Bryan Phinney wrote:
On Sunday 02 January 2005 20:01, SnapafunFrank wrote:
What I had in mind is that a " onboard " mail client be established that would allow any email client to get the email via it, appoint klamav to check the email coming through and going out at this point - basically all email passes " this way ".
Similar to the 'server' capabilities of AVG7 Pro that I use when I visit
my windows installation.
<snipped>
Interested?
If you mean a new project, I figured I would mention to you that Linux has this capability built in.
Not a new project necessarily - but a helping hand to get what is at present available, up and running.
If you run a local copy of an MTA like Postfix, and route your ISP mail through that local MTA, you can push mail through a virus checker prior to local delivery.
Exactly what I believe ought to be available always. Let the more advanced then override / customize, but start out with this running?
There would be no need to filter outgoing mail with Linux, because the only way that you could send a virus out would be to manually attach the virus to your mail and I assume that you are not going to do that unless it is intentional.
Does this cover email simply "Forwarded " also? Such usually include attachments I believe.
I know, quite a hunk of system 'invasion' is because of the interface between the chair and the keyboard, so the only way the stop it is to educate, and setting up an anti-virus environment within linux just may well get that education started - especially when it requires that the user interact with things.
I haven't done it, but I also assume that you can use procmail and clamav to push mail through a virus checker prior to local delivery as well. I imagine that you can use Kmail's anti-virus wizard to do the same thing. However, most Linux machines would probably do this at the MTA level, whether local or not, rather than trying to build a whole new project at the client level.Not really after doing something beyond newbie level, it's just that the first thing anyone new to any OS would want to do, is to set up an email client, and here in Linux, making this one thing really simple and educational, may help first time newbies get started with some form of achievement 'tucked under their belt'.
And, as an aside, any reliance on a tag that says that a mail has been virus scanned is really VERY misguided, since such tags can be spoofed very easily, and in fact, several worms spoof exactly such tags in their mail.
Agreed - but it seems to make many happy - hence my endeavours to get them into Linux so that they can start to understand what the realities truly are. Mind, the tag doesn't need to be virus specific, it could reflect what has actually been done so as to pacify sceptics a little, albeit sender specific.
So, to get started, how about we build on the following:
Setting up a safe email account on a stand alone machine. ( I hope to expand the following with the help of members here, to actually take newbies through the process one step at a time.)
1. Set up a MTA program
i) Configure an account that handles email both to and from your ISP
2. Set up a anti-virus program
i) Configure the MTA program to feed email through the anti-virus program
3. Choose any email client you prefer
i) Set up an account that retrieves and delivers email through the MTA program.
I believe that an example setup using mandrake specific package availability first with pointers to alternatives ought to be included. My aim here is to get such a email setup up and running by the first time newbie and then encourage them to try their own customization. One of the big put-offs I see when attempting to interest others in Linux, is the requirement to RTFM. Yes, they still need to do that, but let's get them started USING Linux.
Again - Interested? If so, I ought to start a new thread so that we can find the most suitable way of dealing with the initial problem that started this thread.
As to the original posting, would forwarding email to yourself, using such as setup, help resolve your problem - re retention of specific emails?
-- Newbie Seeking USER_FUNCTIONALITY always!
Regards
SnapafunFrank
Big or small, a challenge requires the same commitment to resolve.
Registered Linux User # 324213
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