LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Andrew Reid <andrew.reid@plug.cx>
  To  : Dan Shearer <dan@tellurian.com.au>
  Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 10:34:56 +1030

Re: Best Mail Server

On Sat, Nov 10, 2001 at 06:18:58PM +1030, Dan Shearer wrote:

> > Hrm, well, I suppose that's something that you've got to decide when you
> > write the e-mail. Postfix+BSD-mbox+UW-POP3d isn't such a bad combination
> > for a small setup. It's dead easy to setup, making it (arguably) the
> > best way to get a quick solution to the problem.
> 
> But no, you see, what you say simply isn't the case. 
> 
> In the above you could replace Postfix, BSD-mbox and UW-POP3d respectively
> with [qmail/Exim], Maildir and Courier-POP/IMAPd and just as arguably have
> a setup which was even easier, depending on the background of the
> installer.

Indeed. Changing Postfix from BSD-mbox delivery to Maildir is simply a 
matter of changing one line of text.

UW-POP3D really couldn't be much easier. Copy the executable somewhere 
and edit/uncomment the line in /etc/inetd.conf (assuming you're using
inetd).

I suppose it comes down to a matter of personal preference. I find it
easier too do what I explained in the previous e-mail. Postfix is well 
documented, and any idiot can run UW-POP3d. 

> For example, I'm no qmail fan, but it is true that qmail needs just one
> line in one file as a minimum configuration, which is less than Postfix.
> The minimum Exim config is a tiny number of lines. And plenty of people
> would argue that Maildir is easier in many respects than the BSD format.

I'm not sure that I'd agree with you about Qmail. You've painted a
picture which seems to make Qmail look like an easy MTA to setup. It
took me a fair amount of time to understand how the whole beast works, 
let alone the installation procedure.

> Similar arguments about POP daemons, although I'm sufficiently happy with
> Courier to not be current with any alternatives.

You see, I think of it this way. I have no need to bother with
anything other than UW-POP3d, because it does the job. You and I both
know that it's not exactly hard to setup the configuration I detailed
in the original message.

> > Yeah, but seriously Dan, who could be bothered when you're talking about
> > something that's small.
> 
> Many people, including me. I wouldn't think of what you proposed as the
> first obvious option at all, not that I think your proposal is bad.

It seems we have different definitions of "easy" :-)

> Background of the installer (and the desires/needs of the user) is
> everything.

Yup, I agree (!). I still stand by my original assertion that Postfix
and UW-IMAP (BSD-mbox) is easier than much else out there, though.

   - andrew

-- 
Andrew J. Reid                    "Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem  
andrew.reid@plug.cx               mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane 
+61 401 946 813                   mittam"                                

-- 
LinuxSA WWW: http://www.linuxsa.org.au/  IRC: #linuxsa on irc.linux.org.au
To unsubscribe from the LinuxSA list:
  mail linuxsa-request@linuxsa.org.au with "unsubscribe" as the subject