Email

Email

Spam

Spamassassin

Set spamassassin for automatically delete junkmail. You can change the "days" that spamassassin sets to automatically delete junkmail, to delete after two months

db configuration setprop spamassassin MessageRetentionTime 60  
signal-event email-update 

The "Custom spam rejection level" will only work when "Spam sensitivity" is set to CUSTOM.

-go to SERVER-MANAGER
-click EMAIL (on left-hand side)
-click CHANGE EMAIL FILTERING SETTINGS
-change "Spam sensitivity" to CUSTOM

This happens because by default, no mail (except for viruses) gets rejected without the admin doing something first.

Real-time Blackhole List (RBL)

Enabling RBL's
RBL's are disabled by default to allow maximum accommodation (your ISP may be on a RBL & you may not know it). You can enable RBL's by:

config setprop qpsmtpd DNSBL enabled RHSBL enabled
signal-event email-update

You can see your RBL's by:

config show qpsmtpd

You can add to your RBL's by:

config setprop qpsmtpd RBLList <rbl-list-name>
signal-event email-update

Many will argue what's best but most would agree that you can set best-practice recommended settings by:

config setprop qpsmtpd RBLList zen.spamhaus.org:whois.rfc-ignorant.org:dnsbl.njabl.org
signal-event email-update

Note: More information on this topic can be found here: [1] [2]

Server Only

Some of the spam filter rules cannot work unless the SMESERVER knows the external IP of the box. If you put a SMESERVER in server-only mode behind other firewalls, it will lose some of the anti-spam rules. For example, the rule that blocks attempts where spammers try "HELO a.b.c.d" where a.b.c.d is your external IP address.

Unfortunately, many admins believe that port-forwarding SMTP provides additional security. It doesn't, it limits the SMESERVER's ability to apply some rules.

I want to enable GreyListing

GreyListing support is under the covers and can easily be enabled for those who know what they are doing. However, many experienced users found that they spent more time looking after the greylisting configuration than they received in benefit.

Email Clients

"concurrency limit reached" when using IMAP

Sometime shows as Thunderbird giving this error message, This Mail-server is not a imap4 mail-server

To workaround thunderbirds limitations change, this thunderbird setting to false

• Preferences, Advanced, Config editor (aka about:config): filter on tls.
• set security.enable_tls to false

You can also increase the ConcurrencyLimitPerIP and/or ConcurrencyLimit value for imap and/or imaps (secure)

config setprop imap ConcurrencyLimitPerIP 20
config setprop imaps ConcurrencyLimitPerIP 20
signal-event post-upgrade; signal-event reboot

check

config show imap
tail -f /var/log/imap/current | tai64nlocal

More detail can be found here.

Mail server is not an IMAP4 mail server

This is a bug in Thunderbird, the previous tips may help

The Bat

The gives this error message, but they are wrong.
"This server uses TLS v3.0 which is considered to be obsolete and insecure. The server must use TLS v3.1 or above."

Outlook/Outlook Express give error 10060/0x800CCC90

Most likely OUTLOOK (EXPRESS) isn't configured correctly.

-open OUTLOOK
-click TOOLS > ACCOUNTS
-click CHANGE (on the right-hand side)
-find INCOMING MAIL SERVER & OUTGOING MAIL SERVER (on right-hand side)
-type: mail.yourdomain.tld (in both places)
-click MORE SETTINGS (on bottom-right)
-click OUTGOING SERVER tab (at the top)
-checkmark "MY OUTGOING SERVER REQUIRES AUTHENTICATION"
-bullet "USE SAME SETTINGS AS INCOMING MAIL SERVER"
-click ADVANCED tab (at the top)
-find OUTGOING SERVER
-checkmark "THIS SERVER REQUIRES A SECURE CONNECTION" (under outgoing server)
-change 25 to 465
-[possibly required, secure IMAP is 993]
-click OK > NEXT > FINISHED
-you're finished, your email should work now

Outlook test message doesn't come through

You clicked the TEST ACCOUNT SETTINGS in OUTLOOK didn't you? This is a bug in OUTLOOK. The test message sends a test email with 'no Date header'. As the name suggests, this means a message without any date. Since the server doesn't accept mail with 'no Date header' (because it's required) the message is rejected. To test, send an actual message from OUTLOOK.

If you want, you can try THUNDERBIRD. It's like OUTLOOK but made by a different company. It's completely free and works very well at home and at the office.

I can't receive/send email from my application (ACT!, vTiger, MS Outlook, etc)

Most likely, this is a bug the application you're using and not a problem with the SMESERVER. The application sends an email with 'no Date header'. As the name suggests, this means a message without any date. Since the server doesn't accept mail with 'no Date header' (because it's required) the message is rejected.

As a workaround you can disable the check for the 'Date header'. To disable this check on the internal interface:

mkdir -p /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/var/service/qpsmtpd/config/peers/local
cd /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/var/service/qpsmtpd/config/peers/local
echo "# 17check_basicheaders disabled by custom template" > \
17check_basicheaders
signal-event email-update

To disable this check for the external interface:

mkdir -p /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/var/service/qpsmtpd/config/peers/0
cd /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/var/service/qpsmtpd/config/peers/0
echo "# 17check_basicheaders disabled by custom template" > \
17check_basicheaders
signal-event email-update

After I upgrade my SMESERVER, my email folders have disappeared when using IMAP

After upgrade, if there are missing IMAP folders, the client may need to re-subscribe to folders. This may affect either webmail users or users who use an IMAP email client.

Entourage: Using SME's Self-Signed Certificate for SSL Connections from Entourage on OS X 10.4

The main problem here is that Microsoft has decided that Entourage will only support trusted, PEM Base-64 Encoded certificates. To use IMAPS or SMTPS from Entourage with your SME server, you will need to:

1. Login to your Mac as a user with administrative privileges

2. Open Safari and browse to https://smeserver/server-manager.  
   When you receive the warning about your certificate:
   - click on "Show Certificate"
   - click and drag the gold-rimmed image of a certificate to your desktop.  
   You will now have myserver.mydomain.tld.cer on your desktop.

3. Locate and open the Microsoft Cert Manager
   - "Import" the certificate you downloaded in step 2.

4. Highlight the imported certificate and "Export" it. 
   - Select the "PEM..." format
   - add "pem." to the beginning of the filename
   - export it to your Desktop

5. Double-click on the new pem.myserver.mydomain.tld.cer  
   - Apple's Keychain Access application will open.
   - Select the X509Anchors Keychain and click "OK"

6. While still in Apple's Keychain Access, select the "Certificates" category
   - Drag pem.myserver.mydomain.tld.cer into the certificates window.

You should now be able to connect to your SME from your Entourage using IMAPS.

If you are accessing your SME server using a different name than the one encoded in the certificate you will still receive a security warning from Entourage, but "OK" will now grant access to your folders.

Notes:

• Procedure mostly taken from http://www.kerio.com/manual/kmsug/en/ch09s06.html
• I still get various other IMAP errors due, I suspect, to the "concurrency limit reached" issue.
• Click on "Show Keychains" in Apple's "Keychain Access" if you need to delete a certificate and try again.

Server Settings

Delete double bounce

To stop getting double bounce messages

config setprop qmail DoubleBounceTo devnull
signal-event email-update

see a longer explaination here

Keep a copy of all emails

You may need to keep a copy of all emails sent to or from your email server. This may be for legal, or other reasons.

The following instructions will create a new user account (maillog) and forward every email that goes through your SME server to it.

First, log onto the server-manager and create the user maillog

Go to the SME Command Line (logon as root) and issue the following commands:

config setprop qpsmtpd Bcc enabled
signal-event email-update

Optionally make the forwarding of the emails invisible to the end user. Without it, there will be an X-Copied-To: header in each email. Run this command before the signal-event

config setprop qpsmtpd BccMode bcc

If you want to view the emails, point your email client at the SME and log on as maillog.

Set max email size

Restrict the size of email messages that can pass through your mail server

config setprop qmail MaxMessageSize x
signal-event email-update

where x is in bytes, eg 6000000 = 6 MB

add the admin user as an administrator for Horde

config setprop horde Administration enabled 
signal-event email-update

Disable mail to a user from an external network

Can be either a user, pseudonym or group

db accounts setprop groupname/username Visible internal
signal-event email-update

I can't receive mail at: user@mail.domain.tld

Add mail.domain.tld as a virtualdomain.

-login to SERVER-MANAGER
-click DOMAINS (on the left)
-click ADD
-type: mail.domain.tld

How do I find out who is logged into webmail and what IP number.

This is logged is in /var/log/messages.

How do I enable smtp authentication for users on the internal network.

mkdir -p /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/var/service/qpsmtpd/config/peers/local
cd /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/var/service/qpsmtpd/config/peers/local
cp /etc/e-smith/templates/var/service/qpsmtpd/config/peers/0/05auth_cvm_unix_local .
signal-event email-update

(note the "." at the end of the 3rd line)
Authentication for the local network will now follow the setting of config::qpsmtpd::Authentication

External Access

Allow external IMAP mail access

There was a deliberate decision to remove non-SSL protected username/password services from the external interface.

to allow unsecure IMAP access

config setprop imap access public
signal-event email-update

But before you do this try to use secure IMAP
fixme: explain how

POP3 & webmail HTTP

I want to set my SMESERVER to allow POP3 (or webmail HTTP) but it's not an option, I only see POP3S (or webmail HTTPS).

The SMESERVER is secure by design. POP3 (or webmail HTTP) is viewed as inadequate security and removed as an option from a standard installation to encourage unknowing administrators to select the 'best practice' option -a secure connection with POP3S, IMAPS, or HTTPS.

You can still set your SMESERVER to allow POP3 settings by:

config setprop pop3 access public
signal-event email-update

Allow external pop3 access

Email settings > POP3 server access in SME 7.1 server-manager allows only pop3s protocol for clients outside the LAN. Some email clients (eg The Bat! v3.98.4) won't allow pop3s connections to SME 7.1 because of ssl version conflict. Until this is sorted out, a workaround is to hack SME to allow regular pop3 on the external interface using the following commands.

config setprop pop3 access public
signal-event email-update
svc -t /service/pop3s  

more information bugzilla:2620

Imap

Folders with a dot in name

Email folder names that have a period ('.') in the folder name, will be split into sub-folders. e.g. folder name 'www.contribs.org' is created as

www
  contribs
        org

Internal Mail Servers

SME can be configured as a spam and antivirus filter for one or more "Internal" mail servers on a domain-by-domain basis.

Deliver ALL email to a single internal mail server

You can deliver all email for all domains on your SME server to a single internal mail server by setting the mail server address in server-manager::Configuration::E-mail::Change e-mail delivery settings::Address of internal mail server.

Deliver email for one domain to an internal mail server

You can also configure only a single domain to use an internal mail server, or you can configure different domains to use different internal mail servers.

First, create the necessary virtual domains using server-manager::Configuration::Domains::Add Domain.

Then, (assuming your domain is called test.com and the actual mail server is at a.b.c.dissue the following commands:

db domains setprop test.com MailServer a.b.c.d
signal-event email-update

Default Plugin Configuration

When configured to deliver email to an internal mail server, SME will use the following qpsmtpd plugins to evaluate each incoming email:

Plugin	Purpose	Default Status
logging/logterse	Allow greater logging detail using smaller log files	enabled
auth/auth_cvm_unix_local	Allow authenticated smtp relay	enabled
check_earlytalker	reject email from servers that talk out of turn	enabled
count_unrecognized_commands	reject email from servers that issue X invalid commands	enabled
bcc	bcc all email to a specific address for archiving	disabled
check_relay	Check to see if relaying is allowed (in case the recipient is not listed in one of SME's local domains)	enabled
check_norelay	Check to see if the sending server is specifically forbidden to relay through us.	enabled
require_resolvable_fromhost	Check that the domain listed in the sender's email address is resolvable	enabled
check_basicheaders	reject email that lacks either a From: or Date: header	enabled
rhsbl	Reject email if the sender's email domain has a reputation for disregarding smtp RFCs.	disabled
dnsbl	Reject email from hosts listed in your configured dnsbl servers	disabled
check_badmailfrom	Reject email where the sender address is listed in /var/service/qpsmtpd/config/badmailfrom	enabled
check_badrcptto_patterns	Reject email addressed to any address matching an expression listed in /var/service/qpsmtpd/config/badrcptto_patterns	enabled
check_badrcptto	Reject email addressed to any address listed in /var/service/qpsmtpd/config/badrcptto	enabled
check_spamhelo	Reject email from hosts that say 'helo ...' using a value in /var/service/qpsmtpd/config/badhelo	enabled
check_smtp_forward	Verify that the specified recipient is valid on the internal mail server.	enabled
check_goodrcptto	Accept email only if the recipient address matches an entry in /var/service/qpsmtpd/config/goodrcptto. For domains that are configured to use an internal mail server, the entire domain name will be added to .../goodrcptto.	enabled
rcpt_ok	Return 'OK' if none of the other host checks has returned 'DENY' (??)	enabled
pattern_filter	Reject email according to content patterns (??)	disabled
tnef2mime	Convert MS TNEF (winmail.dat) and uuencoded attachments to MIME	enabled
disclaimer	Add a configurable disclaimer to email messages	disabled
spamassassin	Check email using spamassassin, and optionally reject it completely if the score exceeds a configurable value.	disabled
virus/clamav	Scan incoming email with ClamAV	enabled
queue/qmail-queue	Deliver the incoming message to qmail for delivery.	enabled

Setup Blacklists & Bayesian Autolearning

(Much of what follows has been shamelessly copied from the Sonoracomm howto which has been offline for a while)

The default SME settings (as you can see above) do not include DNSBL filtering, spam rejection, or (which is not obvious from the above) bayesian filtering in spamassassin to allow spamassassin to learn from received email and improve over time.

The following command will enable the default blacklists, enable the bayesian learning filter and set thresholds for the bayesian filter.

rpm -Uvh \
http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/contribs/\
michaelw/sme7/smeserver-spamassassin-features-0.0.2-0.noarch.rpm 
sa-learn --sync --dbpath /var/spool/spamd/.spamassassin -u spamd
chown spamd.spamd /var/spool/spamd/.spamassassin/bayes_*
chown spamd.spamd /var/spool/spamd/.spamassassin/bayes.mutex
chmod 750 /var/spool/spamd/.spamassassin/bayes_* 
config setprop spamassassin status enabled
config setprop spamassassin RejectLevel 12
config setprop spamassassin TagLevel 4
config setprop spamassassin Sensitivity custom
signal-event post-upgrade
signal-event reboot 

These commands will:

• enable spamassassin
• configure spamassassin to reject any email with a score above 12
• tag spam scored between 4 and 12 in the email header
• 'autolearn' as SPAM any email with a score above 12
• 'autolearn' as HAM any email with a score below .10
• enable RHSBL using the default SBLList. Note that rhsbl checking has been known to place a heavy burden on SME servers.
• enable DNSBL using the default RBLList

The entire Sonoracomm howto from Google's text cache

The Sonoracomm Howto has been a very well regarded set of instructions for quite a while now, but has recently been offline.

These instructions are aimed mostly at configuring SME as the only mail server, not for using SME with an internal mail server.

Specifically, LearnAsSpam.pl is harder to configure when using an internal mail server - you would have to develop a method for getting the unmarked SPAM into an IMAP folder directly on the SME server itself. Not impossible, but difficult!

SONORA COMMUNICATIONS, INC. This is a quick configuration howto, not an in-depth look at SpamAssassin. Much more can be done beyond this document, but this will take a big dent out of your spam and free up CPU cycles on your server.

See 'More Information' at the end.

SpamAssassin

The following command will enable the default blacklists, enable the bayesian learning filter and set thresholds for the bayesian filter.

rpm -Uvh \
http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/contribs/\
michaelw/sme7/smeserver-spamassassin-features-0.0.2-0.noarch.rpm

This command will install the FuzzyOCR SA plugin designed to catch those nasty image-based spam messages.

yum -y --enablerepo=smeupdates-testing install FuzzyOcr

Server-Manager

Using the Server-Manager Configuration/E-Mail panel, adjust the settings to these reasonable defaults.

   * Virus scanning Enabled
   * Spam filtering Enabled
   * Spam sensitivity Custom
   * Custom spam tagging level 4
   * Custom spam rejection level 12
   * Sort spam into junkmail folder Enabled
   * Modify subject of spam messages Enabled

I would also recommend blocking all executable content. To do so, select (highlight) all of the attachment types other than zip files (the last two).

Click Save.

How It Works

When receiving an incoming message, the server first tests for RBL and DNSBL listings, if enabled. If the sender is blacklisted, the messages are blocked outright and Spamassassin never sees it.

With this configuration, the spammiest messages, those marked as 12 or above, will be rejected at the SMTP level. Those spam messages marked between 4 and 12, will be routed to the users' (IMAP) junkmail folder. This is done so the users can check for false-positives...valid messages that were classified as spam by SpamAssassin.

Users may check their junkmail folders for false-positives via webmail, or, if they are using an IMAP mail client, by simply checking the junkmail folder exposed by their mail client.

https://servername/webmail

Tweaking

The server will automatically delete old spam in the junkmail folders after 90 days. You can control the number of days old spam is kept with the following commands. Where 15 is the number of days you want to keep messages, do...

db configuration setprop spamassassin MessageRetentionTime 15
signal-event email-update
svc -t /service/qpsmtpd

then

config show spamassassin

If you think you are losing misclassified mail, adjust the Custom spam rejection level higher.

If too much spam is making through to your inbox, carefully adjust the 'Custom spam tagging level' down. Many people use the level 4. Anything below that may result in false-positives. YMMV.

If too much spam is building up in your (IMAP) junkmail folder, adjust the 'Custom spam rejection level' down or change the number of days spam is kept in the junkmail folder before being automatically deleted by the server.

Bayesian (Learning) Filter

Install the LearnAsSpam.pl, (optional) mailstats and sa-update scripts, then configure nightly cron jobs like this:

cd /usr/bin
wget http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/\
contribs//bread/mailstats/LearnAsSpam.pl
wget http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/\
contribs//bread/mailstats/spamfilter-stats-7.pl
cd /etc/cron.d
wget http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/\
contribs//bread/mailstats/LearnAsSpam.cron
wget http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/\
contribs//bread/mailstats/mailstats.cron
cd /etc/cron.daily
wget http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/\
contribs//bread/mailstats/sa-update
chmod +x sa-update
/etc/rc.d/init.d/crond restart

Using an IMAP mail client, create a new folder called 'LearnAsSpam' (case sensitive). It can be created at the top level (like 'Inbox') or as a sub-folder. Create the folder for each user that will help train the Bayesian filter. Webmail will work fine for creating this folder, as well as for checking the junkmail (filtered mail or quarantine) folder.

If any spam messages make it past the filter and into your inbox, just move them into the LearnAsSpam folder. A nightly cron job will process them and delete them for you. This is how you train the Bayesian filter.

Testing

You can check the auto-learning statistics with this command. You will be able to note the accumulation of the spam tokens (or not). Note that the Bayesian filtering must receive 200 spam messages before it starts to function, so don't expect instantaneous results.

sa-learn --dump magic

You can check the spam filter log with this command:

tail -50 /var/log/spamd/current | tai64nlocal

If you ever see an error such as: warn: bayes: cannot open bayes databases /etc/mail/spamassassin/bayes_* R/W: tie failed: Permission denied Try adjusting some permissions with these commands:

chown :spamd /var/spool/spamd/.spamassassin/*
chmod g+rw /var/spool/spamd/.spamassassin/* 

Whitelist and Blacklist

If mail comes in and it is misclassified as spam, you can add the sender to the whitelist so that future messages coming in from that sender are not filtered.

Conversely, you can add a spammer to the blacklist so you never see their spam again.

Add senders (or their entire domains) to the global whitelist (or blacklist) with commands similar to these (as root):

db spamassassin setprop wbl.global *@vonage.com White
db spamassassin setprop wbl.global *domain2.com White
db spamassassin setprop wbl.global This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it White
db spamassassin setprop wbl.global This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Black
expand-template /etc/mail/spamassassin/local.cf
svc -t /service/spamd

You can view the lists with this command:

db spamassassin show

Clam Antivirus

Update and check your Clam Antivirus with this command. This is normally done automatically every hour via cron.

freshclam -v

or

freshclam --debug

Verify hourly update checking by viewing the freshclam/current log file via the Server-Manager View Log Files panel.

Realtime Blackhole Lists and DNS Blacklists

To view the settings for the RBL and DNSBL, use this command:

config show qpsmtpd

If you followed the instructions above, both checks are enabled.

To see the log of these tests, use a command like:

tail /var/log/qpsmtpd/current | tai64nlocal 

To specify multiple RBLs, use a command like this:

config setprop qpsmtpd RBLList \
bl.spamcop.net,combined.njabl.org,dnsbl.ahbl.org,dnsbl-1.uceprotect.net,\
list.dsbl.org,multihop.dsbl.org,psbl.surriel.com,zen.spamhaus.org

Note: we have had trouble with the uceprotect.net level 2 list and sometimes remove it from the list as shown here.

To enable or disable both available lists, use something like:

config setprop qpsmtpd DNSBL enabled RHSBL enabled

To confirm any configuration changes and enact them:

signal-event email-update
svc -t /service/qpsmtpd

More Information

Introduction to Antispam Practices - here

Here is another great howto.

Informative URLs:

• http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=35178.0
• http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=31278.0
• http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=31279.0
• http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=32158.0
• http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/contribs/michaelw/sme7/
• http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/contribs/bread/mailstats/
• http://wiki.apache.org/spamassassin/BayesInSpamAssassin
• Enter this command at a console:

perldoc Mail::SpamAssassin::Conf 

Last Updated ( Thursday, 21 June 2007 )