# POP(/IMAP)/SMTP servers: Linux vs. Windows

## RBH

This is something that continues to stagger me.

On a Linux system, you can have a web server set up and running pretty well (if not tweaked to your personal idea of perfection) within about 5 minutes - adding slightly more if you're compiling. Ditto for an FTP server. Even less for an SSH server. Same for MySQL.

However, try to set up an MTA with Courier (or similar) and you're sat there for quite some time. With Windows, it's as quick as any of the other tasks I mentioned above.

Sure, the Windows version may not be as secure or configurable post-install, but isn't it about time we had a single e-mail server package, rather than a hodge-podge of tools that do the job after much potential heartache and broken windows (no pun intended)?

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## InAt!QuE

I geuss you never heard of Kerio Mailserver

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## RBH

 *InAt!QuE wrote:*   

> I geuss you never heard of Kerio Mailserver

 

Fair point, there are commercial options out there. I suppose I'm a little too comfortable with the "Does everything Windows can, but for free!" thing.

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## kashani

How to install Postfix in Five easy steps

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-571370-highlight-postfix.html

Then install the IMAP/POP server of your choice. Most people like Dovecot these days. If you aren't doing virtual hosting or anything like that this is all your server should require. 

kashani

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## InAt!QuE

 *RBH wrote:*   

> Fair point, there are commercial options out there. I suppose I'm a little too comfortable with the "Does everything Windows can, but for free!" thing.

 

Well, not everything is for free  :Wink: 

 *kashani wrote:*   

> How to install Postfix in Five easy steps
> 
> https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-571370-highlight-postfix.html
> 
> Then install the IMAP/POP server of your choice. Most people like Dovecot these days. If you aren't doing virtual hosting or anything like that this is all your server should require. 
> ...

 

Let us assume he wants also the functionality of the exchange server in windows.

Then he is right when he says; Linux doesn't have any nice "free" solution for this or I did miss something

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## lxg

 *InAt!QuE wrote:*   

> Let us assume he wants also the functionality of the exchange server in windows.
> 
> Then he is right when he says; Linux doesn't have any nice "free" solution for this or I did miss something

 

Depends on what "the functionality of the exchange server" means. There are groupware solutions for Linux, too. For example OpenExchange and Kolab, just to name two.

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## nobspangle

Which email server can be installed on Windows in 5 minutes? It's not exchange that requires setting up a windows domain first.

As kashani says, postfix works pretty much out of the box, if you have your domain and hostname configured properly then it really will work out of the box.

Dovecot and courier-imap both provide imap and pop3 support with little or no setup.

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## kashani

I know I've spent several hours setting up Exchange in the past so I wouldn't call it a 5 minute job. The time spent does depend on how much you're trying to do with it, but even applying all the patches should take a few hours. I'm not sure the original poster was talking about Exchange, but having rehashed the Exchange vs Everything Else several times there isn't much out there that can et close to doing everything Exchange can.

The nice thing about SMTP/POP/IMAP bits is you can swap parts out as needed or add things like greylisting or spam filtering as separate tools instead of hoping your MTA has everything built in. The added setup time is part of the price you pay for having the flexibility to do this. 

kashani

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## steveb

I don't see a real problem in getting the functionality of Exchange in Linux. This is +/- no problem. The problem starts when you request that the client must be Outlook. Then you have troubles. But as long as you are free in choosing what client you use then the possibilities with Linux are much wide then with Windows. And installing a groupware solution in Linux in 5 minutes is possible. I can install you Lotus Domino in less then 5 minutes. It is ultra easy and beats Exchange in every aspect. Okay... it is commercial but so is Exchange as well. Or you cold install Kolab in Gentoo in no time. It is easy and the configuration is damn easy. Gunnar Wrobel from p@rdus.de has made the ebuilds for Kolab and a configuration script for the configuration part of Kolab. I would be surprised if you would face big problems with the configuration script. Executing the configuration script and answering the questions there is a job of less then 5 minutes and at the end you get a working Kolab installation. Yes! A real working groupware solution on Linux (Gentoo).

// SteveB

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## kashani

I agree that the real issue is the Outlook client. If you can avoid that, then you've pretty much won the war.

However I fought with Lotus for about a week three years ago. At the end of it it was a relief to install Exchange. Lotus ain't easy and it was no five minutes at least for someone who had never seen it before.

kashani

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## steveb

 *kashani wrote:*   

> However I fought with Lotus for about a week three years ago. At the end of it it was a relief to install Exchange. Lotus ain't easy and it was no five minutes at least for someone who had never seen it before.

 The installation is easy as 1-2-3. The configuration is another issue. But you are right. It is not easy. But Domino is targeting enterprise level messaging and no product in that area is easy to configure. For me it is easy but I work with Lotus Notes/Domino since 1989. Exchange is not difficult to install but requires as well some time to configure. I would say that for mail both Domino and Exchange are in the same time consuming area. Exchange seams to be more easy for people knowing Windows but at the end both require time to configure. Domino on the other hand is a monster. It can do much much more then Exchange and configuring Domino can require more time (if you want to use more then just messaging and calendaring and scheduling).

// SteveB

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## InAt!QuE

but what would be the best solution for an exchange like mailserver on linux if we assume money is no problem?

Kerio? Zarafa? or the new postpath? (are there some which i overlooked? NOTE: Should be outlook compatible)

All of these aren't supported for Gentoo so I'm wondering which should be the best?

(and what if money is a problem?)

For kerio there are already some howto's on Gentoo.

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## RBH

 *nobspangle wrote:*   

> Which email server can be installed on Windows in 5 minutes?

 

On Windows Server 2003, add the Mail Server role. Possibly put CD in drive. Wait a few minutes. Add a user. 

The only reason it takes even close to 5 mins is because of the time it takes the installation process to run, and the default install even has the good sense to relay nowhere at all.

I think it comes back to that age old argument, where the Linux user says "Yeah? Well I can make my OS purple!". Postfix and co. are endlessly configurable, and the obvious better choice if you have specific as hell needs. If your desire can be summed up as "I want a basic mailserver that'll let me send/receive e-mail on my domain", then it seems a lot of unnecessary hassle compared to the Windows option.

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