README.md (6191B)
1 # Email server setup script 2 3 I wrote this script during the gruelling process of installing and setting up 4 an email server. It perfectly reproduces my successful steps to ensure the 5 same setup time and time again. 6 7 I've linked this file on Github to a shorter, more memorable address on my 8 website so you can get it on your machine with this short command: 9 10 ``` 11 curl -LO lukesmith.xyz/emailwiz.sh 12 ``` 13 14 When prompted by a dialog menu at the beginning, select "Internet Site", then 15 give your full domain without any subdomain, i.e. `lukesmith.xyz`. 16 17 Read this readme and peruse the script's comments before running it. Expect it 18 to fail and you have to do bug testing and you will be very happy when it 19 actually works perfectly. 20 21 ## This script installs 22 23 - **Postfix** to send and receive mail. 24 - **Dovecot** to get mail to your email client (mutt, Thunderbird, etc). 25 - Config files that unique the two above securely with native log-ins. 26 - **Spamassassin** to prevent spam and allow you to make custom filters. 27 - **OpenDKIM** to validate you so you can send to Gmail and other big sites. 28 29 ## This script does _not_ 30 31 - use a SQL database or anything like that. 32 - set up a graphical interface for mail like Roundcube or Squirrel Mail. If you 33 want that, you'll have to install it yourself. I just use 34 [isync/msmtp/mutt-wizard](https://github.com/lukesmithxyz/mutt-wizard) to 35 have an offline mirror of my email setup and I recommend the same. There are 36 other ways of doing it though, like Thunderbird, etc. 37 38 ## Requirements 39 40 1. A **Debian or Ubuntu server**. I've tested this on a 41 [Vultr](https://www.vultr.com/?ref=8384069-6G) Debian server and one running 42 Ubuntu and their setup works, but I suspect other VPS hosts will have 43 similar/possibly identical default settings which will let you run this on 44 them. Note that the affiliate link there to Vultr gives you a $100 credit 45 for the first month to play around. 46 2. **A Let's Encrypt SSL certificate for your site's `mail.` subdomain**. 47 Create a nginx/apache site at `mail.<yourdomain.com>` and get a certificate 48 for it with Let's Encrypt's [Certbot](https://certbot.eff.org/). 49 3. You need two little DNS records set on your domain registrar's site/DNS 50 server: (1) an **MX record** pointing to your own main domain/IP and (2) a 51 **CNAME record** for your `mail.` subdomain. 52 4. **A Reverse DNS entry for your site.** Go to your VPS settings and add an 53 entry for your IPV4 Reverse DNS that goes from your IP address to 54 `mail.<yourdomain.com>`. If you would like IPV6, you can do the same for 55 that. This has been tested on Vultr, and all decent VPS hosts will have 56 a section on their instance settings page to add a reverse DNS PTR entry. 57 You can use the 'Test Email Server' or ':smtp' tool on 58 [mxtoolbox](https://mxtoolbox.com/SuperTool.aspx) to test if you set up 59 a reverse DNS correctly. This step is not required for everyone, but some 60 big email services like gmail will stop emails coming from mail servers 61 with no/invalid rDNS lookups. This means your email will fail to even 62 make it to the receipients spam folder; it will never make it to them. 63 5. `apt purge` all your previous (failed) attempts to install and configure a 64 mailserver. Get rid of _all_ your system settings for Postfix, Dovecot, 65 OpenDKIM and everything else. This script builds off of a fresh install. 66 6. Some VPS providers block port 25 (used to send mail). You may need to 67 request that this port be opened to send mail successfully. Although I have 68 never had to do this on a Vultr VPS, others have had this issue so if you 69 cannot send, contact your VPS provider. 70 71 ## Post-install requirement! 72 73 - After the script runs, you'll have to add additional DNS TXT records which 74 are displayed at the end when the script is complete. They will help ensure 75 your mail is validated and secure. 76 77 ## Making new users/mail accounts 78 79 Let's say we want to add a user Billy and let him receive mail, run this: 80 81 ``` 82 useradd -m -G mail billy 83 passwd billy 84 ``` 85 86 Any user added to the `mail` group will be able to receive mail. Suppose a user 87 Cassie already exists and we want to let her receive mail to. Just run: 88 89 ``` 90 usermod -a -G mail cassie 91 ``` 92 93 A user's mail will appear in `~/Mail/`. I you want to see your mail while ssh'd 94 in the server, you could just install mutt, add `set spoolfile="+Inbox"` to 95 your `~/.muttrc` and use mutt to view and reply to mail. You'll probably want 96 to log in remotely though: 97 98 ## Logging in from Thunderbird or mutt (and others) remotely 99 100 Let's say you want to access your mail with Thunderbird or mutt or another 101 email program. For my domain, the server information will be as follows: 102 103 - SMTP server: `mail.lukesmith.xyz` 104 - SMTP port: 587 105 - IMAP server: `mail.lukesmith.xyz` 106 - IMAP port: 993 107 - Username `luke` (I.e. *not* `luke@lukesmith.xyz`) 108 109 The last point is important. Many email systems use a full email address on 110 login. Since we just simply use local PAM logins, only the user's name is used 111 (this makes a difference if you're using my 112 [mutt-wizard](https://github.com/lukesmithxyz/mutt-wizard), etc.). 113 114 ## Tweaking things 115 116 You're a big boy now if you have your own mail server! 117 118 You can tweak Postfix (sending mail 119 120 ## Benefited from this? 121 122 If this script or documentation has saved you some frustration, you can donate 123 to support me at [lukesmith.xyz/donate](https://lukesmith.xyz/donate.html). 124 125 ## Troubleshooting -- Can't send mail? 126 127 - Always check `journalctl -xe` to see the specific problem. 128 - Go to [this site](https://appmaildev.com/en/dkim) to test your TXT records. 129 If your DKIM, SPF or DMARC tests fail you probably copied in the TXT records 130 incorrectly. 131 - If everything looks good and you *can* send mail, but it still goes to Gmail 132 or another big provider's spam directory, your domain (especially if it's a 133 new one) might be on a public spam list. Check 134 [this site](https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx) to see if it is. Don't 135 worry if you are: sometimes especially new domains are automatically assumed 136 to be spam temporaily. If you are blacklisted by one of these, look into it 137 and it will explain why and how to remove yourself.