Re: [cobalt-users] How to set up mailbox? View from outlook? Raq 3

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dave Thomas wrote:

> I would THINK that means they are READY to allow users to go into outlook
> (For ex) and just type
> mail.domain.com for POP 3 setting AND
> mail.domain.com for smtp
> 
> and the user/pass
> 
> HOWEVER, I try this and it says it cannot find the mail server

You've got to have an mx record in DNS.  Do you host your own DNS or is
someone hosting it for you?

That DNS record needs to point to a domain (any domain, really, but to
make it simple, the same domain) on your server.

Then if you want your customers to get mail at mail.domain.com for POP,
you need an A record in DNS (wherever it is hosted) pointing to your
server.

If you want your customers to be able to use your server to send mail
(many of us DON'T.  I DON'T), you need to set your server to allow them
to use your smtp...

> So why can't outlook find this server? And in terms of creating names with a
> and what not, that doesn't make sense

Sorry, but your sentence doesn't make sense either <wry grin>.

> if we host a domain
> www.name.com
> 
> I just want that client to open outlook and VIEW/Send mail

Then you need the following records in DNS:

A record for www.name.com pointing to your server
A record for mail.name.com pointing to your server
MX record for name.com pointing to mail.name.com

> it is still confusing me. As for this pop before smtp, is this really
> required?

Your server has to allow your clients to use it.  But at the same time
you have to keep other people (spammers) from using it.  The way most of
us (who allow sending at all) do it is by installing pop before smtp. 
Then we tell our clients they must receive mail before they try to send
mail.

If you don't install pop before smtp then by default no one will be able
to send email from your server unless their server is on the same
network (this gets more complicated but your network is defined by main
IP# and your netmask).

> This is killing me, so simple and I can't provide myself and future
> customers with simple stupid email from outlook instead of just forwarding
> which is not acceptable

Sure you can <smile>.  If you either can't learn how to be a linux
administrator for your RaQ, or you won't, then you need to either not be
in the business <frown>, or hire someone to do the work for you.

The RaQs are easier to administer than "straight" linux boxes for most
of us, but they still require administration.

I understand you're coming into this from scratch, and learning will
take a while.  That's what questions and answers on the list are for
<smile>.

> Everything else I get is too vague. I need to know WHAT to do, not what to
> do. "Setting mx record" to me = "blah blah blah" lol

Hopefully as you learn it'll get easier.  If you're ready with customers
now and can't figure out how to do everything, then perhaps you can find
a local class in linux administration you can take.  Or perhaps you
should hire a consultant to set up domains on your RaQs until you learn
it.  We do this already for some of our clients, some who don't want to
take the time to learn, and others who've decided they've got other
things to do and would rather someone else administer their RaQs.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Linux and Cobalt/Sun/RaQ Consulting
nobaloney.net
P. O. Box 52672, Riverside, CA  92517
voice: (909) 778-9980  *  fax: (702) 548-9484