EmailHostingPlatform/QUICK_START.md

Quick Start Guide

Prerequisites Checklist

Before running the setup script, ensure you have:

• Fresh Ubuntu 20.04+ or Debian 11+ server
• Root access to the server
• Domain name (e.g., example.com)
• Subdomain for mail server (e.g., mail.example.com)
• DNS A record: mail.example.com → Your server IP
• DNS MX record: example.com → mail.example.com
• Server ports 25, 587, 465, 143, 993, 110, 995, 80, 443 accessible

Quick Installation

1. Download the setup script:

   wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/your-repo/setup-email-server.sh
   chmod +x setup-email-server.sh
   

2. Run as root:

   sudo ./setup-email-server.sh
   

3. Follow the prompts to enter:

   • Domain name (e.g., example.com)
   • Hostname (e.g., mail.example.com)
   • Admin email
   • Database password
   • PostfixAdmin setup password

4. Wait for completion (15-30 minutes)

Post-Installation Steps

1. Add DNS Records

Copy the DNS records displayed at the end of the script:

; SPF Record
example.com.                 IN TXT "v=spf1 mx ~all"

; DMARC Record  
_dmarc.example.com.          IN TXT "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com"

; DKIM Record (copy from script output)
mail._domainkey.example.com. IN TXT "v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=..."

2. Configure PostfixAdmin

1. Visit: https://mail.example.com/postfixadmin/setup.php
2. Enter the setup password you created
3. Create admin user
4. Login at: https://mail.example.com/postfixadmin/

3. Create Your First Domain and Mailbox

1. In PostfixAdmin, add your domain (example.com)
2. Create a mailbox (e.g., user@example.com)
3. Test by sending an email

Testing

Run the test script:

./test-email-server.sh

Maintenance

Set up automated maintenance:

# Add to crontab
sudo crontab -e

# Add these lines:
0 2 * * * /path/to/maintenance-email-server.sh
0 5 1 * * /path/to/backup-email-server.sh

Client Configuration

IMAP Settings:

• Server: mail.example.com
• Port: 993
• Security: SSL/TLS
• Authentication: Normal password

SMTP Settings:

• Server: mail.example.com
• Port: 587
• Security: STARTTLS
• Authentication: Normal password

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

1. Can't connect to PostfixAdmin:

   • Check Apache status: systemctl status apache2
   • Verify SSL certificate: openssl s_client -connect mail.example.com:443

2. Email not sending:

   • Check Postfix status: systemctl status postfix
   • View logs: tail -f /var/log/mail.log
   • Test SMTP: telnet localhost 25

3. Email not receiving:

   • Check MX record: dig MX example.com
   • Check firewall: ufw status
   • Test port 25: telnet mail.example.com 25

4. DKIM issues:

   • Test DKIM: opendkim-testkey -d example.com -s mail -vvv
   • Check DNS: dig TXT mail._domainkey.example.com

Log Files:

• Main mail log: /var/log/mail.log
• Setup log: /var/log/email-server-setup.log
• Apache error log: /var/log/apache2/error.log

Useful Commands:

# Check all services
systemctl status postfix dovecot amavis spamassassin clamav-daemon opendkim apache2

# Test configuration
postfix check
dovecot -n

# Check mail queue
mailq

# Flush mail queue
postqueue -f

# Check disk space
df -h

# View active connections
ss -tulpn | grep :25

Security Recommendations

1. Keep system updated:

   apt update && apt upgrade -y
   

2. Monitor logs regularly:

   tail -f /var/log/mail.log | grep -i error
   

3. Backup regularly:

   ./backup-email-server.sh --include-mail
   

4. Test SSL certificates:

   openssl x509 -in /etc/letsencrypt/live/mail.example.com/fullchain.pem -noout -dates
   

5. Monitor disk space:

   df -h /var/mail/vhosts
   

Getting Help

1. Run the test script: ./test-email-server.sh
2. Check the setup log: /var/log/email-server-setup.log
3. Use online testing tools:
   • MX Toolbox
   • Mail Tester
   • DKIM Validator