How to get mail to local destinations delivered?

[John Summerfield]

Tim wrote:
>

>> I think the main issue is that very few "linux at home on the desktop"
>> systems are set up to work as a proper domain on the internet with A
>> records, MX records etc. and even fewer are set up like mine as a
>> domain on the internet but *not* for E-Mail.
> 
> Since I was doing something sort of fancy, and striking a few little
> oddities with some things (at least one of my mail clients wouldn't
> accept a mail server name without at least one dot in it, etc.), I set
> my system up pretty much by the book, as if the machines were all
> directly on the public internet.
> 
> I have a real domain name, I made a sub-domain just for my LAN.  I run a
> local DNS server, it has proper records for my LAN sub-domain in its own
> zone, including an MX record for my LAN mailserver.  My sendmail was
> configured to deliver locally for my domain names (I added all the
> localhosts and my LAN domains to the local delivery parameters).  The
> server /etc/aliases file lists the local username for *me* for the root
> mail, and that gets delivered correctly.  The various client
> box /etc/aliases file list my e-mail address at my LAN sub-domain for
> their root mail, and that gets delivered centrally.  Likewise, all the
> client boxes use my LAN sendmail as their SMTP server, and that delivers
> all mail centrally, whether for the LAN or the internet.
> 
> One thing I don't do is have my SMTP server receive internet mail.  My
> IP is dynamic, for one thing.  And I really didn't fancy the idea of
> having to fight against spammers abusing it.
> 
> My advice would be something similar:  Configure by the book.  Make sure
> your LAN domain names are set up right, your hostnames, too.  Especially
> if you're using sendmail and real domain names.  My guess would be that
> those who make faked domain names (.lan, local, etc.), probably avoid
> this little snafu, and sendmail delivers locally because it *can't* do
> it any other way (it won't find a problem causing MX record for the
> faked domain name).
> 


This is pretty much as mine, but in my case I use .lan as my TLD and use 
an entirely private space.

Chris has already rejected doing this (it was my first recommendation), 
and I agree he shouldn't need to.

OTOH my system works, yours works and his doesn't. There is something 
different about his, _I_ suspect it's something about the hosts file(s) 
and he's not taken advice others have offered to change it, if only to 
see whether it makes a difference.

Hopefully he'll have it sorted out before Punter and his mates go over 
there to fix up the England team again.

Tim, you can do your own mail despite dynamic DNS, provided that tcp 
port 25 is not blocked by your IAP. You can get a free subdomain name 
from dyndns.org (and doubtless others).

I haven't done it yet, but I plan on using DNAT to forward incoming 
email from select sources (eg Red Hat's mail servers) to a different 
smtp server, one that can deliver to this address. Attempts to email me 
off-list will simply fail.



-- 

Cheers
John

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