Ubuntu mail server

[ca336]

Hi guys,

I am thinking of installing a Linux mail server and use it for my company. We are about 3 people that using emails and i do not want do spend a significant amount to get an exchange server.

However, i need a mail server that i will be able to get the functionality that exchange server provides such as emails (to my mobile, web access, and using outlook client), calendar, tasks and contacts.

Can you reccomend me which Linux mail server should i use for all the above functionality?

I will appeciate your answers.

Thanks.

ca336

[flashcoder]

Hi and welcome to LinuxForums.

There are many servers that can do some of what the MS Exchange does. If you will be using a fat client, its not enough with just server alone, several other things need to be made clear as well -
what are the client platform(s)? do you need crossplatform compatibility? what will be the fat client software you will be using? are you up to free open-source solution or ready for some commercial solution? etc..
I was also trying to build an open-source MS Exchange alternative some time ago. I went through several Linux alternatives, but as soon as there is a requirement that it must be fully MS Outlook compatible, there is a problem because the protocol between MS Outlook and Exchange is Microsoft proprietary stuff and there are couple commercial connectors that mangle the MS Outlook to believe that its working with MS Exchange, like Bynari connector. But to be honest I have never made a successfull replacement because those neat things like shared callendars and tasks fail to be compatible between MS fat client and non-MS fat client software, like Thunderbird. Ok maybe others had better experience
Since I was doing it just because I was curios, I have not made any real life implementation, I was just looking - "if it works, then I am gonna use it".
There are webmail platforms that work perfectly like Zimbra but its far too heavy because runs on Java, it was rather too slow on my old hardware.

So it would be interesting what others have to say about this topic because I could not build a free open-source MS Exchange alternative that really works, some of it works, but not everything. Maybe I just ran out of patience testing everything

[ca336]

Thanks for the reply and for the welcome. However, what i am looking for is a linux mail server that will be able to support emails, calendar, tasks and contacts. I dont care about the email client. Could be Outlook, thunderbird or any other.

Do you have any more ideas regarding this?

[ca336]

What about Postfix guys? Is it supporting mail,calendar and contacts? Also, is it possible to have everything centralized? For example, i need to be able to view all my emails on my mobile phone, on a webbased enviroment and on my email client. Is it possible? NOT like pop3/smtp when you download one email then is not downloaded in my email client.

Any idea about that?

[scathefire]

Postfix = glorified sendmail.

I'm sorry to say once you got Exchange you are plenty stuck on it most of the time. Of course one could use google apps instead. there are several reading articles out there proposing what you are talking about though.

Zarafa Server - Linux' Answer to Exchange Server

of course it will cost you 30 Euros

[HROAdmin26]

There are lots of solutions available. After using more than a few, I personally use Zimbra.

Two others off the top of my head are OpenXchange and Scalix. Google will show several more.

[ca336]

Thanks guys for all the guidance.

After extensive research and trials installation and setup i found that the ONLY software that is doing everything an exchange server does is Zarafa. Also, they will release a unicode version by the end of 2010 or begining of 2011 which it will offer a huge advantage.

Again, thanks for all your help and guidance and please share your ideas if you have anything else in mind.

Thanks.