SUNScholar/Prepare Ubuntu/S07

Prepare Ubuntu - Index

Step 7. Setup the Postfix mail server

DSpace needs to send emails in order to facilitate submission workflows etc.. With Ubuntu as the host server we select "Postfix" as the local email server.

Using onsite campus email server gateway

Using the campus email server we setup "Postfix" as a "smarthost" which uses the campus email server as the actual MTA (mail transfer agent) to relay email. See below for instructions.

See: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Postfix

Using offsite Gmail server gateway

If you do not have a campus email server to use, then try using GMail as your mail gateway server. See the link below for instructions.

http://blog.stuartlewis.com/2009/09/05/using-gmail-with-dspace

Please note: For this to work, you will have to make sure the local repository server has unrestricted access to the GMail server via your campus firewall.

Step 7.1: Install the software

Install the postfix mail server as follows:

sudo apt-get install postfix

When asked for type of setup, select "Internet with smarthost". See references below.

sudo dpkg --purge exim4

Step 7.2: Setup the mail server config files

Next we edit the Postfix main.cf file as follows:

sudo nano /etc/postfix/main.cf

Tip: It is always a good idea to maximise the open nano window so that the copy and paste of long lines does not wrap around.

See below for an example of the config file:

# See /usr/share/postfix/main.cf.dist for a commented, more complete version


# Debian specific:  Specifying a file name will cause the first
# line of that file to be used as the name.  The Debian default
# is /etc/mailname.
#myorigin = /etc/mailname

smtpd_banner = $myhostname ESMTP $mail_name (Ubuntu)
biff = no

# appending .domain is the MUA's job.
append_dot_mydomain = no

# Uncomment the next line to generate "delayed mail" warnings
#delay_warning_time = 4h

readme_directory = no

# TLS parameters
smtpd_tls_cert_file=/etc/ssl/certs/%hostname%.pem
smtpd_tls_key_file=/etc/ssl/certs/%hostname%.key
smtpd_use_tls=yes
smtpd_tls_session_cache_database = btree:${data_directory}/smtpd_scache
smtp_tls_session_cache_database = btree:${data_directory}/smtp_scache

# See /usr/share/doc/postfix/TLS_README.gz in the postfix-doc package for
# information on enabling SSL in the smtp client.

myhostname = %hostname%
alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases
alias_database = hash:/etc/aliases
myorigin = /etc/mailname
mydestination = %hostname% localhost
relayhost = %relay-hostname%
mynetworks = %my-subnet% 127.0.0.0/8 [::ffff:127.0.0.0]/104 [::1]/128
mailbox_size_limit = 0
recipient_delimiter = +
inet_interfaces = all

1. Change the %hostname% to the hostname of your server.
2. Change the %relay-hostname% to the hostname of your campus email server which sends and delivers email.
3. Add the subnet of your campus TCP/IP network %my-subnet% to the mynetworks parameter.
4. Ensure mydestination = %hostname% localhost to prevent your mail server becoming a spam email relay.

Talk to the campus system administrator about these settings.

Also see: http://www.postfix.org/SMTPD_ACCESS_README.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subnet_Mask.

---

NANO Editor Help

CTL+O	= Save the file and then press Enter
CTL+X	= Exit "nano"
CTL+K	= Delete line
CTL+U	= Undelete line
CTL+W	= Search for %%string%%
CTL+\	= Search for %%string%% and replace with $$string$$
CTL+C	= Show line numbers

More info = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nano_(text_editor)

---

Step 7.3: Setup default mailname

Now we edit the servers mailname by typing as follows:

sudo nano /etc/mailname

Add one line only which should be the hostname of your server.

---

NANO Editor Help

CTL+O	= Save the file and then press Enter
CTL+X	= Exit "nano"
CTL+K	= Delete line
CTL+U	= Undelete line
CTL+W	= Search for %%string%%
CTL+\	= Search for %%string%% and replace with $$string$$
CTL+C	= Show line numbers

More info = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nano_(text_editor)

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Now we restart Postfix by typing as follows:

sudo /etc/init.d/postfix restart

Step 7.4: Setup the email aliases

The "root" and dspace user email address are setup as follows.

Type the following.

sudo nano /etc/aliases

Add aliases as per example below:

# Added by installer for initial user
root:   me@my.edu.ac.za
dspace: me@my.edu.ac.za

Change the me@my.edu.ac.za to your email address.

---

NANO Editor Help

CTL+O	= Save the file and then press Enter
CTL+X	= Exit "nano"
CTL+K	= Delete line
CTL+U	= Undelete line
CTL+W	= Search for %%string%%
CTL+\	= Search for %%string%% and replace with $$string$$
CTL+C	= Show line numbers

More info = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nano_(text_editor)

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To activate the new aliases type the following:

sudo newaliases

Step 7.5: Send a test email to root

Install the command line mailer program as follows:

sudo apt-get install mailutils

Now we can send a test email to the root user by typing as follows:

mail -s "Test Email from root" root

Press the "Enter" key and type some message content. Press CTL+D and then Enter to send the mail.

Check the following log for any delivery errors as follows:

sudo tail -n 20 /var/log/mail.log

If there are no delivery errors your mail server is setup. Well done.

References

• http://wiki.lib.sun.ac.za/index.php/SUNScholar/Install_Dspace/S09
• http://www.smtp2go.com/docs/postfix
• http://help.comodo.com/topic-157-1-288-4540-configuring-postfix-to-use-a-smarthost.html
• http://www.dnsexit.com/support/mailrelay/postfix.html
• http://gopalthorve.com/install-postfix-mta-and-configure-smarthost
• http://blog.stuartlewis.com/2009/09/05/using-gmail-with-dspace

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Below is a screenshot of the yearly postifx mail queue

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