Lots and Lots of Sendmail Configuration Questions

[RobinVossen]

Hello all,
I want to setup a sendmail SMTP server.
but I have a small problem.
I have no idea how to set this up.
I did read some readme files and well I decided Id give up and go to use Webmin for my Sendmail configuration.
Well, ok, webmin is installed and Sendmail is.
Same server.
Now Webmin asks me to set the M4 Base and Config Directory.
So I set Base to /usr/share/sendmail-cf and the config to /usr/share/sendmail-cf/cf
But that is apparently wrong. But ok, keep that in mind now I want to do something else. Lets say I want to store the emails in the Directory /mail/$USER since Dovecot (My Imap Server) is looking there for emails. So to what folder do I have to set the "User Mail file location". Do I really have to make a Unix User account (so one that is in the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files) for every user? Since that looks Mayor unsafe to me?
Also I wonder, is there a easy way to make send a Notification Email when a new email came in the Sendmail box of user X? and another Notification Email to another person if it gets in Sendmail box for user Y? I dont want a forward, I want to send a Notification email. Also I wonder, is Sendmail save?
Since with Telnet you can login and do VRFY to check if a user exists? That looks like a Danger to me.
So, as you see I have a lot of Questions about Sendmail.
And my problem is, I don't have much time left this all has to be setup within a day of 3~4.... And since of my Dyslexia I am not able to read a Thick Manual that Quick. I did read some Manuals and Howtos and FAQs but. I didnt get answers on my questions in them.
So, now I wonder, is there anyone around here who can help me?

Cheers,
Robin Gentoo Forums :: View topic - SendMail Configuration Mayhem

[dilbert]

I want to setup a sendmail SMTP server.
but I have a small problem.
I have no idea how to set this up.
I did read some readme files and well I decided Id give up and go to use Webmin for my Sendmail configuration.
Well, ok, webmin is installed and Sendmail is.
Same server.

At first, sendmail is still a great enigma to me despite I configured there something and bought and read the bat book from O'Reilly some years ago.

You have to watch out with all those tutorials what version they are for as the content of those config files and the like constantly changes.

Also, the syntax is really not intuitive for me and I am always struggling with this. You always have to compile your config files with a special sendmail configuration program. You cannot simply change the ASCII files.

Is this mail server intended only to handle mail on your PC (as with me) or is it on a network handling mail for various PCs or is it even a real mail server in the naive sense of the term? That makes always a huge difference.

Now Webmin asks me to set the M4 Base and Config Directory.
So I set Base to /usr/share/sendmail-cf and the config to /usr/share/sendmail-cf/cf
But that is apparently wrong. But ok, keep that in mind now I want to do something else. Lets say I want to store the emails in the Directory /mail/$USER since Dovecot (My Imap Server) is looking there for emails. So to what folder do I have to set the "User Mail file location". Do I really have to make a Unix User account (so one that is in the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files) for every user? Since that looks Mayor unsafe to me?

Hmm, don't understand the question. A user not in passwd isn't a user I think. The rest as said above. Caution with those path and file names. The vary often from version to version.

Also I wonder, is there a easy way to make send a Notification Email when a new email came in the Sendmail box of user X? and another Notification Email to another person if it gets in Sendmail box for user Y? I dont want a forward, I want to send a Notification email. Also I wonder, is Sendmail save?
Since with Telnet you can login and do VRFY to check if a user exists? That looks like a Danger to me.

This notification stuff should be possible but I never did this.
Really safe is no program. I guess generally people say now that sendmail isn't the safest anymore but I don't bother.

This VRFY feature is disabled with most mail servers and you can do so as well.

So, as you see I have a lot of Questions about Sendmail.
And my problem is, I don't have much time left this all has to be setup within a day of 3~4.... And since of my Dyslexia I am not able to read a Thick Manual that Quick. I did read some Manuals and Howtos and FAQs but. I didnt get answers on my questions in them.

I don't know how much easier are other mail servers.

I spend lots of time configuring this sendmail mostly years ago and on FreeBSD boxes. What I have done is I fetch mail with fetchmail onto my PC. Sendmail handles to fill the PC's mail queue and sends mail off to other users internally and over the Internet.

A year or two ago I needed to add a so-called "smart host" as more and more of the most important mail hosters discarded mail sent from IP addresses from ISPs where the IP range can be identified as a dial-in home user account.

Even this last task took me a day or two and worked fortunately from the beginning. So my guess is there is no simple answer to your questions.

I can only advise to get some good instructions from a Web search (there are a few for the plethora of tasks that exists) and watch out that they cover the same version of your sendmail.

[RobinVossen]

At first, sendmail is still a great enigma to me despite I configured there something and bought and read the bat book from O'Reilly some years ago.

Thanks for Replying on my Topic Dilbert lets see what you have to say

You have to watch out with all those tutorials what version they are for as the content of those config files and the like constantly changes.

Yea I did notice that. Its really annoying.

Is this mail server intended only to handle mail on your PC (as with me) or is it on a network handling mail for various PCs or is it even a real mail server in the naive sense of the term? That makes always a huge difference.

I need to use it for a REAL mail system.
So, well naive sense of the term

Hmm, don't understand the question. A user not in passwd isn't a user I think. The rest as said above. Caution with those path and file names. The vary often from version to version.

I meant can I make a Sendmail User only system. So that he cant login the system

This notification stuff should be possible but I never did this.
Really safe is no program. I guess generally people say now that sendmail isn't the safest anymore but I don't bother.

I know that no program is 100% Save. But well as long aas there arnt known exploits for it.
And, well I thought of a way to Notify the User. so I guess that should be alright.

This VRFY feature is disabled with most mail servers and you can do so as well.

Ok, that is nice. I just have to figure out how to Disable it

I can only advise to get some good instructions from a Web search (there are a few for the plethora of tasks that exists) and watch out that they cover the same version of your sendmail.

Ok, well thanks.
I hope I can find a Quick Documention.
Since the Official one doesn't make sense to me..