On Wednesday 10 September 2003 19:32, Mark Devin wrote: > Yes, I have been experimenting with dbmail. I would say the pros and > cons are as follows: > > Pros: > 1. Uses mysql or postgresql backend for storing mail (both headers and > bodies).
What is the advantage of the emails being stored within a database versus in Maildir or mbox format on the filesystem? > 2. Ease of management for virtual user accounts. Just need to add user > details into the database to create a new account. This negates any > need to give users unix accounts on the system. You can hook ldap or mysql into postfix (and no doubt most mailservers) to do this. I use the postfix-mysql package in many places with great success. > 3. A separate application (dbmail-smtp) is used to take emails for > configured domains and put them in the database. This runs as a separate > user and does not need root permissions since it does not write to the > filesystem at all. It simply connects to the database and so only needs > permissions at the database level. Most email servers these days do not deliver as root. Whether you use procmail, maildrop, postfix, etc. generally the local delivery agent is non-priviledged. > 4. Similarly, the imap and pop3 servers that are part of dbmail also drop > their privileges to simple users and don't need root level access past the > initial binding to the 143/110 ports. Common to most imap and pop servers. Check the "Postfix+Courier-IMAP+MySQL for multiple domains HOWTO" at http://kirb.insanegenius.net/postfix.html ... everything you need to accomplish such a system is packaged up in Debian stable. I've been using systems such as this for 6 months and haven't had any glitches yet, the systems are not high volume but they're steadily used. With user accounts stored in a database whipping up an administrative interface for domains is quite trivial, I just don't see the advantages of going the extra step of putting the emails themselves into a database. -- Fraser Campbell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.wehave.net/ Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada Debian GNU/Linux -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]