SUNScholar/Prepare Ubuntu/S07

Step 7.1: Install the software

In order to be able to use email with your Dspace server install the postfix mail server as follows:

apt-get install postfix

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.

Step 7.3: Setup default mailname

Now we edit the servers mailname as follows:

nano /etc/mailname

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

Now we restart Postfix:

/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.

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. Then save and exit "nano".

To activate the new aliases type the following:

newaliases

Step 7.5: Send a test email to root

Install the command line mailer program as follows:

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:

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

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