On 23 Aug 00, at 16:53, Donna wrote:

> >From Donna Hampe
>
> Does anyone know how and what it takes to make your own email server?

  Presumably, you want to be able to point your email client at a
machine you own instead of one that your ISP provides.  So the first
thing you need is software to provide SMTP and POP/IMAP services.
Various programs are available, including Microsoft's "Exchange
Server" product.

  The other part of the puzzle is:  how do messages move between my
server and the rest of the net?
  The DNS (Domain Name Service) specification includes special MX
("Mail eXchanger") records for every registered domain.  These tell
the rest of the world what SMTP server to contact to deliver mail for
that domain.
  So one option is to have whoever provides DNS for your domain (...
so you need to *have* registered a domain ...) provide an MX record
that "points to" your server.  This pretty much requires that your
server be on the net all the time -- DSL, cable-modem, T1, or
whatever.
  Another option is to continue to have the world deliver incoming
email to your existing mailbox(es), but run "fetchmail" (on Linux) or
an equivalent program to periodically (every hour?  every day?)
"poll" your mailboxes and download any new mail onto a local server,
so you can then read it without being directly online.

  The outbound case is somewhat simpler; your own SMTP server
basically does two things for you:  batch up outgoing messages if
you're not online, and look up recipients' MX records to deliver the
messages.  Most ISPs' SMTP servers will gladly provide these services
for customers, as long as they're not abused to send mailbombs or
spam.  (Most ISPs have Acceptable Use Policies and will drop
customers who do these, even if they use their own servers instead of
the ISP's -- they still use the ISP's bandwidth and IP allocations!)

David G

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