Re: Using RH 5.0 as Mail server on Novell network

["Jose M. Sanchez" <opjose ex-pressnet com>]

Yes, Linux is by far one of the best ways to go...

I am frequently setting up mail servers in this scenario for people...

An old 486 with 16 megs of ram and a 1 to 2 gig hard disk works just fine. A
little more RAM and a faster processor will help, but is not required...

A faster machine WILL allow you to confortably utilize the same unit for
other functions as well... I find that once a Linux machine is introduced
into a Lan, it frequently starts aquiring other "chores". Linux aquits
itself extremely well... with uptimes close to a year at a time (power
failures, to blame for any downtime)..

... it is extremely cost effective, and you can even use WinBlows apps such
as Outlook, etc...

Recommendations:

Invest in a UPS & cable with notification features, supported by Linux.
Since you'll probably leave this thing up ALL the time, you'll want the
server shut down "gracefully" in the event of an outage.

Use RH5.1 and modify the /etc/logrotate.conf file to include additional
files, and to increase log rotation rates...

Use /etc/logrotate.conf to also clean up POP* files in the /tmp directory.

Utilize your ISP as a "backup" MX server, with yours as a primary. Doing so
allows the ISP's mail server to "buffer" your E-MAIL in case the connection
to the internet is down for any length of time... once you get reconnected
your mail server will pick up any messages destined for it...

Install TCP/IP on the client machines, then use WinBlows or (gasp) Dos
E-MAIL clients...
Some of the small (2-8k) E-Mail notification programs, then work very well
in this scenario...
... I frequently use them to get the clients to produce "you have new mail
waiting" messages for users...

Learn about using /etc/aliases, this will prove very handy.

-JMS


-----Original Message-----
From: Christopher Radi <radi mhd1 moorhead msus edu>
To: redhat-list redhat com <redhat-list redhat com>
Date: Monday, September 28, 1998 9:23 PM
Subject: Using RH 5.0 as Mail server on Novell network


>I've been getting some bids for a new server at work including a new
version
>of Netware.  The big surprise was that there was about a $3,000 charge for
>the addition of e-mail support.  I'm assuming that instead of paying all of
>that, I could simply use a Linux machine as a mail server.  Would I need to
>use anything like mars-nwe, or would Pop & smtp work fine?
>
>