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> Postfix is not the best choice for novices, I'll give you that in general, mail servers are not for novices, and they have a huge array of configuration opti

> Postfix is not the best choice for novices, I'll give you that in general, mail servers are not for novices, and they have a huge array of configuration options, but Postfix is by a wide margin the best piece of software that I've come across the last couple of years, and I've been using it for a long time because of that. It's reliable, it works exactly as documented, it's up to date, it's documentation is excellent, and it's community helpful, if overly precise - but then that's exactly what makes it so good. I've literally never come across any problem with it, that turned out to be problem of postfix. I can't say that for any other piece of software that I know.

lucb1e 9y ago
> mail servers are not for novices I invite you to look at hMailServer. I set this up when I had a reasonable clue about SMTP and only a vague understanding of POP3 or IMAP. Let alone how spam filters worked ("they look at words like viagra" was my understanding) or what mailing lists are. It's really a Windows-like utility in the sense of next-next-next-finish. By now I despise most Windows Server wizards for not being flexible enough and prefer command line tools on GNU/Linux, but this mail server is one thing I just cannot find a good replacement for, and the interface provides everything I need (no need for command line or config file magic).
- sliken 9y ago
  Postfix is popular, secure, flexible, well documented, and likely to be around in 10 years. The defaults are quite sane and it's battle tested on numerous large mail servers. For a simple domain you only have to edit a few lines that numerous tutorials cover. Combining it with dovecot (similarly well designed, secure, popular, battle tested etc) makes for a robust setup. Sure don't make the mistakes the OP made and allow relaying for the the entire internet. I can't imagine any sane tutorial has relaying enabled by default. I've never heard of hMailServer, but hard to imagine it would be worth while and I wouldn't want to bet on it being around in 5-10 years. If editing a few config files and changing a few lines scares you then don't run a mail server. Otherwise pick something popular, well tested, and robust. Sure postfix+dovecot isn't the only solution, but I wouldn't pick something small/obscure/new either.

lucb1e 9y ago

> mail servers are not for novices I invite you to look at hMailServer. I set this up when I had a reasonable clue about SMTP and only a vague understanding of POP3 or IMAP. Let alone how spam filters worked ("they look at words like viagra" was my understanding) or what mailing lists are. It's really a Windows-like utility in the sense of next-next-next-finish. By now I despise most Windows Server wizards for not being flexible enough and prefer command line tools on GNU/Linux, but this mail server is one thing I just cannot find a good replacement for, and the interface provides everything I need (no need for command line or config file magic).

sliken 9y ago
Postfix is popular, secure, flexible, well documented, and likely to be around in 10 years. The defaults are quite sane and it's battle tested on numerous large mail servers. For a simple domain you only have to edit a few lines that numerous tutorials cover. Combining it with dovecot (similarly well designed, secure, popular, battle tested etc) makes for a robust setup. Sure don't make the mistakes the OP made and allow relaying for the the entire internet. I can't imagine any sane tutorial has relaying enabled by default. I've never heard of hMailServer, but hard to imagine it would be worth while and I wouldn't want to bet on it being around in 5-10 years. If editing a few config files and changing a few lines scares you then don't run a mail server. Otherwise pick something popular, well tested, and robust. Sure postfix+dovecot isn't the only solution, but I wouldn't pick something small/obscure/new either.