I’ve been running a mail server based on iRedMail on linode for quite some time but keep having issues with stability. Never been able to find the cause but it stops working at random and comes back with a reboot. Because of this I’m looking for a good alternative to run a small mail server that’s stable and easy to maintain. Open to any suggestions, but preference is something foss. Thanks.
GitHub - foxcpp/maddy: ✉️ Composable all-in-one mail server. looks like an interesting project even though I personally wouldn’t bother to run my own mail server etc (too much work keeping up with spam, vulns etc).
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Mail in a box has served me well for years. It’s effectively an Ubuntu appliance that comes with Nextcloud.
Install and update are script based, project is active and established, and security has always been an important project aim.
I personally wouldn’t bother to run my own mail server etc (too much work keeping up with spam, vulns etc).
Running your own server is easy. Run the update script now and again. Move spam to the spam folder. DKIM and DMARC are handled for you if you use the built-in DNS.
Downside is that it’s opinionated, hence why I call it an appliance. It clobbers changes made outside of the control panel or API.
I heard your sent emails from selfhosted serivces are usually flagged as spam by the big email providers. How does one manage that?
I heard your sent emails from selfhosted serivces are usually flagged as spam by the big email providers
This hasn’t been my experience. If you have valid SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and reverse DNS settings, things go through.
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Yep typically if you have the basic security requirements it’s not a problem. Been running mine for a while on a Linode instance and only recently been having stability issues where it all hangs up for no given reason.
But what if you received a subpoena during the times you were down? Next time its the feds knocking to take you away for comtempt or something.
Back then, email was a fun thing to have. Now its your bank, important court letters, and so on. Uptime is so critical your money and freedom may be literally at stake. If you have the free time, equiptment and the tech know-how, then sure go self host. If you lack even one, I would argue that you are not doing it right.
It’s a mix of things. First there is Microsoft who are the jerks of the e-mail world that do exactly what you describe. For the rest as long as you setup every damn thing (DKIM, DMARK, SPF, wathever) properly and your source address is not on a list you will reduce the chances of having your messages dropped.
Maddy as previously mentioned might do most of these tasks for you.
Personally I think it’s not worth. It cannot be private because that’s how it is. Even if you encrypt the message bodies the MTAs handling the messages need to be able to read the all the headers including recipient, sender and subject.
SMTP is a zombie protocol from the 80s killed by spammers and abused by corporations. It was never designed to resist the hostile internet that we have today. We should burn it and never look back.
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I been using mail in the box for years, its easy to setup and easy to maintain, never really had any issues with it
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