From owner-freebsd-isp@FreeBSD.ORG Wed May 9 15:49:19 2007 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-isp@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-isp@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 18A9416A406 for ; Wed, 9 May 2007 15:49:19 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bv@bilver.wjv.com) Received: from wjv.com (fl-65-40-24-38.sta.embarqhsd.net [65.40.24.38]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AB3A113C480 for ; Wed, 9 May 2007 15:49:18 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bv@bilver.wjv.com) Received: from bilver.wjv.com (localhost.wjv.com [127.0.0.1]) by wjv.com (8.13.8/8.13.1) with ESMTP id l49FZ9E4059803; Wed, 9 May 2007 11:35:10 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from bv@bilver.wjv.com) Received: (from bv@localhost) by bilver.wjv.com (8.13.8/8.13.1/Submit) id l49FZ4Xa059802; Wed, 9 May 2007 11:35:04 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from bv) Date: Wed, 9 May 2007 11:35:04 -0400 From: Bill Vermillion To: Mike Tibor Message-ID: <20070509153504.GJ59104@wjv.com> References: <4641D2EB.5070909@grenadianone.com> <20070509070843.G98236@alpha.tibor.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20070509070843.G98236@alpha.tibor.org> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.2i Organization: W.J.Vermillion / Orlando - Winter Park ReplyTo: bv@wjv.com X-Spam-Status: No, score=-4.2 required=5.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, SPF_HELO_PASS,SPF_PASS autolearn=ham version=3.1.7 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.1.7 (2006-10-05) on bilver.wjv.com Cc: freebsd-isp@freebsd.org, Richard McNeilly Subject: Re: Email server recommendation X-BeenThere: freebsd-isp@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: bv@wjv.com List-Id: Internet Services Providers List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 09 May 2007 15:49:19 -0000 Throwing caution to the wind and speaking without thinking about what was being said on Wed, May 09, 2007 at 07:25 , Mike Tibor blurted this: > On Wed, 9 May 2007, Richard McNeilly wrote: > >I am trying to plan a ISP deployment using FreeBSD. I am more > >familiar with Linux but during my research, it's been pointed > >out that FreeBSD is the more stable and reliable choice for an > >ISP. Especially as an email server. > >What is the best way to manage the addition of new users to > >the email server? local users or is there a database solution. > >Also is there a software package available to easily administer > >email accounts or does it all have to be done with custom > >scripts. > >I would welcome any suggestions of anecdotes of experience. > > > >Regards, > >Richard > As much as I like FreeBSD, a good Linux distribution works just > fine in the ISP setting--it really boils down to the skill sets > of the people who are going to be working on them. If your > people have lots of experience with one, but not the other, it > makes little sense to force upon them the one they're unfamiliar > with simply because someone else thinks it's technically better. > Keep in mind though that sendmail configuration on Linux is > pretty much the same as sendmail configuration on FreeBSD, so > we're kind of splitting hairs here. The configuration is not quite the same depending upon the distribution you use. SuSE for example puts the configuration files in another place, and if you use their YAST or other tool, you can easily make mistakes that really aren't that visible. I had a problem where mail to any MS site would bounce, with some error that was not artfully crafted and semi-masked the error - while mail to any other mail server not running MS software went through just fine. That was a pain to find. As to skill sets for Linux vs FreeBSD - if the system is only going to be a mail server there is not that much you will have to learn. > Methods of managing users probably depends on the size of the user base. > My guess is that you'd be much happier managing users in an LDAP back end > instead of local users. There's lots of stuff out there for managing > accounts in LDAP--LDAP Account Manager is one of them, and it's in the > ports tree. > > Mike Bill -- Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com