How to set up an Email newsletter server
Make the leanest possible newsletter server newsletter.com in minutes.
- Allow whitelisted IP's to login and send mail from a list of usernames.
- Allow incoming mail to be read using usernames and passwords for authentication.
Initial Setup
Complete the Initial Setup, Remote Access, and Specify Your Hostname sections specified in the Digital Ocean Guide.Install Postfix
- apt-get install postfix postfix-pcre opendkim opendkim-tools mailutils
- Choose the Internet Site configuration
Configure Postfix
Configure Postfix to allow SMTP connections from only the IP of specific servers, then make milters sign every message with DKIM before sending.- cd /etc/postfix
- nano main.cf
smtpd_banner = $myhostname ESMTP $mail_name (Ubuntu) biff = no append_dot_mydomain = no readme_directory = no smtpd_relay_restrictions = permit_mynetworks permit_sasl_authenticated defer_unauth_destination alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases alias_database = hash:/etc/aliases myorigin = /etc/mailname mydestination = newsletter.com, localhost.com, , localhost relayhost = mynetworks = 12.34.56.78 127.0.0.0/8 [::ffff:127.0.0.0]/104 [::1]/128 mailbox_size_limit = 0 recipient_delimiter = + inet_interfaces = all milter_default_action = accept milter_protocol = 2 smtpd_milters = inet:localhost:8891 non_smtpd_milters = inet:localhost:8891 header_checks = pcre:/etc/postfix/header_checks
- mkdir dkim
- nano dkim/hosts
newsletter.com
- nano /etc/default/opendkim
SOCKET="inet:8891@localhost"
- opendkim-genkey -t -s mail -d newsletter.com
- cp mail.private /etc/postfix/dkim.key
- cat mail.txt
- Use the output to update your DNS but remove t=y parameter
- service opendkim start
- nano /etc/opendkim.conf
Syslog yes UMask 002 OversignHeaders From Domain newsletter.com KeyFile /etc/postfix/dkim.key Selector mail SOCKET inet:8891@localhost ExternalIgnoreList /etc/postfix/dkim/hosts InternalHosts /etc/postfix/dkim/hosts
Remove Relay Info
By default, Postfix puts metadata in the header that reveals the origin server. This can be undesirable in some cases. The following was taken from this article.- nano /etc/postfix/header_checks
/^\s*(Received: from)[^\n]*(.*)/ REPLACE $1 newsletter.com (newsletter.com [123.45.67.89])$2
Install Dovecot
The Dovecot service listens for IMAP connections, reads and returns data from user's mail boxes. When you run this command, do not allow the installer to create a self signed certificate.- apt-get install dovecot-imapd
Configure Dovecot
In this configuration Dovecot will allow remote connections and use the system's local users and passwords to authenticate.- cd /etc/dovecot
- nano dovecot.conf
ssl = no disable_plaintext_auth = no mail_privileged_group = mail mail_location = mbox:~/mail:INBOX=/var/mail/%u userdb { driver = passwd } passdb { args = %s driver = pam } protocols = " imap" - nano /etc/pam.d/dovecot
#%PAM-1.0 @include common-auth @include common-account @include common-session auth required pam_unix.so account required pam_unix.so
Reboot
- reboot
Add Users
These users and passwords will work for both Postfix and Dovecot.- adduser marketing
Dovecot Debug
- doveadm log find
Enable Forwarding
-
Open /etc/postfix/main.cf and append.
virtual_alias_domains = mydomain.com myanotherdomain.com virtual_alias_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/virtual
-
Create /etc/postfix/virtual and configure.
contact@mydomain.com myself@gmail.com sales@mydomain.com myself@gmail.com
-
To catch and forward emails to any address for a given domain.
@mydomain.com myself@gmail.com
- postmap /etc/postfix/virtual
- service postfix reload