Dovecot book for a newbie

[@lbutlr]

On 2021 Jul 07, at 13:33, Kevin N. <kevin at notscheduled.eu> wrote:
> I've also heard good things about "The Book of Postfix". Even though it is quite old now, most of the parts/concepts/terminology still apply today. Part of it is also available on Google Books.

Despite being quote oldies you say, this is a great resource for understanding not just postfix, but how email in general works. I think it would be a handy primer for anyone trying to be a mail admin, as the concepts have not changed even if some of the commands and configurations have. Modern Postfix has more and better tools that are not mentioned in the book, especially for dealing with unwanted mail, but as a baseline, the book is still worthwhile.

> ersonally, I would take things step by step and not try to install and configure everything all at once.

If you have the time, hang out reading the postfix and dovecot mailing lists, and searching the archives. Look for configuration questions that people have discussed. Do not really on a google search for something like :how to setup postfix and dovecot" because most of these results will be garbage, outdated, m or contain flat-out errors.

Pay close attention to the syntax of sample configs people post, and especially to the comments and corrections of those samples.

Also, the man pages for Postfix are very good.

The most important thing to get straight is that what you think might be the best plan for configuring your mail may in fact be a terrible idea, and you really want to do the research first.

Understanding exactly where the separation is between postfix and dovecot is crucial, and even people who've been doing this a lot can get caught out sometimes.

The Dovecot web docs are decent enough and cover the information, but I find them to be sometimes sparse on details and examples, and they are not really designed for someone starting out IMO. More for refreshing something you forgot or misremembered. Searching the list for doveconf outputs might be more fruitful, as long as you follow the threads for comments and corrections.

Whatever you do, do not setup unauthticated submission, or submission that used deprecated security settings no matter how much you thin this is a good idea. It's not. If you have to support people using ancient software, force them to use a email client like Horde or Roundcube so you maintain your mail security. IMO, YMMV. TANSTAAFL. IANAL. ETC.

Oh, and consider if you really need or want to support POP3 (I recommend not unless you have a users who want to use Gmail to suck in their mail). The more mail you are dealing with, the worse POP3 is on your system and your users.

-- 
Windle shook his head sadly. Five exclamation marks, the sure sign of
	an insane mind. --Reaper Man