wikiSetup Postfix in Debian
Postfix is a widely used mail server, or more specifically, an MTA (Mail Transfer Agent). In this article, we describe how to install Postfix on Debian Lenny 5.0. In this example, we use a test server (lists.wefi.net). Replace this name with the name of your server.
Install package
The Postfix installation must be started on the command line as follows:
apt-get install postfix
Debian provides a note that Exim is removed and questions if you want to continue with the installation:
lists:~# apt-get install postfix Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done Suggested packages: procmail postfix-mysql postfix-pgsql postfix-ldap postfix-pcre sasl2-bin libsasl2-modules resolvconf postfix-cdb ufw The following packages will be REMOVED: exim4 exim4-base exim4-config exim4-daemon-light The following NEW packages will be installed: postfix 0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 4 to remove and 0 not upgraded. Need to get 1224kB of archives. After this operation, 1008kB disk space will be freed. Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y Get:1 http://http.at.debian.org lenny/main postfix 2.5.5-1.1 [1224kB] Fetched 1224kB in 0s (6060kB/s) Preconfiguring packages ...
Package configuration
In the first configuration step, we select Internet Site in this example. Select the corresponding entry depending on your individual requirements.
Package configuration
┌───────────────────────────┤ Postfix Configuration ├───────────────────────────┐
│ Please select the mail server configuration type that best meets your needs. │
│ │
│ No configuration: │
│ Should be chosen to leave the current configuration unchanged. │
│ Internet site: │
│ Mail is sent and received directly using SMTP. │
│ Internet with smarthost: │
│ Mail is received directly using SMTP or by running a utility such │
│ as fetchmail. Outgoing mail is sent using a smarthost. │
│ Satellite system: │
│ All mail is sent to another machine, called a 'smarthost', for delivery. │
│ Local only: │
│ The only delivered mail is the mail for local users. There is no network. │
│ │
│ General type of mail configuration: │
│ │
│ No configuration │
│ Internet Site │
│ Internet with smarthost │
│ Satellite system │
│ Local only │
│ │
│ │
│ <Ok> <Cancel> │
│ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
In the second step, we state the mail name of the server. Since the example involves a mailing list server, here lists.wefi.net (the mail address, for example, is then mailingliste@lists.wefi.net):
Package configuration ┌──────────────────────────────────┤ Postfix Configuration ├───────────────────────────────────┐ │ The "mail name" is the domain name used to "qualify" _ALL_ mail addresses without a domain │ │ name. This includes mail to and from <root>: please do not make your machine send out mail │ │ from root@example.org unless root@example.org has told you to. │ │ │ │ This name will also be used by other programs. It should be the single, fully qualified │ │ domain name (FQDN). │ │ │ │ Thus, if a mail address on the local host is foo@example.org, the correct value for this │ │ option would be example.org. │ │ │ │ System mail name: │ │ │ │ lists.wefi.net______________________________________________________________________________ │ │ │ │ <Ok> <Cancel> │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Completion of installation
(Reading database ... 21540 files and directories currently installed.) Removing exim4 ... dpkg: exim4-config: dependency problems, but removing anyway as you request: exim4-base depends on exim4-config (>= 4.30) | exim4-config-2; however: Package exim4-config is to be removed. Package exim4-config-2 is not installed. Package exim4-config which provides exim4-config-2 is to be removed. exim4-base depends on exim4-config (>= 4.30) | exim4-config-2; however: Package exim4-config is to be removed. Package exim4-config-2 is not installed. Package exim4-config which provides exim4-config-2 is to be removed. Removing exim4-config ... dpkg: exim4-daemon-light: dependency problems, but removing anyway as you request: bsd-mailx depends on exim4 | mail-transport-agent; however: Package exim4 is not installed. Package mail-transport-agent is not installed. Package exim4-daemon-light which provides mail-transport-agent is to be removed. Removing exim4-daemon-light ... Stopping MTA: exim4_listener. Removing exim4-base ... Processing triggers for man-db ... Selecting previously deselected package postfix. (Reading database ... 21404 files and directories currently installed.) Unpacking postfix (from .../postfix_2.5.5-1.1_i386.deb) ... Processing triggers for man-db ... Setting up postfix (2.5.5-1.1) ... Adding group `postfix' (GID 108) ... Done. Adding system user `postfix' (UID 104) ... Adding new user `postfix' (UID 104) with group `postfix' ... Not creating home directory `/var/spool/postfix'. Creating /etc/postfix/dynamicmaps.cf Adding tcp map entry to /etc/postfix/dynamicmaps.cf Adding group `postdrop' (GID 109) ... Done. setting myhostname: lists.wefi.net setting alias maps setting alias database changing /etc/mailname to lists.wefi.net setting myorigin setting destinations: lists.wefi.net, localhost.wefi.net, , localhost setting relayhost: setting mynetworks: 127.0.0.0/8 [::ffff:127.0.0.0]/104 [::1]/128 setting mailbox_size_limit: 0 setting recipient_delimiter: + setting inet_interfaces: all WARNING: /etc/aliases exists, but does not have a root alias. Postfix is now set up with a default configuration. If you need to make changes, edit /etc/postfix/main.cf (and others) as needed. To view Postfix configuration values, see postconf(1). After modifying main.cf, be sure to run '/etc/init.d/postfix reload'. Running newaliases Stopping Postfix Mail Transport Agent: postfix. Starting Postfix Mail Transport Agent: postfix. lists:~#
Verification of mail delivery
You can verify with telnet (as described in Test TCP Port 25 (smtp) access with telnet) if the mail delivery functions:
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ telnet lists.wefi.net 25 Trying 80.66.32.103... Connected to lists.wefi.net. Escape character is '^]'. 220 lists.wefi.net ESMTP Postfix (Debian/GNU) EHLO test.example.com 250-lists.wefi.net 250-PIPELINING 250-SIZE 10240000 250-VRFY 250-ETRN 250-STARTTLS 250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES 250-8BITMIME 250 DSN MAIL FROM: test@example.com 250 2.1.0 Ok RCPT TO: postmaster@lists.wefi.net 250 2.1.5 Ok DATA 354 End data with <CR><LF>.<CR><LF> Subject: Test message This is a test. . 250 2.0.0 Ok: queued as 87D2CDE40A2 QUIT 221 2.0.0 Bye Connection closed by foreign host. user@ubuntu:~$
This message has now been delivered to the server:
lists:~# mail Mail version 8.1.2 01/15/2001. Type ? for help. "/var/mail/root": 1 message 1 new >N 1 test@example.com Tue Jun 1 10:00 16/545 Testnachricht & 1 Message 1: From test@example.com Tue Jun 1 10:00:49 2010 X-Original-To: postmaster@lists.wefi.net Subject: Testnachricht Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2010 10:00:08 +0200 (CEST) From: test@example.com To: undisclosed-recipients:; This is a test. & q Saved 1 message in /root/mbox lists:~#
More information
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Author: Werner Fischer Werner Fischer, working in the Knowledge Transfer team at Thomas-Krenn, completed his studies of Computer and Media Security at FH Hagenberg in Austria. He is a regular speaker at many conferences like LinuxTag, OSMC, OSDC, LinuxCon, and author for various IT magazines. In his spare time he enjoys playing the piano and training for a good result at the annual Linz marathon relay.
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Translator: Alina Ranzinger Alina has been working at Thomas-Krenn.AG since 2024. After her training as multilingual business assistant, she got her job as assistant of the Product Management and is responsible for the translation of texts and for the organisation of the department.
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