Tim wrote:
I think the main issue is that very few "linux at home on the desktop"
systems are set up to work as a proper domain on the internet with A
records, MX records etc. and even fewer are set up like mine as a
domain on the internet but *not* for E-Mail.
Since I was doing something sort of fancy, and striking a few little
oddities with some things (at least one of my mail clients wouldn't
accept a mail server name without at least one dot in it, etc.), I set
my system up pretty much by the book, as if the machines were all
directly on the public internet.
I have a real domain name, I made a sub-domain just for my LAN. I run a
local DNS server, it has proper records for my LAN sub-domain in its own
zone, including an MX record for my LAN mailserver. My sendmail was
configured to deliver locally for my domain names (I added all the
localhosts and my LAN domains to the local delivery parameters). The
server /etc/aliases file lists the local username for *me* for the root
mail, and that gets delivered correctly. The various client
box /etc/aliases file list my e-mail address at my LAN sub-domain for
their root mail, and that gets delivered centrally. Likewise, all the
client boxes use my LAN sendmail as their SMTP server, and that delivers
all mail centrally, whether for the LAN or the internet.
One thing I don't do is have my SMTP server receive internet mail. My
IP is dynamic, for one thing. And I really didn't fancy the idea of
having to fight against spammers abusing it.
My advice would be something similar: Configure by the book. Make sure
your LAN domain names are set up right, your hostnames, too. Especially
if you're using sendmail and real domain names. My guess would be that
those who make faked domain names (.lan, local, etc.), probably avoid
this little snafu, and sendmail delivers locally because it *can't* do
it any other way (it won't find a problem causing MX record for the
faked domain name).
This is pretty much as mine, but in my case I use .lan as my TLD and use
an entirely private space.
Chris has already rejected doing this (it was my first recommendation),
and I agree he shouldn't need to.
OTOH my system works, yours works and his doesn't. There is something
different about his, _I_ suspect it's something about the hosts file(s)
and he's not taken advice others have offered to change it, if only to
see whether it makes a difference.
Hopefully he'll have it sorted out before Punter and his mates go over
there to fix up the England team again.
Tim, you can do your own mail despite dynamic DNS, provided that tcp
port 25 is not blocked by your IAP. You can get a free subdomain name
from dyndns.org (and doubtless others).
I haven't done it yet, but I plan on using DNAT to forward incoming
email from select sources (eg Red Hat's mail servers) to a different
smtp server, one that can deliver to this address. Attempts to email me
off-list will simply fail.
--
Cheers
John
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