What is the best way of running an email server?

[daitangio]

On these COVID-19 days I have plenty of time and decided to bring back control of my emails. I configured an email server using this wonderful docker image https://github.com/tomav/docker-mailserver

and fixed its configuration via http://mail-tester.com/

I have some ban from outlook.com which I am trying to manage, the rest is working fine. What do you think? Is still possible to retain control of email servers in 2020?

[Jaruzel]

I run my own mail server. I really wish I didn't. It made total sense at the time (10 years ago) but now it really doesn't.

My setup is:

1. Edge facing custom written SMTP server, that handles various filtering rules, and passes the incoming mail through spamassassin, and then onto Exchange.

2. Ubuntu host running spamassassin in Daemon mode.

2. Exchange Server as the main mail server (was version 2003, but has gone through all the upgrades, and is now version 2013)

I spend so much wasted time battling spam, and fixing stuff when it breaks. Although I am lucky that my sending IP is not blacklisted, I still have to make sure that DKIM and SPF records are all correct for my various domains, and still the odd mail hoster rejects my emails.

I'm trying to migrate the mail system into Office 365, but the sheer effort to do that is a whole project in itself...

[daitangio → Jaruzel]

The site is for my personal use only and it is based on open source software (Ubuntu+Postfix). I have configured postgray (which delays spam) and it is working quite well right now. Provider (Linode) is quite good and it is a huge plus.

[akulbe]

Running an email server:

Rule #1: Don't do it.

Rule #2: if you must, the only solution I've found that I think is worth it… https://mailinabox.email

[dtagames]

IMHO, not worth it. Too big of an attack surface and you spend all your time on security. That's probably why Outlook de-listed you, too.

[daitangio → dtagames]

Postfix send me a weekly report with the traffic, and the site is for my personal use only. I was able to fix Outlook de-list easily, and now it is working.