We set up our own email server, and I was wondering how to use it best with the Discourse Docker container. Of course I can just configure our SMTP details and credentials, but it feels like unnecessary overhead, since the SMTP server runs on the same machine. sendmail works, but Discourse is in t…

What’s wrong with Postfix? It was part of the first mail server setup guide I read, and its internal filter options to reduce spam and bot access early in the pipeline seemed a good argument. Well, kinda off topic, regarding sendmail/pickup usage from Discourse. Marking this as solved/answered. It…

[image] MichaIng: it feels like unnecessary overhead, since the SMTP server runs on the same machine. Unnecessary Overhead how? You gotta send the data from Discourse to the SMTP server somehow? No? Ps: if it is another container, You could in theory use bridge network and use the smtp conta…

[image] itsbhanusharma: Unnecessary Overhead how? You gotta send the data from Discourse to the SMTP server somehow? No? There are two ways to send out emails through a local SMTP server: connect to and authenticate at the submission port, like 587 with STARTTLS or 465 with implicit/immedia…

It has been a while since I have gone this deep into micro managing sendmail. I have mailcow stack on one VM and Discourse on another. I don’t know if it will ever be worth digging that deep besides just for the fun of it. I wish you all the best with your adventures, report back what you learned.

[image] itsbhanusharma: I don’t know if it will ever be worth digging that deep besides just for the fun of it. Probably not :sweat_smile:. But I am perfectionist in certain context, and I enjoy digging deep and learning all details. Took me several evenings to setup Dovecot, Postfix, rspamd,…

I am moving this topic to #installation:hosting. We don’t recommend trying to host your own email server, as you know if you read the official install instructions. Email is hard!

Not sure what Discourse has to do with whether the system may additionally hosts an email server or not? Aside of that fact that this theoretically opens another way to send out emails, of course. For receiving emails (other topic) however it has an effect, since one cannot host the email receiver …

Yes! It is challenging and interesting, for sure. I’ve been through my own adventures installing all kinds of services and trying to run them myself, in a former life! :upside_down_face: Happy to have you update this topic with your learnings for the benefit of intrepid future travelers, including …

[image] MichaIng: Dovecot, Postfix what. Dovecoat good. Why then postfix? Why not dovecoat exim?

Use local email server/sendmail for outgoing emails?

Product Support Self-hosting

nineb September 29, 2025, 9:29am 9

what. Dovecoat good. Why then postfix? Why not dovecoat exim?

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Use local email server/sendmail for outgoing emails?

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