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Setting up my own e-mail server - the best and easy way? Virtualmin + Xeams mail server?
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Setting up my own e-mail server - the best and easy way? Virtualmin + Xeams mail server?

I have never hosted e-mail on my webservers, always outsourced that task. For my customers and my main personal e-mail I use Office365 (used to use Myhosting.com Hosted Exchange).
For my also personal e-mail, but not so important (mostly old e-mail accounts, that I still need access to) I have used Godaddy.com. Had(have) an account with 100 e-mail boxes and I have just paid around $2/mo or less than that also. This account expire in three months, and when I was in to renew, I saw that Godaddy has increased the price from $2/mo to $9.99/mo, and I not going to pay $10/mo for that account.

So I have two (or more) questions. I'm thinking about just setting up an VPS/VM on my own servers or Vultr/DO. Just for e-mail. I'm thinking about Virtualmin, since it easy to make backups, and restore on any other VPS/VM if needed.

Never used e-mail in Virtualmin, and don't expect the e-mail server to be any thing more then just standard.

So, can I upgrade the standard e-mail server that Virtualmin uses to etc Xeams mail server?

And do I need anymore then just the standard mail server in Virtualmin? Mostly I will only receive e-mail, but a couple of family members uses the old system with POP3.
Thats it.

And to get mail to the server, all I need to do is to point MX record to the server IP?
Same with POP and SMTP also?

Comments

  • Personally, if I would need a simple email server (IMAP / POP) I'd setup a DirectAdmin server.

    Why? Very easy to create backups and very easy to restore them to any server running DirectAdmin.

    DirectAdmin is a 60 EUR one-time fee (at resellers though) but well worth the money.

    And to get mail to the server, all I need to do is to point MX record to the server IP? Same with POP and SMTP also?

    Basically, yes. You would need to set the MX record of your domain to the email server. Your POP server will be the same and SMTP too.

  • @Evixo th reason why I'm using Virtualmin is just because of the easy backup system.
    I can then take backup to one or several of my backup servers around EU.
    And it's super easy to restore on any other server, just change the IP, and you are up an running again.

    I have now setup a CentOS 6.6 VPS with IP 1.2.3.4. I have then used a domain name: mail01.mymaindomain.com
    On the new server I have created two domains, the mail01.mymaindomain.com and mymaildomain.com

    The DNS is hosted outside the server (in this case godaddy.com)
    There I have created a A record with the IP to the new server.
    Then I have created a MX record pointing to the new A record mail.mymaildomain.com
    Will this setup work? Or do I'm missing some settings?
    And will it be better to host DNS on the new server?

  • The server receiving mail for your domains needs to be mentioned in the MX record, yes. Preferably do not CNAME it.

    The server where you pick up your mails (POP3, IMAP) needs nothing special. Typically they are on one server

  • EvixoEvixo Member
    edited February 2015

    Then I have created a MX record pointing to the new A record mail.mymaildomain.com Will this setup work? Or do I'm missing some settings?

    This setup should work. Have a look at www.mxtoolbox.com and run the MX lookup + diagnostics tool.

    And will it be better to host DNS on the new server?

    Depends on your infrastructure. However, in your case it would probably be better to have it hosted at GoDaddy.

  • The best and easy way for me was to set up postfix and dovecot. It took about a day to go through all the configuration options and looking up what they do, but now it's great and only consumes a few MB RAM...

  • SpeedBusSpeedBus Member, Host Rep

    https://mailinabox.email/ would probably be the easiest to setup, one line command to set it all up.

    Thanked by 1myhken
  • Will try out mailinabox, setting up a Ubuntu server now. But, I have my other CentOS server up and running, with virtualmin setup. I have created the domain, and the e-mail user. I have updated my DNS:

    The question here is, shall I use the domain for the server: xxxx.maindomain.xxx, or the domain I'm using now, thats the mail domain. I see when I send mail from the server, it uses the xxxx.maindomain.xxx

    (I have changed the MX value after I took the first picture so it's 5 both places now)

    What are I'm missing here?

    When I send mails to the new server, it do not reach the new server, or the old server, and I do not get any error messages in Gmail or Office365. The mails is sent, but never get to the e-mail account.
    No issue sending out e-mails from the new account.

  • Problem solved, it just takes some times before DNS is updated. Working now.

  • You can use for that sentora control panel too.

    Thanked by 1myhken
  • @SpeedBus said:
    https://mailinabox.email/ would probably be the easiest to setup, one line command to set it all up.

    Since I'm never used Ubuntu before, I think it's best to stick with CentOS and Virtualmin that I know. I will maybe try it out just to see, but my Centos/Virtualmin setup is working, so then I'm happy with that.
    I just need to receive e-mail from a bunch of old e-mail accounts on different domains I own, and thats that.

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