Other Help Topics :: DSL +ftp +Mail Server

Ok this maybe totally irrelevant but here goes.
Current setup: Smoothwall firewall (www.smoothwall.org)connected to Sentech. 2 other workstations pc's connected to firewall.
Question: Explain to me (a windows user) whether I can do the following. I have an old PII PC that I want to use as an ftp server and mail router? The mail router (if that's the right term) needs to be like a pop3 manager for windows. It has to receive inernal mail going out and collect mail from different mail servers coming in.

Can I do this and where do I start.

Thanks in advance

If you had DamnSmallLinux running from a HD install you might have to build you either a binary or tarball of ftp program and the email progy...then plug them into your DSL install...

I had ABYSS webserver running like that using a binary tarball, and it worked great...

What FTP and Email progy are you planning on using?

Brian
AwPhuch

I have no idea which ftp and email to run yet. I'm a windows user so my knowledge of linux related software is minimal. If I could get something like Smoothwall which is a compacted distribution specifically for firewalls then that would be great.
Pop in the CD: boot, install, configure and administrate from any pc on the network then that's perfect, but it's not essential.

I want to try this as an excersize to learn working with existing hardware. One pII 233 and one pII 450 lying around. I don't want to have to dl the whole Redhat/Mandrake/Suse if I don't need to.

Ideas on ftp server software and mail programs would be great. I I need to build a tarball/ binary then that's fine too. I'll learn.

Thanks
Piet

Quote (Brolloks @ Sep. 10 2004,01:03)

http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2003/10/09/advanced_mail_server2.html

http://www.vsftpd.org/

Try those....and GOOGLE is your friend

Brian
AwPhuch

For a FTP server... ProFTPd. Hands down, no question about it. Rock solid FTP server. I've had a ProFTPd server running for two years with no problems at work. Set it up and forget about it, it's that reliable. And since DSL is a Debian cousin, you can apt-get it and configure it pretty quickly.

However, FTP is a security risk and if only you or a couple of your friends are going to be accessing the server, it would be better to set up a SSH server and scp everything in lieu of FTP. DSL already comes with SSH server and it would take just a little effort on your and your users parts to learn to use WinSCP or an equivalent proggie.

Email server? This is tricky. If you're on a dynamic IP block, most ISP's will block all email orginating from your server. That being said,
* Qpopper will work just dandy for your POP3 mail needs, but it won't send email, it just allows your users to access their mail from a POP3 client. In order to send mail from your machine, you'll still need to install a MTA such as...

* Exim, Qmail, Sendmail or smail. Qmail is probably the best among these (better security than sendmail and it's scalable) although I use exim (it came with Debian, and I happen to like it just fine).

*Collecting mail from various email server for various users is a task suited for fetchmail/procmail. Fetchmail can pull email from various email accounts (it's pulling three accounts for me now). When fetchmail is piped through procmail, procmail will separate mail, based on rulesets you specify, to send mail to the right users mailboxes.

Running a mailserver is almost the biggest pain in the ass you can undertake as an admin. Make sure, whatever MTA you choose to implement, that you don't run it as an open relay. Spammers will flood your system quicker than you can say "Buy cheap V1agra through u s."

And if you're just looking to run a solid firewall, try http://www.coyotelinux.com/ It runs from a floppy without the need for a hard drive. You can use that hard drive in your FTP server in case warez kiddies ever hack it and use it for a fileserver. If you're really serious about running a solid firewall, I'd suggest installing OpenBSD and learning to appreciate pf.

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