Re: [gentoo-user] tips on running a mail server in a cheap vps provider run but not-so-trusty admins?

[Grant Taylor]

On 8/28/20 4:45 PM, james wrote:
> If we can get these codes running on arm64 (R.P.4) surely running them
> on AMD or intel is trivial?

I will be flabbergasted if something would run on the Raspberry Pi that 
won't run on x86 (Intel / AMD).  Presuming that it's complied from 
common source code.

> Perhaps a read on "Intel cripple AMD functions is in order?
> https://www.agner.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6

I don't believe this is germane to the primary topic of this thread.

> (2) identical R.Pi.4 8gig rams systems, running gentoo.

Okay.

> (1) dns resolver codes emails service codes etc
> (1) dns resolver codes, webserver to support email services etc.

So each Raspberry Pi is performing a different function.  Okay.

I was wanting to make sure that you weren't wanting to try to do some 
sort of clustering where each Raspberry Pi could stand in for the other. 
  As that's a considerably more complex configuration.

> I'm open to the stack (list) of codes necessary to securely run
>
> 1. embedded gentoo on R.P.4 (other hardware can be funded by others).
>
> 2. Any number of robust email servers-systems (open)

I've recently shared what I have used for email.

> 3.  a DNS servers to provide "primary dns services" a total of
> (2). More than 2 would be great.

Please elaborate on what you are proposing network connectivity to be? 
Are you thinking the Pi's have globally routed IPs?  As such, primary 
DNS could be 192.0.2.1 and secondary DNS could be at 192.0.2.2?

Note:  It is best practice to have primary and secondary DNS servers in 
different /24 (or larger) networks.

If you are thinking two globally routed IPs, I believe that 
significantly, if not artificially, narrows the number of people that 
could participate as getting multiple IPs on a SOHO Internet connection 
can be challenging and almost always requires additional monthly fees.

Conversely, a single IP with proper network magic is much simpler entry 
point.

> 4. A companion   ngnix(?) web server just to complement the project. The
> ideas is each email services collective could have their own web pages
> explaining their email and related services.

Okay.  You can run the web server on the same system.  But if you want 
to run it on a separate system, that's fine too.

I'm somewhat confused by your choice of the word "collective".

My anticipation is that many of the people that would be doing this, 
would be doing so for their own person reasons.  Much like I have my 
domain name for my own reasons.

I don't anticipate that people will be offering services to more than a 
few friends and / or family members (if that).

> 5. On these (3) projects, I'd be open to other, complementary
> experimentation, as long as it is published.

> Grant Taylor, do not let it go to your head, but I agree with most
> of what you write in Gentoo User.

Me?  I'm just an idiot on the Internet with some things to say. 
Sometimes they happen to be true.  Ideally, you know (or learn) enough 
to tell which is which.  ;-)

But, thank you.  :-)

> 6. (2) Rpi4 (8 gig) systems and extras are 2-3 hundred dollars. So it's
> total less than $900 USD dollars. NOT a bid deal for my little corp.
> Actually, if I get what I need, then it's the most inexpensive && robust
> way for my little corp to get exactly what I need. My own small email
> servers and dns resolvers supporting those email services.

Based on some back of the envelope math.... Sure.

> I'm not funding somebody else's idea. I'm funding what *I* want, open to
> input.

That seems reasonable.

Though, I think that some of your requirements are still a bit too 
undefined.  Even independent of what software is used and how it's 
configured, there are still questions:

  - Are IP addresses globally routed or not?
  - Are said IP addresses static or dynamic?
  - What sort of client's will be accessing this?
  - Where will they be accessing from; LAN and / or Internet?

> With this effort others benefit from the project. The ultimate goals
> is for hundreds of email services to be setup, gentoo centric.
>
> OK, great. FUND what you want. Run things as you see fit

I have been.

My intention is to see if there is a way that I can contribute to your 
community project without consuming any funds so that other people might 
be able to benefit from your generosity.

> Show me a concise, easy to follow set of codes and docs, and I'll just
> build (2) R.P.4 servers and share my docs 100%.

There is more to setting up and running an email server off of a SOHO 
internet connection than just how the email stack is configured.

> Forget the fact, for now, that all static IPs Frontier has, are
> blocked by this same group of higher and higher standards. Really,
> I'm kinda shocked NeddySeagoon, or others have not already fixed this,
> via 100% gentoo codes, complete with ample documentation.

That's an example of the type of problem that will need to be overcome 
which is independent of the email server stack.

> Just add the email, dns, ngnix, security setup codes to this doc?

 From skimming that document, it looks like it's the foundation that 
everything else would be built on top of.

> I have been researching and reading, for over (3) weeks and have yet
> been able to formulate a pathway to get a mail server up.

Answer the questions that I posted above.  They will be a start.  I'm 
sure there will be others.

Would you be willing to enlist the services of a minimal VPS if all of 
the email really lived on the Raspberry Pi (et al.) in your office?

The VPS is basically an easy way to get a hold of a globally routed IP 
for reasonable monthly fee.

> Granted the industry black-balling Frontier, is a bit of a shocker
> to me. No wonder Frontier is is receivership, with Verizon licking
> their chops to get a big chunk of Frontier back.

What I'm thinking of with the VPS would even work around the Frontier issue.

> I can fix this problem, in a few months. There are legal places to
> take 'racketeering' and other forms of 'monopolistic" behavior to
> for resolution.

I don't believe that it's racketeering or monopolistic.  I think it's 
more that ARC is still immature enough that there isn't an answer to the 
age old question of "can I trust this (web)site or not"?  How do you 
know who to trust when everybody jumps up and down and says "You can 
trust me!!!".

I suspect the answer will be reputation systems like are used for IP 
addresses.

> Email was created and spread via RFC standards.

What I've observed the big email providers doing is still within open 
standards like RFCs.  I even see people, like myself, from the big email 
providers actively contributing to future versions of said standards.

I don't think that a technical discussion is a good place for politics. 
;-)  To each their own opinion.  Let's focus on solving technical issues 
and developing a solution that we can all benefit from.

> Both you and Ash, are on my short list. No doubts.  If you need
> financial help, after this is done and published, then contact me
> privately.

Thank you for the offer.  I'd prefer to give up my seat (Pi) to someone 
else, and still contribute to the group project.

> Anyone can post with their ideas a solution.

Agreed.



-- 
Grant. . . .
unix || die