Can anyone suggest me a mail server for my Ubuntu VPS?

avi

avi

Active member
I am moving from shared hosting to VPS. I have a custom app built and in shared hosting I did not require to do set up for emails. It had cPanel and came with emails.

Now I am moving to VPS, I realize I have to install a SMTP server on it so that it can send emails.

- My vps has only 512MB ram. So any server which takes less space would be nice
- It will be used to sending emails only. So I only require outbound feature.
- I will be sending emails only twice a day. Once at 12pm and at 12am. So it would be nice if I can invoke the server via a cron and and then turn it off once emails are sent.
- I will be sending about 500-600 emails per day. As of now, they will increase after few days.

One last curious thing. If Xenforo installed on VPS, do I have to install mail server? Or else how Xenforo handles mailing? This is NOT related to my app, I am just curious how it is done with Xenforo.

Thank you!
 
Register a single email (@yourdomain.com).
Namecheap has cheap email hosting then use Mandrill to send bulk email.
 
^why not set up it on my own? for my xenforo forum, which is on shared hosting, I am not paying for emails.
 
avi said:
^why not set up it on my own? for my xenforo forum, which is on shared hosting, I am not paying for emails.
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Getting your mail server recognized (and a good reputation) involves quite a bit of work. In addition to your MTA, you need to run OpenDKIM to sign your outbound mail and then make sure you have correct SPF records and RDNS set up. It's not just a simple matter of installing Postfix or Exim4.

By using the SMTP server of another hosting provider, they usually have all that already configured and their systems "generally" have a good reputation so your mail doesn't go into a users spam inbox (which is what will happen unless you do the minimum of the steps shown above).
Just getting Hotmail to accept my email was a pain - and everything was correct, even according to them and they didn't know why it was being flagged as spam.
 
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+1 for Mandrill or Mailgun, really great services. If you don't send out a lot of mail, there's no better option.
 
@Tracy Perry thanks for explaining, now it makes sense! I will use Mandrill for my app as of now.

so, those who guys here run xenforo on a VPS, how do you handle mailing?
 
Is Sendmail offered on your VPS hosting account? The reason I ask is that I use Sendmail and it works grreat, but I'm on a dedicated server.
 
AndyB said:
Is Sendmail offered on your VPS hosting account? The reason I ask is that I use Sendmail and it works grreat, but I'm on a dedicated server.
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An MTA is offered on every VPS that I've ever dealt with. You can additionally install Exim or Postfix as your MTA... so if it isn't installed then there is something wrong.
 
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avi said:
I have unmanaged VPS, so I don't get any such facilities. I am using one by Ramnode
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I had a VPS with them (and every VPS I have - even now - is technically unmanaged except by me) and by default if you did a standard burn of Debian you should have Exim4 as an MTA.
What flavor of poison did you install as your OS? ;)
 
I had chat with them in IRC and I was told they don't provide any MTA and I have to set up myself. And that also includes OpenDKIM and SPF records.

I am using Ubuntu, will switch to debian if that comes with MTA
 
avi said:
I had chat with them in IRC and I was told they don't provide any MTA and I have to set up myself. And that also includes OpenDKIM and SPF records.

I am using Ubuntu, will switch to debian if that comes with MTA
Click to expand...
All of them have an MTA (Exim4 or Postfix). You just have to configure it. I personally use Postfix.
As for installing/configuring OpenDKIM, yes, that is up to the end user. There is a Debian guide here for use with Postfix.
I believe that a standard install of Ubuntu uses Postfix.
 
^yup!

as of now I am sticking with Mandrill, I couldn't get postfix to work. Will try again sometime later
 
eberkund said:
@AndyB, @RoldanLT, did either of you use a particular guide for setting up your email server? Most of the resources I've found online don't address setting up multiple domains which is something I'd like to do. Thanks
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Setting up multiple domains for sending is easy enough. Where the "fun" comes in is if you need to do multiple domains for a remote client to connect to. That was the biggest headache I had when I set up @Lisa's VPS for her, and it still has some warts on it if I remember correctly that I need to work on.
 
What do you mean "a remote client to connect to"? Are you talking about IMAP and POP3?

I am trying to mimic what I have right now on a cPanel reseller account with a couple email accounts for each domain which I can send and receive from using my mail client.
 
eberkund said:
What do you mean "a remote client to connect to"? Are you talking about IMAP and POP3?

I am trying to mimic what I have right now on a cPanel reseller account with a couple email accounts for each domain which I can send and receive from using my mail client.
Click to expand...
Exactly... doing it with aliases on a multi domain system can be a little intimidating if you are not familiar with what you are doing. Not something I really enjoy doing and have done it so infrequently it's like learning it again each time (and cursing the whole time).
 
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