Dan Brown wrote:
>
> Webmail apps are clients; the "separate user per domain"
> issue is based on the server. The webmail system that ships
> with SME doesn't have any problem with handling multiple
> domains with different namespaces, but it isn't the limiting
> factor. It's simply the way the server is designed. It can
> be modified, but every attempt I've seen has been a pretty
> ugly hack.
>
> My advice, either live with the way the system is designed,
> or use a different distro. The work it would take to cleanly
> integrate multiple namespaces into SME simply wouldn't be
> worth it.
Hi Dan,
Actually, the whole deal is with qmail. Qmail by default is able
to handle differentiate the username to different domains. The
way this is regulated is within the qmial conf files. SME
does not have a template system for qmail, this fact would allow
a service like openwebmail to make the necessary changes
in the qmail.conf file and sepearate the usernames properly.
If done right, user@domain1.com will be pointed to username
user and user@domain2.com will be pointed at username user1
and so on down the list. This would allow for seperating the
user@domain1.com from user@domain2.com without affecting,
or needing to make any changes to the standard SME
setup. This information is available in the qmail faq file.
I believe the difference between the standard webmail app
and openwebmail is that webmail simply requires a
username for login. While open webmail requires a
username and a domain name for login similar to the
username@yahoo.com login aproach. The linux username
is limited to 11 characters on the SME. Qmail accounts
for this by providing a syntax that allows one to specify
that mail recieved for address user@domain1 be directed
to the mailbox of user and that user@domain2 be directed
to the mailbox of user1. If the webmail service is providing
for login, and modifying the qmail.conf file upon registration,
then no hacks to the SME are necessary as the basic linux
add user command will be used to create the needed username.
The programmer would also need to test for the particular
username and any sequential count of the username when
the address to a particular domain is being created, and
thereby supply a username different than those already in
existence.
So while the SME comes standard without this functionality,
a properly designed webmail service would allow this
functionality to be added without a great deal of trouble.
One will want to change the default fointer so that the
server sends users to the new webmail service as opposed
to the standard SME webmail service.
Another option would be to simply desing a server-manager
panel that would allow one to make changes to the qmail.conf
file and provide the changes needed to implement the
separate username to domain functionality that qmail
already has. A text input box along side two drop down boxes
could be used. The text input box would be specifying the
email adress, the first drop down box would provide a selection
of domains, and the last dropdown box would provide a selection
of usernames. This would create textbox+domain > username
and be apended to the qmail.conf file.
I however think that the openwebmail.org solution would be
the best solution. Since the solution is free and already
there. It also automates the email creation which is good
on many counts.
I am currently trying to get the Open Darwin Streaming
server to automatically start on bootup. Having a dog
of a time setting up init. Once this is accomplished, I will
tackle the openwebmail issue.
One off topic question, Do you know what the command
syntax is to add a new link to the server-manager navagation
panel is? I can't find a reference on it. I've been looking
since saturday 11/01/03.
Thanks for the feedback.
Scott:-)
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