Rumor has it that chris may have mentioned these words:
>What do others recommend as a decent mail server that can handle content
>filtering, multiple domains, POP access, and is free or darn near it. And
>for the on topic nudge, I would like to be able to run it either on an
>old Mac (probably not possible), or on mac68k NetBSD (so I can still use
>my old Macs). Although I am not hard core on platform or OS, that's just
>a "I'd like" option.
I've been a qmail admin for durned near a decade, so if you do choose to go
this route, I can most certainly help... also...
>A web mail component would also be a nice thing if available.
Webmail prolly won't run well on your target hardware, but if go with
something newer, there are several choices for qmail; and with an older
version of ColdFusion (4.5) you could set up webmail no matter what MTA...
This combo will run fine on a Pentium 133 (almost on topic...) -- and
there's always www.mail2web.com as backup...
>I'm looking into Postfix or qmail, but I've only just started the
>research, so I figured I'd see what others are using or recommend.
If you base your decision on "which author of well-known MTA software is
the biggest %*$&#^_at_%" it will be a toughie... they *all* have their
character flaws... :-O
If you want "It's gotta support the latest, kewlest schtuff" qmail isn't
for you - you'd prolly wanna look at Postfix, they add features a lot more
often than with qmail. qmail has external modules to support most anything,
and there are patches for certain circumstances, purists (wisely) say to
keep patches to a bare minimum, so one does not compromise security.
If you're looking for an easy-to-admin basic MTA with good user support on
the mailing list and scales well on older hardware, then my vote would be
qmail -- qmail most certainly does *not* have feeping creaturism, which for
older hardware is a very good thing.
I was supporting 2500 mailboxen on a Cyrix 6x86 w/single 4.5M Micropolis
SCSI HD - if it weren't for spam & viruses, we might still be running that
ol' box... :-O
I haven't run Sendmail in aeons; Jay seems very good with it & knows how to
tweak it, but if you're a beginner, trying to admin it without the Batbook
is... well... a trying experience (at least, as of 8-9 years ago... This
was before M4 & whatnot[1].) However, honestly, I'd say don't run Sendmail
for this reason: Because Jay has contributed *so much* time & effort to
this list -- don't bug him! ;-) ;-) Heck, even buy him a beer!!! :-)) And
spring for the *good stuff*!!! :-D
[[Jay, if you make it to VCFEast, I *will* buy you a beer...Heck, I'll get
you lit! ;-) ]]
Anyway, that's my story, and if you want any (kinda ;-) unbiased info about
qmail, feel free to ask away. I'd be more than happy to help!
Laterz,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger
[1] The quote I cannot ever get out of my head, altho I cannot remember who
originally said it, is this: "The sendmail.cf file looks like an explosion
at a punctuation factory."
--
Roger "Merch" Merchberger -- sysadmin, Iceberg Computers
zmerch_at_30below.com
What do you do when Life gives you lemons,
and you don't *like* lemonade?????????????
Received on Wed Apr 07 2004 - 18:38:19 BST