108 lines
4.2 KiB
Markdown
108 lines
4.2 KiB
Markdown
# Email server setup script
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I wrote this script during the gruelling process of installing and setting up
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an email server. It perfectly reproduces my successful steps to ensure the
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same setup time and time again.
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I've linked this file on Github to a shorter, more memorable address on my
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website so you can get it on your machine with this short command:
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```
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curl -LO lukesmith.xyz/emailwiz.sh
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```
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When prompted by a dialog menu at the beginning, select "Internet Site", then
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give your full domain without any subdomain, i.e. `lukesmith.xyz`.
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Read this readme and peruse the script's comments before running it. Expect it
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to fail and you have to do bug testing and you will be very happy when it
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actually works perfectly.
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## This script installs
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- **Postfix** to send mail.
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- **Dovecot** to receive mail.
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- Config files that unique the two above securely with native log-ins.
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- **Spamassassin** to prevent spam and allow you to make custom filters.
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- **OpenDKIM** to validate you so you can send to Gmail and other big sites.
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## This script does _not_
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- use a SQL database or anything like that.
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- set up a graphical interface for mail like Roundcube or Squirrel Mail. If you
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want that, you'll have to install it yourself. I just use
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[isync/msmtp/mutt-wizard](https://github.com/lukesmithxyz/mutt-wizard) to
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have an offline mirror of my email setup and I recommend the same. There are
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other ways of doing it though, like Thunderbird, etc.
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## Requirements
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1. A **Debian or Ubuntu server**. I've tested this on a
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[Vultr](https://www.vultr.com/?ref=8384069-6G) Debian server and one running
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Ubuntu and their setup works, but I suspect other VPS hosts will have
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similar/possibly identical default settings which will let you run this on
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them. Note that the affiliate link there to Vultr gives you a $100 credit
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for the first month to play around.
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2. **A Let's Encrypt SSL certificate for your site's `mail.` subdomain**.
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Create a nginx/apache site at `mail.<yourdomain.com>` and get a certificate
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for it with Let's Encrypt's [Certbot](https://certbot.eff.org/).
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3. - You need two little DNS records set on your domain registrar's site/DNS
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server: (1) an **MX record** pointing to your own main domain/IP and (2) a
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**CNAME record** for your `mail.` subdomain.
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4. `apt purge` all your previous (failed) attempts to install and configure a
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mailserver. Get rid of _all_ your system settings for Postfix, Dovecot,
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OpenDKIM and everything else. This script builds off of a fresh install.
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## Post-install requirement!
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- After the script runs, you'll have to add two *additional DNS TXT records*
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which involves the OpenDKIM key that it generates during the script.
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## Making new users/mail accounts
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Let's say we want to add a user Billy and let him receive mail, run this:
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```
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useradd -m -G mail billy
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passwd billy
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```
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Any user added to the `mail` group will be able to receive mail. Suppose a user
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Cassie already exists and we want to let her receive mail to. Just run:
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```
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usermod -a -G mail cassie
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```
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A user's mail will appear in `~/.Mail/`. I you want to see your mail while
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ssh'd in the server, you could just install mutt, add `set spoolfile="+Inbox"`
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to your `~/.muttrc` and use mutt to view and reply to mail. You'll probably
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want to log in remotely though:
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## Logging in from Thunderbird or mutt (and others) remotely
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Let's say you want to access your mail with Thunderbird or mutt or another
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email program. For my domain, the server information will be as follows:
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- SMTP server: `mail.lukesmith.xyz`
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- SMTP port: 587
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- IMAP server: `mail.lukesmith.xyz`
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- IMAP port: 993
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- Username `luke` (I.e. *not* `luke@lukesmith.xyz`)
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The last point is important. Many email systems use a full email address on
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login. Since we just simply use local PAM logins, only the user's name is used
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(this makes a difference if you're using my
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[mutt-wizard](https://github.com/lukesmithxyz/mutt-wizard), etc.).
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## Tweaking things
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You're a big boy now if you have your own mail server!
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You can tweak Postfix (sending mail
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## Benefited from this?
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If this script or documentation has saved you some frustration, you can donate
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to support me at [lukesmith.xyz/donate](https://lukesmith.xyz/donate.html).
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