Anyone running an OpenBSD email server ?

[roundkat]

Just curious.. I think most of yall are FreeBSD centric..

Have been toying with the idea (a couple of years :) ) to move from my Linux
email server to running one on OpenBSD..

What I need
- MTA -- postfix - the easy part
- IMAP - my linux box uses Cyrus-Imap (maildirs) My knowledge is very limited
- Webmail - must support SSL -- Looking a RoundCube
- Spam - Filtering - have already enabled Amavisd - SA - OpenBSD spamd - and Razor on
3 of my smtp gateways.

I guess I just need the Cyrus and Roundcube parts then.. :)

any links (helpful ones.. :) ) on these two ?
I have just started my reading on Cyrus (OpenBSD does have packages for these)

I will also check the email posts on the old forum..
rk

[nacredata]

Just curious..

What I need
- MTA -- postfix - the easy part
- IMAP - my linux box uses Cyrus-Imap (maildirs) My knowledge is very limited
- Webmail - must support SSL -- Looking a RoundCube
- Spam - Filtering - have already enabled Amavisd - SA - OpenBSD spamd - and Razor on
3 of my smtp gateways.

I guess I just need the Cyrus and Roundcube parts then.. :)
rk

Yes.

I use Dovecot for POP and IMAP, with PostgreSQL as the user authentication backend. I haven't set it up yet, but do plan to use Roundcube.

I have some sloppy notes on the setup which i plan to clean up at some point. Let me know if you try Dovecot and run into issues.

[s2scott]

It's off the freeware path ... I run openBSD 4.2 and axigen's mail server, http://www.axigen.com (http://www.axigen.com/). It's a commercial ware (unless you can live within the 5-user free edition limits).

[roundkat]

It's off the freeware path ... I run openBSD 4.2 and axigen's mail server, http://www.axigen.com (http://www.axigen.com/). It's a commercial ware (unless you can live within the 5-user free edition limits).

I do have 5 accounts.. 4 for me and 1 for the boss, so the free version
would probably work for me.. :)

thx
rk

[s2scott]

It's a nice o/s agnostic -- read: openBSD friendly -- web gui administrated post office. pop, imap, web client access. A file system structure that lends itself to simple (agent-less) backup techniques.

Also, the free-edition limit is on "mailboxs," not aliases. You may have many aliases to each mailbox. So those "four for [you]," may possibly be implementable as "one plus three aliases," which is net one (1) mailbox.

An example ...

john.smith@domain.com
-- jsmith
--administrator
--postmaster

Is one mailbox + three aliases.

[s2scott]

Oh, and axigen provides 24x7, complementary support via email, support@axigen.com, even for their freeware "customers."

/S

[Carpetsmoker]

I use Dovecot for POP and IMAP, with PostgreSQL as the user authentication backend. I haven't set it up yet, but do plan to use Roundcube.

Why use PostgreSQL for this? Or any database at all?
Using a normal "flat file" is almost always faster, and doesn't require any database software (Which needs to be maintained, can have bugs, takes up recources etc.)

[jggimi]

I use sendmail. I'm just "Old School," I guess. I was also using dovecot at one time, but no longer do so. I use Openwebmail for rare web-based access.

[roundkat]

Why use PostgreSQL for this? Or any database at all?
Using a normal "flat file" is almost always faster, and doesn't require any database software (Which needs to be maintained, can have bugs, takes up recources etc.)

I did look at the OpenBSD email server over at Kernel-panic.it that used
MySQL,
Nice write up but I am so MySql retarded.. :)

The current imap used (which I really like maildirs) is really the
only thing I need to learn..
I have used Dovecot in the past and it was very easy to set up..

Once I finally get off my rear.. (maybe this weekend..:) )
I am going to go through a 4.3 install on my other spare box and set this
up..

I am also going to take a look at Axigen.. except they currently don't have
a 4.3 version of their product..

I have learned a lot about UNIX since I brought up my first firewall
back in 2001 (OpenBSD 3.0) but I still feel I don't know much..
The whole "reverse funnel" effect..

Much thx for all the responses..
rk

[nacredata]

Why use PostgreSQL for this? Or any database at all?
Using a normal "flat file" is almost always faster, and doesn't require any database software (Which needs to be maintained, can have bugs, takes up recources etc.)

Well, you know, that sounds like such a black and white response. It may come from real experience of yours, but it's perceived tone doesn't recommend it to me.

In most cases I believe there is a tipping point between flat files and client/server database systems when you reach a certain size. This email server will be used by a significantly large number of people and the users will be updated often enough to have things like locking become a consideration.

I also find it conceptually easier to do those additions/update/removals from various other automated and interactive interfaces by using the database approach, as opposed to building in code to parse the flat file in each place I want to interact with the email user list.

Regardles, PostgreSQL is already running dspam on the server and will likely find other uses.