topic Re: mail send and retrieval in Operating System - Linux

mail send and retrieval

steven Burgess_2 — Wed, 02 Mar 2005 09:19:06 GMT

Hi Everyone

I currently have a linux server (SuSe9.2) set up as a web proxy for a number of PC clients. The server has a static interface connected to the internet with a second interface on the local lan with a local address. I want the clients mail agents to be able to pick up their email from an ISP's mail server out on the internet. So essentially they are going to have to pass through the linux server to do this.

I am forwarding traffic from the internal card externally so was hoping that the client mta would route through to the server and out onto the internet to check for, receive and send mail. This doesn't appear to be the case.

My thinking is that if I enable xinetd to listen to pop3 or pop3s for incoming mail on the server it will allow the incoming connection. What about smtp for outgoing mail ?

Any point in the right direction would be of great help

Thanks in advance

Steve

Re: mail send and retrieval

Florian Heigl (new acc) — Wed, 02 Mar 2005 11:45:33 GMT

hi steve,

this should all work in case Your doing ip masquerading on the server and also did set the clients' default gateway to the server's ip.

using xinetd will only make sense in case You want to keep all mail related tasks on the server itself. (download them with fetchmail to the users mboxes and let them access their email on the server, etc.)

Re: mail send and retrieval

steven Burgess_2 — Thu, 03 Mar 2005 04:08:22 GMT

Hi Florian

Sorry, I don't think I understood your reply.

You are saying that it should work, but if I am masquerading it won't ?

The clients are using windows outlook. They also have the default gateway set to the servers ip address

Thanks again

Steve

Re: mail send and retrieval

kcpant — Thu, 03 Mar 2005 06:57:50 GMT

Hi Steven,

I also agree with florian, if you have configured masquerading ( or, if you have static IP, you should use 'many to one' NATing), the clients will definitely communicate with ISP as if they were directly connected to internet. first check if you are able to browse internet from your PCs through linux gateway. and secondly, as florian said, if you want to make a setup for downloading mails on linux box itself and distrbuting it to clients, you do not have to NAT, but have to setup mail system for this purpose ( fetchmail+sendmail+ipop3d or any other combination)

thanks & regards

Re: mail send and retrieval

Vernon Brown_4 — Thu, 03 Mar 2005 08:33:19 GMT

My local lan is set up like you described. I have no problem using ISP mail; simply set up the mail server address in Outlook to point to the ISP instead of the gateway. NAT takes care of directing the mail traffic.

Then, if anyone wants to switch back to use the gateway mail, all they have to do is set their mail server in Outlook to point to the gateway box.

Vern

Re: mail send and retrieval

steven Burgess_2 — Fri, 04 Mar 2005 01:59:38 GMT

Thanks for the reply's everyone. It must be blocked on the firewall. Will be looking at this on tuesday and will let you know.

Steve

Re: mail send and retrieval

steven Burgess_2 — Tue, 08 Mar 2005 07:23:08 GMT

Sorted. Checking further the PC's had been setup with static addresses but no dns servers defined....... (wasn't me!!)

Steve