Re: email upgrades

[<http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>]

--- http://www.outformations.com/~dek wrote:
> Thanks for the ideas...
> 
> If I asked you to build a server from scratch, any way you want, what 
> approach would you take?

Well, if I wanted it done as fast as possible, I probably would start with
ubuntu, even though its security may be questionable.  Then, I would install
qmail, vpopmail, spamassassin, and apache.  The hard part is qmail since the
Debian package is not convenient.

If I wanted security, I would do Debian stable, qmail, vpopmail, spamassassin,
and chroot-ed thttpd.  This almost what I run (I run Debian unstable (=ubuntu),
qmail, and thttpd; Noelle's computer individually runs spamassassin and I run
my complicated
spambouncer/spamassassin/dspam/ifile/crm114/bogofilter/whitelist/blacklist
procmail script).  The chroot-ed thttpd would be the hardest to install and
maintain.  But it's incredibly secure.

> How long would it take?

The secure path would take several days, probably 5 or 6.

The easy method would be fairly straightforward.  It would probably take 2,
maybe 3 days.  (I run a very braindead version of vpopmail.  It uses
/etc/passwd so each person must have an account.  I know your needs are most
complicated because you serve multiple domains.)

> Could we get the 
> disabling APOP thing to work?

If I were in your position, I would work on getting *exactly* the same versions
of software that are currently running on papalebas, even if that involves
recompiling without emerge.  I think something changed with later releases of
qmail and vpopmail that added something.  In fact, I would start with the
binaries currently are on papalebas.

As I always say, it's better to live on the trailing edge than the bleeding
edge.

> Cheers,
> Dale Kiefling
> Outformations, Inc.
> 415 699-0421