HOWTO Setup Postfix

Install Postfix

# emerge postfix -va

Configuration

edit /etc/postfix/main.cf

hostname ~ # emacs -nw /etc/postfix/main.cf

myhostname = zero.iat.sfu.ca 
           naturally, use your server's real name :-)

mydomain = iat.sfu.ca

add to /etc/postfix/main.cf (somewhere around line 98 / SENDING MAIL)

# rewrites addresses
sender_canonical_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/sender_canonical

We don't receive mail, so comment this line out, as shown, in /etc/postfix/main.cf (it usually is commented out, but please verify; around Line 159)

#mydestination = $myhostname, localhost.$mydomain, localhost

Check that these are uncommented, in /etc/postfix/main.cf. Gentoo is shown; other distributions omit the /mail path (FC6 is one).

alias_maps = hash:/etc/mail/aliases
alias_database = hash:/etc/mail/aliases

You can quickly and succinctly get an overview of the non-default postfix settings:

postconf -n

Create the file /etc/postfix/sender_canonical. This ensures that any replies or whatever will go to a real (or nearly :-) ) human

hostname ~ # emacs -nw /etc/postfix/sender_canonical

root     gordonp+server_name@sfu.ca

Turn this plain-text file into a postfix db format with this command:

hostname ~ # postmap /etc/postfix/sender_canonical

Create the /etc/mail/aliases.db file:

hostname ~ # postalias /etc/mail/aliases

Create the .forward file in root's home-dir. This will cause root-directed mail (like logwatch and cron output) to go to our admin mailing-list:

hostname ~ # emacs -nw ~/.forward
admin@siat.sfu.ca