server -- no reason you have to have one on your local machine unless you have some wack firewall rules.  :Smile: )

Also, since you're going to go to all the trouble of setting up an IMAP server, check out squirrelmail as well (squirrelmail.org)  It gives you a hotmail-like web interface to your email and is very handy for checking email when you're away from your computer. 

--kurt

----------

## cedric

Thanks for the link.

I thought of putting qmail instead of postfix because I heard it was easier...

You're right for the SMTP server I don't need one but I wanted to set it up for fun.

Cédric

----------

## LoT-Soma

ok I need to do the same thing I got postfix to work for outgoing email my issue now lies with retreiving email.

Right now fetchmail works as does getmail but I cant get couriour-imap to recognize eithier one ne1 have any ideas?

----------

## xpunkrockryanx

are the messages being correctly put into your maildir? make sure that fetchmail is putting the messages in the same place that courier-imap is accessing them. there's some confusion i believe about ~/.maildir vs. ~/.Maildir. otherwise, be more descriptive with your question maybe.

----------

