Postfix

The Postfix software package provides higher performance, better security, and simpler configuration than other standard-compliant Mail Transport Agents. This kind of built-in quality makes it quite an attractive alternative for e-mail system administrators looking to create an Internet e-mail server servicing both dial-up individuals and direct-connected corporations. In this book you'll learn the technology underlying Postfix and how to use it effectively. This book takes you through the process of installing, configuring, and maintaining a Postfix e-mail server. It offers broad coverage to instruct both the large ISP and the small business network administrator how to configure a full-featured Internet e-mail system with a minimum amount of expense. You'll learn how e-mail is transferred between e-mail hosts and between hosts and clients in the Internet environment and how to use Postfix in a standard Unix environment, specifically on a Linux server.

You'll also learn to configure different features of the Postfix server, such as the setting that enables you to use external databases along with Postfix, and how to migrate from Sendmail efficiently. Throughout, you'll find best practices, tips, and techniques that you can apply to building your own e-mail server using Postfix.

Learn how to utilize Postfix

• Learn e-mail protocols
• Examine the feature-rich environment of the Postfix software package
• Install and configure Postfix
• Discover how Postfix works with DNS to define hostnames properly
• Learn how Postfix uses SMTP to send mail messages
• Set up Postfix as an ISP or Office mail server
• Migrate from Sendmail to Postfix
• Integrate MySQL and OpenLDAP with Postfix
• Incorporate Majordomo, a mail list server, with Postfix
• Employ POP3 and IMAP servers with Postfix
• Use SqWebMail, a Web mail interface, with Postfix
• Performance tune your Postfix installation
• Troubleshoot common sending and receiving problems

• Introduction
1. Introduction to E-Mail Services and Postfix
1. E-Mail Services
• Early Mainframe E-Mail Systems
• Mainframe Messages
• Multi-Mainframe E-Mail Systems
• Unix E-Mail Systems
• Unix Mail Transfer Agent Programs
• Unix Mail User Agent Programs
• LAN-Based E-Mail Systems
• E-Mail Protocols
• Mail Transfer Agent Protocols
• Mail User Agent Protocols
• Summary
2. Postfix Services
• The Role of Postfix on a Unix Mail Server
• The TCP/IP Software
• The PPP Software
• The UUCP Software
• The MUA Server Software
• The Postfix Block Diagram
• Postfix Core Programs
• Postfix Message Queues
• Postfix Utility Programs
• Postfix Configuration Files
• Postfix Lookup Tables
• The Postfix Mail Delivery Process
• Receiving Messages
• Processing Messages
• Delivering Messages
• Inside the Postfix Message Queue System
• Postfix Message Queue Structure
• Postfix Message States
• Postfix and sendmail
• Postfix: Future Features and Releases
• Modified active, bounce, and deferred Queues
• The flush Program and Message Queue
• LMTP Support
• The spawn Program
• The nqmgr Program
• Summary
3. Server Requirements for Postfix
• The Unix Operating System
• Memory Management
• Process Management
• Device Driver Management
• Filesystem Management
• The Linux Operating System
• The Linux Kernel
• The Linux Libraries
• The GNU Project
• GNU bash
• GNU gcc
• GNU make
• Summary
4. DNS and Postfix
• History of Computer Names
• Domain Names
• DNS Structure
• DNS Database Records
• Start of Authority Record (SOA)
• Internet Address Record (A)
• Canonical Name Record (CNAME)
• Name Server Record (NS)
• Host Information Record (HINFO)
• Pointer Record (PTR)
• Mail Server Record (MX)
• A Sample DNS Database for a Domain
• DNS and E-Mail
• Using DNS Client Programs
• Configuring DNS Client Files
• Hostname Resolver File
• Hosts File
• DNS Resolution File
• DNS Utilities
• The host Program
• The nslookup Program
• The dig Program
• Summary
5. SMTP and Postfix
• SMTP Description
• Basic SMTP Client Commands
• Server Responses
• Extended SMTP
• The ETRN Command
• The AUTH Command
• LMTP
• Using LMTP
• LMTP Commands
• Message Formats
• Standard RFC 822 Header Fields
• Using the RFC 822 Format in an SMTP Mail Transaction
• MIME and Binary Data
• Summary
2. Installing and Configuring Postfix
6. Installing Postfix
• Installing Postfix from an RPM
• The RPM Package Layout
• Installing the RPM
• Downloading and Compiling the Postfix Source Code
• Creating the Postfix userid and groupid
• Determining Postfix maildrop Security
• Compiling Postfix
• Installing Postfix
• Installing Postfix in a chroot Environment
• The Postfix Utility Programs
• Checking Mail Queues
• Starting and Stopping Postfix
• Maintaining Postfix User Alias Names
• Printing Mail Queue Messages
• Maintaining the Configuration File
• Sending Messages to Postfix Programs
• Locking Postfix Mailbox Files
• Logging Postfix Messages
• Maintaining Postfix Lookup Tables
• Maintaining Postfix Message Queues
• Summary
7. The master.cf Configuration File
• The Postfix master Program
• Configuring Process Behavior in Postfix
• Service Name
• Transport Type Name
• Private
• Unprivileged
• Chroot
• Wakeup
• Maxprocess
• Commands
• Summary
8. The main.cf Configuration File
• The Postfix Configuration File Format
• Configuration Parameters
• Local Pathname Information
• Queue and Process Ownership
• Internet Host and Domain Names
• Sending Mail
• Receiving Mail
• Connecting to Internet or Intranet Servers
• Rejecting Unknown Local Users
• “User not found” Options
• Address Rewriting
• Virtual Domains
• Transport Map
• Alias Database
• Address Extensions
• Mailbox Delivery
• UCE Controls
• Fast ETRN Service
• SMTP Greeting Banner
• Parallel Delivery to the Same Destination
• Debugging Control
• Placing Limits on Objects
• Displaying and Modifying Configuration Parameters
• Summary
9. Postfix Lookup Tables
• Postfix Lookup Table Support
• Indexed Binary Database Files
• Creating the Text File
• Creating the Indexed Database File
• Regular Expression Lookup Tables
• regexp
• PCRE
• Using External Databases
• NIS
• MySQL
• LDAP
• The Postfix Lookup Tables
• The access Table
• The aliases Table
• The canonical Table
• The relocated Table
• The transport Table
• The virtual Table
• Summary
10. Using Postfix
• Editing the master.cf File
• Determining Local Mail Delivery
• Using sendmail-Style Mailboxes
• $HOME/Mailbox Delivery
• $HOME/Maildir Delivery
• External MDA Delivery
• Editing the main.cf File
• Determining Interfaces
• Determining Recipient Addresses
• Determining the Origin Address
• Creating the aliases Table
• Testing Postfix
• Sending Mail Only
• Virtual Interfaces
• Sending and Receiving Mail
• Starting Postfix from a Boot Script
• On BSD Systems
• On System V Systems
• User Controlled Files
• The .forward File
• Address Extensions
• Summary
11. Using Postfix as an ISP Mail Server
• Features of an ISP E-Mail Server
• Virtual Domains
• Selective Relaying
• Configuring Virtual Domains
• Configuring DNS Records for Virtual Domains
• Configuring Postfix for Virtual Domains
• Configuring Selective Relaying
• Setting Relaying Parameters
• Summary
12. Using Postfix as an Office Mail Server
• Internal Office Mail Servers
• Workstations
• Intranet Mail Servers
• External Office Mail Servers
• Full-time Internet Mail Server
• Dial-Up Internet Mail Server
• Firewall Internet Mail Server
• Special Mail Situations
• Address Masquerading
• Virtual Hosting
• Fancy Mail Addresses
• Summary
13. Postfix Server Administration
• The Unix syslogd Program
• syslogd Parameters
• syslogd Configuration File
• Postfix Logging Formats
• Postfix Starting Log Entries
• Postfix Message Entries
• Postfix Error Entries
• Postfix Mail Delivery Problems
• Postfix Verbose Entries
• Postfix UCE Parameters
• Blocking UCE Sites
• Getting Outside Help
• Blocking Known UCE Messages
• Summary
14. Migrating from Sendmail to Postfix
• What Is Sendmail?
• sendmail Files and Directories
• The sendmail Executable Program
• The sendmail Configuration File
• The sendmail Message Queue
• Querying the Message Queue
• Creating Mail Aliases
• Aliases Database
• Getting Mail Statistics
• Resetting Mail Statistics
• Storing Mail Statistics
• Setting sendmail to Record Mail Statistics
• The sendmail Help File
• User-Controlled Mail Forwarding
• Configuring Postfix to Use Sendmail Files
• Replacing the Sendmail Program Files
• Using Sendmail Mailboxes
• Using the Sendmail aliases File
• Using .forward Files in Postfix
• Using the Sendmail virtusertable and sendmail.cw Files
• Checking the Sendmail Mail Queue
• Summary
15. Using the Maildir Mailbox Format
• Standard Unix Mailboxes
• Local Message Storage
• Local Message Retrieval
• The Maildir Format
• Local Message Storage
• Local Message Retrieval
• Configuring Postfix to Use Maildir Mailboxes
• Using a Maildir-Aware MUA Program
• Installing courier-imap
• Configuring courier-imap
• Using courier-imap
• Using Shared Folders
• Summary
16. Using MDA Programs with Postfix
• What Is a Local Mail Delivery Agent?
• Automatic Mail Filtering
• Automatic Mail Replying
• Automatic Program Initialization by Mail
• Using an External MDA Program with Postfix
• Configuring the main.cf File
• Watching MDA Programs in the Postfix Log
• The procmail MDA Program
• Installing procmail
• The procmail Command Line
• User-Defined procmail Actions
• Summary
3. Advanced Postfix Server Topics
17. Using MySQL with Postfix
• What Is MySQL?
• Installing MySQL
• Using a Binary Distribution
• Using a Source Code Distribution
• Start the MySQL Server
• Server Housekeeping Tasks
• Configuring MySQL for Postfix
• Creating a MySQL User
• Creating a New Database and Table
• Using MySQL
• Adding Lookup Table Records
• Displaying Lookup Table Records
• Changing Lookup Table Records
• Backing Up the Database
• Configuring Postfix for MySQL
• Compiling Postfix for MySQL Support
• Pointing Postfix to the MySQL Table
• Using a MySQL Alias Lookup Table
• Summary
18. Using OpenLDAP with Postfix
• What Is LDAP?
• The LDAP System
• LDAP Database Options
• Installing the OpenLDAP Package
• Binary Distribution
• Source Code Distribution
• OpenLDAP Programs
• Configuring OpenLDAP for Postfix
• Designing an Organizational LDAP Directory
• Creating the slapd.conf File
• Starting OpenLDAP
• Creating the Database Organization and Administrator Objects
• Adding User Objects
• Configuring Postfix for LDAP
• Compiling LDAP Support into Postfix
• LDAP Parameters
• Summary
19. Using Majordomo with Postfix
• Features of a Full Service Mailing List
• Open and Closed Mailing Lists
• Moderated and Unmoderated Mail Lists
• Remote Administration of Mailing Lists
• Digests of Mailing Lists
• Archives of Mail Lists
• Installing Majordomo
• Downloading Majordomo
• Creating a Majordomo System Username
• Edit the Majordomo Makefile
• Creating and Editing the majordomo.cf File
• Compiling Majordomo
• Creating Postfix Aliases for Majordomo
• Testing the Majordomo Installation
• Configuring a Majordomo Mailing List
• Using Majordomo
• subscribe
• unsubscribe
• get
• index
• which
• who
• info
• intro
• lists
• help
• end
• Mailing List Owner Commands
• approve
• config
• mkdigest
• newconfig
• newinfo
• passwd
• writeconfig
• Summary
20. Using POP3 and IMAP with Postfix
• E-Mail MUA Protocols
• POP3
• IMAP
• University of Washington IMAP
• Downloading and Installing UW IMAP
• Configuring UW POP3
• Configuring UW IMAP
• The qpopper Program
• Downloading qpopper
• Configuring qpopper
• Summary
21. Using SqWebMail with Postfix
• Web-Based Mail Clients
• SqWebMail
• IMHO
• TWIG
• WebMail
• Installing SqWebMail
• Before You Compile
• Compiling SqWebMail
• Configuring SqWebMail
• Configuring Postfix for SqWebMail
• Using SqWebMail
• The Folders Web Page
• Reading Mail Messages
• Sending Mail Messages
• Changing Preferences
• Summary
22. Performance Tuning Postfix
• Tuning Postfix Parameters
• The master.cf Configuration File
• The main.cf Configuration File
• Tuning the Unix System
• Asynchronous Versus Synchronous Disk Access
• Asynchronous Versus Synchronous Log Entries
• Testing Postfix Performance
• The smtp-sink Program
• The smtp-source Program
• Summary
23. Common Postfix Problems
• Handling Undelivered Mail
• Listing Undelivered Mail
• Displaying Undelivered Mail
• Resending Undelivered Mail
• Using the postconf Program
• Troubleshooting Using the Mail Log
• Identifying Postfix Errors
• Using Verbose Logging Mode
• Using debug_peer_list
• Troubleshooting Using a Debugger
• Manual Debugging
• Automatic Debugging
• Summary

A very good book on how to set up Postfix.