#BSDMail

Stefano Marinellistefano@bsd.cafe
2025-06-25

Good morning, world! I'm extremely sorry about the removal of the replicator from Dovecot 2.4 - it was always my go-to replication tool, and #BSDMail also relied on it. Since I don't have many accounts yet, I can look into alternative solutions.

The one I believe comes closest is Cyrus IMAP, which also has its own clustering and replication systems. Furthermore, Cyrus doesn't have a commercial counterpart, so it's unlikely to be influenced by tight economic dynamics.

On one hand, I'm excited to do these experiments, but on the other hand, with this heat, I would have preferred to do something else 😃

#GoodMorning #SysAdmin #IT #OwnYourData

Stefano Marinellistefano@bsd.cafe
2025-06-22

Since Dovecot 2.4 is dropping replication, I'll definitely need to rework my mail servers and those for BSDMail. I think I'll be going back to Cyrus, which I last used over 20 years ago. The problem is my memories have long faded, so it'll be like studying it again from scratch. And that makes me happy, because it'll be like learning something totally new!

Special thanks to @h3artbl33d for the heads up!

#BSDMail #OwnYourData #MailServer #Dovecot

Stefano Marinellistefano@bsd.cafe
2024-12-06

...and another great step towards the launch of BSDMail has been taken!

#BSDMail

Stefano Marinellistefano@bsd.cafe
2024-05-12

I've decided it's time to push forward with BSD Mail. I won't have time soon to set up e-commerce, automated payments, etc., so I'll launch a website where I'll explain services and technical details, prices (which I still need to define), and we'll manage things manually for now.
I don't expect overwhelming numbers, so the rest will come later.
Ultimately, what matters is making everything work well.

#BSDMail

Stefano Marinellistefano@bsd.cafe
2024-05-01

**BSD Mail Project Update!**

Hello everyone! I wanted to share some exciting updates about the development of BSD Mail, our privacy-focused email service designed with robustness, security, and transparency in mind. Here’s a deep dive into the technical choices I've made, focusing on my use of open source solutions and open protocols:

🌍 **Servers & Location**

- We're running on two physical servers:
- One hosted by OVH in France
- Another by Hetzner in Germany
- Both servers operate on FreeBSD with NVMe drives in a ZFS mirror configuration for speed and data integrity.

🔒 **Virtualization & Security**

- We utilize jails on both servers to ensure isolated environments for different services, managed via BastilleBSD. On one server, jails are set up directly on the hardware, whereas the other server employs nested jails.
- Each server hosts a bhyve VM running OpenBSD with OpenSMTPD for handling SMTP duties securely.

🔗 **Networking**

- A Wireguard setup connects the two servers, facilitating routing capabilities so that jails and VMs can communicate seamlessly, supporting both IPv4 and IPv6.

📧 **Email Services**

- **Dovecot** is configured for maildir replication across the servers using Dovecot sync, ensuring email availability and redundancy.
- **Rspamd** instances are tied to local KeyDB jails, set up in master-master replication for consistent and reliable spam detection and greylisting.
- **ClamAV** runs in corresponding jails for virus scanning, maintaining a high level of security.
- **SOGo** provides a web interface for email management, connected to MySQL databases in master-master replication to handle sessions and authentication smoothly.

💾 **Data Management**

- Email data is stored on separate, encrypted ZFS datasets to secure emails at rest.
- MySQL databases are used for storing credentials and managing sessions for SOGo, also in a master-master replication setup. Importantly, all passwords are securely hashed using bcrypt, ensuring they are salted and safe.

🔎 **Monitoring & Reliability**

- Our DNS is managed through BunnyNet, which continuously monitors our server status. Should one server—or a specific service—become unavailable, DNS configurations are dynamically adjusted to avoid directing users to the affected IP until full service is restored.

🌐 **Commitment to Open Source and Open Protocols**

- Every component of BSD Mail is built exclusively using open source software and open protocols. This commitment is crucial for ensuring data freedom and the reliability of the solutions we use.

This setup not only emphasizes our commitment to privacy and security but also our dedication to maintaining an open and transparent platform.
We're excited to bring you a service where your privacy, data integrity, and freedom are prioritized. Stay tuned for more updates!

#BSDMail #OpenSource #Privacy #FreeBSD #OpenBSD #EmailHosting #Email

Client Info

Server: https://mastodon.social
Version: 2025.04
Repository: https://github.com/cyevgeniy/lmst