[Dovecot] about filtering and dovecot

[Nigel Metheringham]

On Thu, 2005-04-21 at 12:56 +0200, Bram Mertens wrote:
> I would like to set up a local mailserver but I'm getting lost with all
> the available options. As I have already decided to use dovecot I hope
> someone here will be able to point me to the right docs/HOWTO's/...

Its a little off-topic for here, since dovecot ends up being very
peripheral to this.

> Here's my wish-list:
> 1) download mail from my ISP's POP3-server

thats probably fetchmail (spit).

> 2) scan with spamassassin
> 3) scan with ClamAV
> 4) filter messages (mailing lists/sender/...)

this can be done either in your MTA/MDA config, or you could do it
purely with an MDA.  The MDA method would just use procmail (probably).
You can probably find decent HOWTOs to do this with procmail around.
You most likely want to be storing mail in Maildir format for dovecot -
I believe this can be done with procmail, but I have never used it to do
so...

If you are using the MTA method, and using Exim then have a look at
	http://www.timj.co.uk/linux/exim.php

That will set you up with the SPAM/Virus scanning.  There is a wrinkle -
with fetchmail you do not really want to be rejecting unwanted stuff at
SMTP time when its coming from fetchmail, since that has problems with
SMTP rejection, and you aren't saving bandwidth or preventing yourself
accepting unwanted mail in this case.

The filtering into folders can be done using an Exim filter.

Documentation for all of this is on the Exim website and wiki or you can
try talking to the Exim list - we rarely bite much.

> 5) store messages in dovecot
> 6) be able to read messages on my desktop (where all of the above will
> be running) and on my laptop
> 7) be able to send messages (currently using evolution) from both my
> desktop and laptop so sent messages are stored in dovecot (the idea is
> to be able to see all sent messages on both PC's)

That should just work.  If you want mail on the laptop when disconnected
then look at something like offlineimap to sync your server and laptop
data set.


> I have already created a test-account om my ISP's POP3-server, installed
> and configured fetchmail and dovecot. Exim has been installed as well
> but I haven't touched it's configuration yet. Running fetchmail manually
> collects the mail and stores it in /var/mail/m8ram where dovecot finds
> it.

Ah - so you are mostly there... although using mbox format.

> So I would like to know (how to find out) how I can achieve 2), 3), 4)
> and 7).

Tim J's guide should help with 2,3 and maybe 4.
7 is a case of having your sent folder set as an imap folder - easy in
evolution but needs setting up on your client.


> I have looked around and have discovered that there are many programs
> that can do some or all of this. But I haven't been able to figure out
> how to get them to work with dovecot.

dovecot is almost irrelevant here - it just works for this...

	Nigel.

-- 
[ Nigel Metheringham           Nigel.Metheringham at InTechnology.co.uk ]
[ - Comments in this message are my own and not ITO opinion/policy - ]