uteck
02-06-2007, 11:23 AM
I wanted to setup my own mail server at home, but I am worried that I will not do it right and leave it open for spammers, or I will spend days working on it and never get it working. I would also like a calendar application, so I decided to try one of the various groupware applications available. I have used phpGroupware before, but it had problems updating the database when a new version came out, but that was some time ago so I may give it a try again.
This time I am trying Citadel, from http://www.citadel.org. I was inspired to try if from an article I read in Linux Journal (http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/9357 but it is not available yet unless you have a subscription. It will be available to the public next month.)
I used the easy setup option which downloads and compiles most of the needed stuff. There were a few packages I needed to use apt to install before so it would be built with ssl support, but they list them so I did not have to guess. After I started the compile I found the link to their Debian/Ubuntu repository so I could have saved many hours there, but I just let it compile overnight on my AMD-k6 450MHz.
After it builds it asks some really easy config questions, if you can't answer them you should not be running a mail server, or a computer. :P It does not make a default admin user, instead the first person to login gets admin privileges, so make sure it is you. It is also easy to control other users privileges and make new admins, or 'Aides' as they call them. You can either set it up to allow new users to join, or to make the account for them. By default new users can create accounts, not very secure, but for an intranet it is fine.
You have the choice of using the built-in systems, or external ones for authentication or e-mail. I chose the built-in settings.
I have only had it up and running a few days, but it seems nice. I like the group chat ability it has, and it has some documentation on using fetchmail to grab mail from other servers. I'll try that with my Gmail and Yahoo accounts so I only have one account to check.
Citadel can also be configured to link to other Citadel servers to make a distributed network. I won't use that, but if you are looking for servers for different locations, this could be it.
I'll give a few weeks and see if I stay with it, or give phpGroupware a try again. It had some plugins that I liked, but I'll give Citdel a chance first.
This time I am trying Citadel, from http://www.citadel.org. I was inspired to try if from an article I read in Linux Journal (http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/9357 but it is not available yet unless you have a subscription. It will be available to the public next month.)
I used the easy setup option which downloads and compiles most of the needed stuff. There were a few packages I needed to use apt to install before so it would be built with ssl support, but they list them so I did not have to guess. After I started the compile I found the link to their Debian/Ubuntu repository so I could have saved many hours there, but I just let it compile overnight on my AMD-k6 450MHz.
After it builds it asks some really easy config questions, if you can't answer them you should not be running a mail server, or a computer. :P It does not make a default admin user, instead the first person to login gets admin privileges, so make sure it is you. It is also easy to control other users privileges and make new admins, or 'Aides' as they call them. You can either set it up to allow new users to join, or to make the account for them. By default new users can create accounts, not very secure, but for an intranet it is fine.
You have the choice of using the built-in systems, or external ones for authentication or e-mail. I chose the built-in settings.
I have only had it up and running a few days, but it seems nice. I like the group chat ability it has, and it has some documentation on using fetchmail to grab mail from other servers. I'll try that with my Gmail and Yahoo accounts so I only have one account to check.
Citadel can also be configured to link to other Citadel servers to make a distributed network. I won't use that, but if you are looking for servers for different locations, this could be it.
I'll give a few weeks and see if I stay with it, or give phpGroupware a try again. It had some plugins that I liked, but I'll give Citdel a chance first.