
Ask HN: Flexible E-mail server solutions - jason_slack
I have got a project idea and I think the best way to implement it quickly is to use a mail server and be able to write content to a MAILDIR that is then picked up by SMTP server to send out. Then parse replies coming in.<p>What are my options? There is Postfix and Sendmail and qmail and dovecot and and and. It is confusing.<p>Basic needs, run on Ubuntu. Maybe extensible if I want to write my own plugins for the mail server in the future.
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ebcode
Having set up a mail server myself (as a newb), all I can tell you is that
you've got a long road ahead of you if you go this route.

Of the many things that can go wrong, here are just two: 1\. You can get a
recycled IP address from your hosting provider that has already been added to
various spam blacklists. 2\. You can get the mail server program up and
running, but be rejected by all the major (and some minor) email providers for
not supplying the right email headers, and/or, not having the right DNS
entries that they want you to have.

>>I think the best way to implement it quickly is to use a mail server

Unless your idea absolutely requires a mail server to function, I would
recommend searching for another means of implementation, if only to save
yourself the time and learning-curve of _modern_ email systems.

On the other hand, I'm actually very glad that I took the time and energy to
set up my own mail server, since it was an interesting, but frustrating,
learning experience. But on the other other hand, it doesn't inspire a lot of
confidence when I have to call a client and give them a different address
because my mail server is borked.

Long story short, go with exim and dovecot. And be prepared for it to take you
4x-10x longer than you think it will.

