Re: [gentoo-user] Re: gentoo mail server

[kashani <kashani-list@badapple.net>]

James wrote:
>> It's fully virtual, supports smtp and imap over ssl, sasl, skipped TLS, 
>> and easy to manage. I do not recommend the Gentoo Virtual How-to, it's 
>> ancient and silly.
> 
> Is this the page your refer to?
> http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/virt-mail-howto.xml

Yep and the things I don't like are:

1. password stored in clear text
2. complicated use of pam_mysql rather than using sasl's DBD layer directly
3. No admin interface
4. Have to edit /etc/postfix/main.cf to add domains rather than rely on 
the database lookup.
5. Lack of useful troubleshooting section

>> I used to have a how-to on gentoo-wiki which I need to recreate. Maybe 
>> this weekend.
> 
> Very cool.
> 
>> In regards to stability... don't update right away. When Postfix 2.6 
>> comes out, give it a month. Or play with it in a virtual server. Same 
>> with Mysql 5.1. Or whatever. I've run three separate companies on Gentoo 
>> and never had much of an issue though I always had a test/stage/qa 
>> environment of some sort. Also keep an eye on the forums and this mail 
>> list. That'll usually give you a heads up when an update isn't quite right.
> 
> 
> Well all of this is great news. I've pretty much decided to build
> a postgtres mail server, mostly like what you have outlined.. I'm likely
> to set up a second, duplicate machine for testing.

I've never done it with Postgres, but I know PostfixAdmin supports it so 
it shouldn't be too hard. I think Steveb had it working at somepoint.

> 
> Do you use a regular gentoo kernel, hardened setup, or what packages to
> keep the mail server tightly secure?

I generally found that keeping Webapps and users off you mail server was 
good enough security. Also when building most of this stuff years ago 
the hardened kernels were a bit painful. Probably much easier now.

kashani