GO HERE Sendmail on VPS server

[geopeterwc]

I'm looking for a tutorial or guide to configure SendMail on a working IncrediblePBX 13-13 VPS server on HostedSimply, or more generically, any cloud provider. The information found in the thread for configuring SendMail for Comcast or GMail for outgoing email services doesn't appear to apply in this situation.

My HostedSimply VPS does have access to ports 25 and 587 (no 465). This is confirmed by "telnet cutedgesystems.com 25" and "telnet cutedgesystems.com 587" at an ssh prompt - i.e., does not time out.

Is a "real" DNS host name (CNAME) required that points to the VPS server? (I only added a CNAME record to the DNS service, but no MX entries. Entering "CNAME.domain.net" in a browser results only in a general 'welcome' page.) What about MX records - or do these settings apply only to 'incoming' email?

What edits are required in the sendmail configuration files?

Are edits required in IPTables or Fail2Ban to allow communication via ports 25 and/or 587?

Thanks in advance! Guidance is appreciated.

/Pete./

 

[wardmundy]

Easiest solution is to use Gmail as a SmartHost.

Look for this section in our Nerd Vittles tutorial:

Using Gmail as a SmartHost for SendMail

 

[jerrm]

@wardmundy is right. A smart host is the correct answer. Nothing special about gmail. You can use most any service as a smarthost, but @wardmundy has done the plumbing for you with gmail.

To send reliably without using a smart host you really have to have all the plumbing set up for a "real" mail server - reverse dns, spf, dmarc dns entries and dkim signing.

 

[geopeterwc]

Thanks, @wardmundy and @jerrm! Step-by-step, and the VPS Server running iPBX13-13 appears to be sending email messages now. A few more tests ahead (i.e., sending voice message attachment), but at least the server is successfully communicating email messages!

A couple of things that I found out along the way:

1. I had to use Webmin to add the host name in Networking | Network Configuration | Host Addresses for 127.0.0.1 before I was able to move beyond the first step of the instructions. From there the guide got me going.
   
   
2. It was necessary to configure GMail (for the GMail account that I had assigned to this iPBX) for "Less Secure Applications", and
   
   
3. There is no "mail.log" file to be found in /var/log/. But a "maillog" file shows the successful send of the test message - and the test message shows up appropriately in the gmail.com email.

Thanks for your help. I had been reluctant to depend on the services of GMail, but all appears to be OK now.

/Pete./