[olug] just curious

[Andrew Embury]

Use fetchmail to deliver your ISP mail locally.

On Wed, 8 Nov 2000, mesc wrote:

> If I configure netscape messenger to get local mail it won't get my mail from
> my isp's mail server too (POP3)correct?
> 
>             Gary Martin
> 
> 
> "Mark A. Martin" wrote:
> 
> > I can't comment on whether you should bring your machine to the meeting
> > but I can help clarify the difficulty you're having with logcheck.
> > logcheck is simply using the local mail facility that you have on your
> > machine.  There is probably nothing wrong with logcheck or how you have
> > it configured.  The problem is that Netscape 4.x can only retrieve mail
> > from one server (unless they're IMAP servers).  This can be a remote
> > machine, say at your ISP, school, or work, or it can be your local
> > machine.  (According to what I've read, Mozilla doesn't suffer from this
> > limitation.  However, Mozilla currently lacks certain things you might
> > need and is slower and more unstable.)  This means that if you're going
> > to use Netscape to read and send mail, you probably need to make sure
> > that all of your mail is going to the same place.
> >
> > It looks like you're currently retrieving your mail from your ISP
> > (@home).  (Of course, the reply-to field in your mail headers is a very
> > weak indication of this.)  I'm assuming that this means that your
> > machine is connected to the Internet 24 hours a day.  If what I've said
> > is true, you have three choices.
> >
> > 1. You could have the output from logcheck sent to your ISP and then
> > continue to have Netscape retrieve your mail there.  This would involve
> > making sure that the mail transfer agent (MTA) on your local machine is
> > properly configured to send mail to remote addresses.  You would also
> > probably have to forward the mail from your local account or configure
> > logcheck to mail your remote account.
> >
> > 2. You could have all mail forwarded from your ISP to your local
> > machine.  You would need to make sure that your local mail facilities
> > are configured properly to deliver mail and you might even want to make
> > sure that they're configured properly to send mail from your local
> > machine.  You would also need to configure Netscape to retrieve your
> > mail (and possibly send it) locally and use a movemail program to move
> > mail from your local mailbox to where Netscape expects to find it.
> >
> > 3. Run an IMAP server on your local machine and configure Netscape to
> > retrieve local and remote mail.  This will not work if the remote server
> > is not an IMAP server.
> >
> > I do not recommend choice #1 because it means sending sensitive local
> > mail to the @home network, where it could easily be hijacked.  I don't
> > know the details of #3 and can't even be sure that it's feasible because
> > I haven't investigated that possibility.  I strongly recommend choice
> > #2.  Unfortunately, implementing choice #2 is a little complicated.
> > But, since your machine is connected to the Internet 24 hours a day, you
> > should make sure that your local mail facilities are properly configured
> > anyway.  Otherwise, you might be leaving yourself open to attack.
> >
> > I can't provide a step-by-step procedure for implementing choice #2
> > because what you need to do depends on the various pieces of mail
> > software that you are running.  However, I can point you to some
> > documentation.  I remember you saying that you're running Mandrake.  If
> > so, then you're probably using Postfix as your local MTA.
> >
> > Documentation to help you understand Postfix is available from a nearby
> > mirror of the Postfix web site:
> >
> > http://postfix.capital-internet.net/start.html
> >
> > You might also have a local copy of this documentation under /usr/doc.
> > I recommend reading all of the Postfix documentation so you get a better
> > understanding of how mail and Postfix work.  Once you've read through
> > the Postfix docs, take a look at the Red Hat Postfix HOWTO
> >
> > http://www.redhat.com/support/docs/howto/RH-postfix-HOWTO/book1.html
> >
> > I recommend reading Section 8 on Postfix configuration and the beginning
> > of Section 9 on the stand-alone configuration for the home user or
> > possibly Section 9.2 on the home network.  If you have difficulty,
> > consult the Postfix FAQ
> >
> > http://postfix.capital-internet.net/faq.html
> >
> > or the Red Hat Postfix FAQ
> >
> > http://www.redhat.com/support/docs/faqs/RH-postfix-FAQ/book1.html
> >
> > The other links on the documentation page on the Postfix site might also
> > be worthwhile.
> >
> > If you aren't running Postfix, try looking at the Email section of the
> > Linux Adminstrator's Security Guide from the Linux Documentation
> > Project, which is located at
> >
> > http://www.linuxdoc.org/LDP/lasg/servers/email/index.html
> >
> > This will give you an overview and point you to the primary web site for
> > whatever mail software you're running.
> >
> > To help you understand how to configure Netscape properly, see
> > "CONFIGURING NETSCAPE MAIL ON UNIX"
> >
> > http://home.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/2.0/relnotes/demo/movemail.html
> >
> > This is an old document but is still pertinent.  I suggest reading the
> > entire document but pay particular attention to the section on using
> > movemail.  You shouldn't need an external movemail program.  The
> > movemail built into Netscape works just fine under Linux.
> >
> 
> > The key to getting everything working is to get a clear conception of
> > what you're trying to accomplish.  I suggest writing down your
> > mail-related goals and keeping notes as you go.  Start from the goal of
> > receiving and sending mail locally.  There are some details that I
> > haven't discussed, such as establishing the correct email aliases so
> > that responses are sent to the right place and your headers make sense
> > locally and remotely, but you should start getting a clearer picture of
> > these issues once you read through some of the documentation.
> >
> > Good luck,
> >
> > Mark
> > --
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Mark A. Martin                                  Dept of Applied Mathematics
> > http://www.amath.washington.edu/~mmartin        University of Washington
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > To unsubscribe, e-mail: olug-unsubscribe at bstc.net
> > For additional commands, e-mail: olug-help at bstc.net
> 
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: olug-unsubscribe at bstc.net
> For additional commands, e-mail: olug-help at bstc.net
> 


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: olug-unsubscribe at bstc.net
For additional commands, e-mail: olug-help at bstc.net