Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004 00:27:32 +0000 From: "W.D.McKinney" <dee@akwireless.net> To: freebsd-isp@freebsd.org Subject: Re: mail server recommendations? Message-ID: <W15847850385481081816052@burger.akwireless.net>
next in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
>-----Original Message----- >From: Cody Baker [mailto:cody@wilkshire.net] >Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 12:21 AM >To: freebsd-isp@freebsd.org >Subject: Re: mail server recommendations? > >Hello, > I put my personal recommendation in to qmail. I have 10 + servers >running qmail, some with 3000+ users. We use vpopmail for a mysql based >single UID/GID solution. For POP3 access we're using the integrated >qmail-pop3d, and courier-IMAP for IMAP. Virus scanning / MIME-magic is >done via qmail-scanner and clamscan. Many people chose to use >qmail-scanner with spamassassin as spam-gateway, although we've chosen >to implement it with some custom scripting in the general area of >qmail-local. I am particularly fond of qmail because once it's setup >it's very easy to use, and is ROCK solid. I Hi Cody, You are correct as this is my experience also. The real problem is that it works so well I have forgotten a lot as I don't have to meddle with anything. For our twist, we installed a Brracuda Networks gateway in front of our MTA's and off-loaded the spam and virus stopping work, so qmail purrs. Dee t may not have been updated >in years, but that's because there really hasn't been a call for it; it >was rock solid and secure years ago and still is. The longevity is >wonderful. I've installed qmail on machines years ago, and still >haven't had the need to reinstall/update qmail. We've had machines >which have been traveled from freebsd 4.1 to freebsd 4.9 through years >of make worlds, but qmail is running on the same, identical, and secure >source it was in the beginning. It does have a lot of patches, and yes, >the documentation on some of the patches is lacking in places. At the >same time there's a patch for almost anything you can imagine, so you >don't have to wait for the developers of your favorite alternative MTA >to incorporate the requested feature. One of the things I like the most >about qmail is its incredible scalability. Qmail on a system of 4 users >will run quietly and out of your way with a relatively small footprint. >If your 4 users divide and multiply to 40, 400, 4,000, or 40,000 you can >keep using qmail and it will keep up with you and your fans. Some >really big names in mail use Qmail, "Yahoo! mail, Network Solutions, >Verio, etc." according to qmail.org. Qmail is a tweaker's MTA, I >haven't come across a mail situation yet where qmail hasn't had some >appropriate place in the configuration. It's modular, so you can pick >and chose the parts you want, remove, replace, or rearrange the others. > >I've heard good things about combining it with postfix, although I can't >claim to have attempted this myself. > >Thank you, > >Cody Baker >cody@wilkshire.net > >Arie Kachler wrote: > >> Hi Michael, >> >> I've researched mail systems myself for quite some time now. We >> currently use Sendmail + a custom pop3 server. We don't use system >> accounts. Sendmail is showing its age, mostly in the way it scales. >> It's difficult to integrate with any database backend. LDAP is your >> only solid option, but I'm no fan of LDAP. >> We are about to migrate from Sendmail and have considered Qmail and >> Postfix. Qmail is great. The only reason we did not choose it is >> because most features are patches of different authors and the quality >> and documentation of the patches varies. It makes us a little nervous >> to patch so much. >> So we've decided on Postfix+mysql+courier-imap. Postfix seems to have >> everything we're looking for: security, speed, sql backend, no system >> accounts, and quotas. We're still testing it, but it seems to behave >> very well under heavy loads. >> Regarding virus and spam filtering, we are doing it on Sendmail boxes >> now, which simply forward to other servers for pickup via pop. That >> will not change when we migrate since milter works well and there is >> no need for a sql backend on these boxes. >> We never looked at Exim. Some people like it. We just never got around >> to it so I can't give you any information on it. >> >> Hope the info helps. >> >> Arie Kachler >> >> >> >> >>> Hi folks, >>> >>> I've already tried Google, and found a lot of discussions that are >>> either a) old, or b) don't quite match our requirements. So: >>> >>> I'm looking for a decent solution for a mail server software package. >>> We need SASL, IMAP, pop3ssl, antivirus, and mime-type filtering. In >>> an ideal world, we'd have the ability to create mail accounts without >>> creating user accounts. >>> >>> I have to admit that I'm partial to sendmail simply for the milter >>> interface that lets me plug in, say, MIMEDefang, clamav, and all sorts >>> of other nifty stuff. >>> >>> What are people using these days? What sucks the least? Any opinions >>> from folks who have been there welcome. >>> >>> Thanks, >>> ==ml >>> >>> -- >>> Michael Lucas mwlucas@FreeBSD.org, mwlucas@BlackHelicopters.org
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?W15847850385481081816052>