[plug] Collecting mail from a remote server

[Adam Davin]

Hi Again, 

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:44:53 +1100
Daniel Pittman <daniel at rimspace.net> wrote:

> Adam Davin <byteme-its at westnet.com.au> writes:
> > On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:05:48 +1100
> > Daniel Pittman <daniel at rimspace.net> wrote:
> >> Adam Davin <byteme-its at westnet.com.au> writes:
> >> 
> >> > I have a couple of linux boxes I take care of that only operate
> >> > onsite within the local lan. They have Exim as the local mail
> >> > server which takes care of delivering all the local mail.

<snip>
 
> > Exim is currently only set up to deliver local mail. I played
> > around with the /etc/alias file and the /etc/email-addresses files
> > for a while trying to get the mail to forward but Exim couldn't
> > resolve the external addresses or something of that nature.
> 
> Ah.  That won't work then; the .forward files inject the email into
> the normal outbound SMTP process.  (Though I would address the
> problem, myself, by fixing outbound email delivery and all. :)
> 
> > I was not sure how difficult it was to reconfigure exim to pass on
> > mail to an external SMTP and was more concerned that the external
> > smtp, given the linux box has no "official" domain, might reject
> > the mail.
> 
> Well, it obviously depends on the server receiving the email, but it
> probably isn't too terrible.

I have run dpkg-reconfigure exim4-config on a test box and after
confirming a test mail sent to the ISP smtp server I got a "domain of
sender does not exist" message or something of that nature. 

Surprisingly the reconfigure was less painful than I had imagined :)

Some more reading and I found the /etc/email-addresses is for rewriting
the "From:" address in the email according to the local
user. /etc/aliases is for rewriting the "To:" address according to the
local users. The ~/.forward file has the same function as
the /etc/aliases file but on a local user level instead of system. 

Do I have this correct? 

So, hopefully now I am doing it the time honoured "Right Way (tm)" :) 

Thanks and Regards, 

-- 

Adam Davin
Byteme IT Services
Mob: 0422 893 898
Fax: 08 9493 4462
Email: byteme-its at westnet.com.au