IMAP is a method of mail retrieval, Postfix is a MTA like sendmail (it sends outgoing mail and accepts incoming mail, although it doesn't actually allow people to retrieve it off the server)
Think of IMAP in a similar way to POP3. Think of Postfix/Sendmail/Exim like the post office...they'll take your mail, and put mail in your box, but it's up to you to get it. http://my.lostinfo.com/files_other/cyrus_imap/ Was my original walkthrough. It's a bit dated now but it might give you a good overview of what we have in place and running now. http://my.lostinfo.com/files_other/courier-imap/ Was my earlier attempt using courier-imap, however I was unsuccessful in getting the information I needed as to how to get a "black-box" setup working. It's got a kind of overview of courier as well tho'. Here's a little flowchart for you... It's generic but you'll get the idea of how mail flows through the system: MAIL -> Sendmail / Exim / Postfix Accepts the incoming mail via SMTP, sends it on to ---> Cyrus / Courier-IMAP or perhaps it just puts it in the /var/mail files like sendmail does Outlook / Netscape Mail / Web-based client / Hundreds of *nix clients Allows you to check the mail, via POP3 or IMAP --> YOU John Straiton [EMAIL PROTECTED] Clickcom, Inc 704-365-9970x101 > -----Original Message----- > From: Keith Spencer [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 6:54 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: are virtual mail account users possible with > sendmail on freebsd > > > Hi and thanks John, > Yes I know how to setup mysql...Is imap or postfix (whatever > does the job...imap I guess if I dont bother about smtp auth) > easy to get to auth with mysql? what do I need where do I > look perhaps a tute? Any reason postfix is a better option > than imap? Appreciate input...thanks heaps Keith > > > Sendmail isn't what gives someone POP3 access. Something > like Qpopper > > does. > > > > However, most of the sendmail+(something) combinations > you're going to > > find are going to require you to build "full blown" > accounts for each > > user. While they do not have to have shell access, they will have a > > /home directory and an entry in your /etc/passwd. > > > > If you're trying to avoid that, you'll have to use a different POP3 > > server and I'd recommend a different MTA than sendmail. What you're > > looking to do (email accounts without user accounts) is sometimes > > called a "black-box" setup. > > > > We use a combination of Postfix to replace sendmail and Cyrus to do > > POP3/IMAP. You can also do this with Courier-IMAP. Both are in the > > /usr/ports/mail tree. Exim is another popular replacement > for sendmail > > and works well with either Cyrus or Courier-IMAP. > > > > With a simple shell script and pw, you could add all those > accounts to > > the machine if necessary, but if you use one of these other methods > > you'd probably wind up wanting to use a LDAP or Database > back end to > > store all that information. > > > > Hope this gets you started. > > > > John Straiton > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Clickcom, Inc > > 704-365-9970x101 > > > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Keith > >> Spencer > >> Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 10:59 PM > >> To: fbsd > >> Subject: are virtual mail account users possible with sendmail on > >> freebsd > >> > >> > >> Hi all, > >> I am wondering how I can add mail acocunts without > >> actually creating full-blown user accounts for my lan > >> users. > >> I have sendmail on fbsd 4.7 (new build machine and I > >> dont want to create shell accnts for all my users on > >> this new machine) > >> Whatever help you might give me perhaps I can use > >> webmin to add the new users... I have 600 users to > >> add. > >> Whoa...thats a lot of work..HELP???!! > >> Thanks so much in adavnce > >> Keith > >> > > http://greetings.yahoo.com.au - Yahoo! Greetings > > - Send your seasons greetings online this year! > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message > > > > > > > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message > > > Keith Spencer BSc Bed > ++++++++++++++++++ > IT Services Manager > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www.smmc.qld.edu.au > St Margaret Mary's College > Townsville, Australia > +++++++++++++++++++ > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
