Server Administration for Dummies
Posted on 2010-01-08 (Updated on 2019-01-24)
I finally got Postfix configured correctly (if not completely) on my VPS. It took a lot of poking, but now I can send and receive mail in SquirrelMail. While this is only the beginning of the configuration, it's a nice feeling to have something "click" and start functioning. I owe it all to the fantastic Postfix documentation - quality stuff they've got there.
As a nice side-effect, PHP is also able to send mail out - and that was a BIG stumbling block to getting sites migrated over. Those PHP mailer scripts sounded like such a good idea when I was embedding them in each site...
It's been loads of fun getting this running, but it has also shown me how immensely small my sys admin knowledge really is. I administer Windows servers at work, but Linux is a whole different ballgame. I felt quite lost in the beginning, but in the months I've been working on this server, I feel like I've learned tons more about the software involved and how it all interacts. Each time I go back into a config file, I see mistakes I've made and correct them, and the server runs a little smoother.
Okay, next adventure is going to be getting Postfix configured for virtual domains, and allowing authenticated users to relay mail with their mail clients. SquirrelMail is good stuff, but I'm not going to force it on clients!