G. Pape
Debian Packages
Debian var-qmail
Debian qmail-run

Debian qmail-run - Life with qmail

Installing the package qmail-run on debian woody sets up the Debian var-qmail installation as mail transfer agent on Debian GNU/Linux following the most commonly used public documentation Life with qmail, chapter 2. Installation, almost completely.

The exceptions are listed in detail below.

Although qmail-run saves the work for installing qmail as described in chapter 2. of Life with qmail, it is strongly recommended to read all chapters of this excellent document. Use chapter 3. Configuration for reference to configure the Debian var-qmail installation.

Chapter 2.5.4. Create users and groups

The Debian var-qmail installation uses different uids and gids. This has no side effects, do not worry about it.

Chapter 2.8.1. /var/qmail/rc

By default the /var/qmail/rc file provided by the Debian var-qmail installation is used. This is because a Precompiled var-qmail package has to ''invoke dot-forward and the operating system's normal /var/spool/mail delivery agent'' (procmail on Debian GNU/Linux); note that the default /var/qmail/rc also uses splogger for logging.

To use the qmail-send/log service for logging and the /var/qmail/control/defaultdelivery file as recommended by Life with qmail, just do:

  # cp /usr/share/doc/qmail-run/examples/defaultdelivery \
      /var/qmail/control/defaultdelivery
  # cp /usr/share/doc/qmail-run/examples/qmail-rc \
      /var/qmail/rc
  # svc -t /service/qmail-send

I recommend doing this.

Chapter 2.8.2.1. The qmailctl script

The qmailctl script has minor changes for the debian environment. The usage is the same, do not worry about it.

Chapter 2.8.2.2. The supervise scripts

The supervise scripts are not located in /var/qmail/supervise/. They reside in /etc/qmail/. To have full compatibility with Life with qmail, just do:

  # mkdir /var/qmail/supervise
  # ln -sf /etc/qmail/qmail-send /var/qmail/supervise/
  # ln -sf /etc/qmail/qmail-smtpd /var/qmail/supervise/

The Debian var-qmail installation uses different log directories:

/var/log/qmail-send/
/var/log/qmail-smtpd/

This is after my fancy, to follow Life with qmail's flavor, just do:

  # ln -sf /var/log/qmail-send /var/log/qmail
  # ln -sf /var/log/qmail-smtpd /var/log/qmail/smtpd

Chapter 2.8.2.3. SMTP Access Control

The tcp.smtp and tcp.smtp.cdb files are not located in /etc/. They reside in /etc/qmail/:

/etc/qmail/tcp.smtp
/etc/qmail/tcp.smtp.cdb

To have full compatibility with Life with qmail, just do:

  # ln -sf /etc/qmail/tcp.smtp /etc/
  # ln -sf /etc/qmail/tcp.smtp.cdb /etc/

Gerrit Pape <pape@smarden.org>

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