[Dovecot] dovecot as layer between postfix and thunderbird
Hello, im all new to this but feel i want to have a dedicated server to handle my mails from Gmail and Hotmail
Basically, i installed SMS, superb Mini Server (based on slackware), and with that default install i got: dovecot, postfix, fetchmail and sendmail.
The postfix part seems to work according to a "telnet localhost 25", now i want to procede with dovecot, as i understand it, its the middle layer between (in my case) postfix and thunderbird.
What i expect in the very end is a dedicated server who regulary checks and fetches mails, and lets me have all contacts info in the (already up and running) LDAP server.
When i start thunderbird, i want it to go grab those mails from my local machine
I am, ofcourse all over manpages, HOWTOs, guides and google, but would certainly appriciate further help and points in the right direction
My apologises for any weird beginner mistakes in this post
On Jan 4, 2013 7:27 PM, "martin svensson" zylorx@hotmail.com wrote:
Hello, im all new to this but feel i want to have a dedicated server to
handle my mails from Gmail and Hotmail
Basically, i installed SMS, superb Mini Server (based on slackware), and
with that default install i got: dovecot, postfix, fetchmail and sendmail.
The postfix part seems to work according to a "telnet localhost 25", now
i want to procede with dovecot, as i understand it, its the middle layer between (in my case) postfix and thunderbird.
What i expect in the very end is a dedicated server who regulary checks
and fetches mails, and lets me have all contacts info in the (already up and running) LDAP server.
When i start thunderbird, i want it to go grab those mails from my local
machine
I am, ofcourse all over manpages, HOWTOs, guides and google, but would
certainly appriciate further help and points in the right direction
My apologises for any weird beginner mistakes in this post
You will need to configure fetchmail to collect mail from gmail and hotmail and use Dovecot to serve it to thunderbird unless you configured gmail and hotmail to send it your postfix install.
Simon
On 2013-01-04 7:26 PM, martin svensson zylorx@hotmail.com wrote:
Basically, i installed SMS, superb Mini Server (based on slackware), and with that default install i got: dovecot, postfix, fetchmail and sendmail.
Ummm... remove sendmail. You can't have two MTAs on the same machine unless you just really enjoy headaches and frustration.
Also, I'd recommend getmail over fetchmail, but fetchmail will work...
The postfix part seems to work according to a "telnet localhost 25",
Maybe - or maybe it is sendmail you're talking to.
No way to tell without seeing logs of a telnet session.
Also, the above in no way proves a working/secure postfix setup. A LOT more information is needed, like config details (postconf -n output and maybe master.cf contents for starters) and logs of mail transactions...
now i want to procede with dovecot, as i understand it, its the middle layer between (in my case) postfix and thunderbird.
Your understanding is flawed.
Dovecot is first and foremost an IMAP server, but also does POP3. It serves mail to email clients.
It can interact with an MTA (like postfix) for final delivery of email though.
It sounds to me like you really know very little about administering a mail server. Working with your own private server is a good way to start, but you need to be very careful - it is easy to make mistakes that will result in getting hacked/exploited (you could become a source of spam or backscatter), or make mistakes that lose mail (maybe not a big deal if it is your own private server and you are using unimportant domains/accounts for getting up to speed).
Charles
Dear Mr. Svensson,
For what it is worth, I recommend this approach:
- First off, I'd recommend you learn the difference between IMAP and POP3. That's real important.
This might help: http://www1.umn.edu/adcs/guides/email/imapvspop.html
Like Mr. Marcus said, Dovecot is first and foremost an IMAP server.
Get Dovecot working so you can see the inbox and your folders *as an IMAP server* in Thunderbird.
If you have both Postfix and Sendmail installed, uninstall the one you are not going to use.
Get Postfix (or Sendmail - not both!) and Dovecot working to the point where you can send and receive mail as localhost. Oh, and don't be trying to put "smtp.live.com", for instance, in your Postfix or Sendmail config. Just try to get it to work as localhost. You won't ever actually need them in your Postfix or Sendmail config. Postfix (or Sendmail) is only going to be delivering your emails from fetchmail to your Dovecot account(s).
Next, get it to where you can send mail from your gmail to your hotmail account, and vice verse. Conceptual point here: you will be connecting into hotmail and gmail's server to actually send your mail. Don't worry about seeing them in Thunderbird yet. Log into your gmail and hotmail accounts via the web, and check them there.
If you get that far, let me know, and I'll be happy to help you with the fetchmail part, which retrieves the emails from hotmail and gmail, and I can also help you with a way to delete the messages from the server after they're retrieved, if you would like that, too. (I think getmail can do this. I've never used it. Fetchmail won't - unless that's changed through the years. But it can be done with other open source software.)
I will tell you, though, that I think you're creating a lot of work for yourself, and when it's all said and done, I think you will find it was not worth it. Thunderbird does a decent enough job of handling hotmail accounts as it is. I don't know about gmail. I've never used it. Don't want to.
In looking for the link for step one, I found this, which you also might find helpful:
https://support.google.com/mail/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=ts.cs&ts=1668960&p=syncdmail
And that link also would lead me to believe that Thunderbird would do a decent enough job with gmail, too.
I hope this helps.
Peter, hieromonk
Dormition Skete Monastery Website: http://www.DormitionSkete.org Convent Website: http://www.HolyApostlesConvent.org
On Jan 5, 2013, at 6:24 AM, Charles Marcus wrote:
On 2013-01-04 7:26 PM, martin svensson zylorx@hotmail.com wrote:
Basically, i installed SMS, superb Mini Server (based on slackware), and with that default install i got: dovecot, postfix, fetchmail and sendmail.
Ummm... remove sendmail. You can't have two MTAs on the same machine unless you just really enjoy headaches and frustration.
Also, I'd recommend getmail over fetchmail, but fetchmail will work...
The postfix part seems to work according to a "telnet localhost 25",
Maybe - or maybe it is sendmail you're talking to.
No way to tell without seeing logs of a telnet session.
Also, the above in no way proves a working/secure postfix setup. A LOT more information is needed, like config details (postconf -n output and maybe master.cf contents for starters) and logs of mail transactions...
now i want to procede with dovecot, as i understand it, its the middle layer between (in my case) postfix and thunderbird.
Your understanding is flawed.
Dovecot is first and foremost an IMAP server, but also does POP3. It serves mail to email clients.
It can interact with an MTA (like postfix) for final delivery of email though.
It sounds to me like you really know very little about administering a mail server. Working with your own private server is a good way to start, but you need to be very careful - it is easy to make mistakes that will result in getting hacked/exploited (you could become a source of spam or backscatter), or make mistakes that lose mail (maybe not a big deal if it is your own private server and you are using unimportant domains/accounts for getting up to speed).
Charles
Dear Mr. Svensson,
Before I said that, "I think you're creating a lot of work for yourself, and when it's all said and done, I think you will find it was not worth it," I probably should have asked you, "What are you hoping to gain from this venture? What benefits are you hoping to accrue?"
There are potential benefits to doing this. The question is whether these benefits are important to you, and whether this exercise is likely to provide you with what you are hoping to achieve.
I'd hate to see you go through a whole lot of work, only to be disappointed with it at the end -- unless, of course, the learning experience itself is important enough to you to warrant the effort.
If you would like to share your motivations for doing this, we might be able to share our experiences as to whether and/or how well it will do what you are hoping for.
Cordially,
Peter, hieromonk
Dormition Skete Monastery Website: http://www.DormitionSkete.org Convent Website: http://www.HolyApostlesConvent.org
participants (5)
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Charles Marcus
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Dormition Skete
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DormitionSketeļ¼ hotmail.com
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martin svensson
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Simon Brereton