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Ask HN: How to send dkim/spf compliant email from Debian?

I don't need to create a full blown email implementation. I don't need to receive emails from anybody. I just want to be able to to send emails from no-reply@mydomain.com for password resets, email address verifications, things like that. And I would like to at least make an attempt to have the emails I send pass through a basic spam filter. So I assume at the very least I need to setup DKIM and SPF records. Is it as simple as following https://wiki.debian.org/Postfix and https://wiki.debian.org/opendkim ? (That is the route I am taking right now, will report back here what I find out in a few hours!)

pbourke 5y ago
I’m a big fan of hosting stuff myself, but I will nope out of email at the first chance I get. I would just use AWS Simple Email Service, Mailgun, Sendgrid, etc.
monkeydata 5y ago
amavis All email is perl.
johnnyApplePRNG 5y ago
Andddddddd I want to rip my fucking hair out by the root! Going to try again tomorrow :S
high_byte 5y ago
you would need to setup dns records either way. I used dkimpy, pretty simple: https://russell.ballestrini.net/quickstart-to-dkim-sign-email-with-python/ https://russell.ballestrini.net/quickstart-to-dkim-sign-emai...
hardwaresofton 5y ago
Use https://maddy.email https://maddy.email, it's fantastic and will spit out DKIM for you. The rest (DMARC, SPF) you'll have to set up yourself but it's mostly setting up DNS records. Is there a reason why you're not choosing an email provider? there are very cheap ones out there. What you're trying to do is normally called "transactional" email normally and there are a lot of providers who specialize in that.
toast0 5y ago
SPF is relatively easy (as long as you've got a static IP). DKIM isn't terrible, but it is frustrating. IIRC, you need to setup a milter in postfix and give that a key that you also need to put into DNS. After that, test it a bunch. Then be sure to set a DMARC DNS record that advises recipients to require DKIM. Downside is your mail will bounce when you mess up DKIM, upside is you'll get somewhat clear feedback.

pbourke 5y ago

I’m a big fan of hosting stuff myself, but I will nope out of email at the first chance I get. I would just use AWS Simple Email Service, Mailgun, Sendgrid, etc.

monkeydata 5y ago

amavis All email is perl.

johnnyApplePRNG 5y ago

Andddddddd I want to rip my fucking hair out by the root! Going to try again tomorrow :S

high_byte 5y ago

you would need to setup dns records either way. I used dkimpy, pretty simple: https://russell.ballestrini.net/quickstart-to-dkim-sign-email-with-python/ https://russell.ballestrini.net/quickstart-to-dkim-sign-emai...

hardwaresofton 5y ago

Use https://maddy.email https://maddy.email, it's fantastic and will spit out DKIM for you. The rest (DMARC, SPF) you'll have to set up yourself but it's mostly setting up DNS records. Is there a reason why you're not choosing an email provider? there are very cheap ones out there. What you're trying to do is normally called "transactional" email normally and there are a lot of providers who specialize in that.

toast0 5y ago

SPF is relatively easy (as long as you've got a static IP). DKIM isn't terrible, but it is frustrating. IIRC, you need to setup a milter in postfix and give that a key that you also need to put into DNS. After that, test it a bunch. Then be sure to set a DMARC DNS record that advises recipients to require DKIM. Downside is your mail will bounce when you mess up DKIM, upside is you'll get somewhat clear feedback.