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Cake day: June 4th, 2023

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  • 10€/year domains are the standard. There are some alternatives like Hostinger which have “free” ones. Managing domain settings can be a pain in the ass a lot of the time. I personally use Cloudflare to manage my DNS settings for ease of use, tho I’ve heard tgere are privacy concerns with using Cloudflare.

    As for the guide, here’s one from ChatGPT:

    Certainly! Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up a self-hosted and secure email service using Docker containers:

    Step 1: Set up a server

    • Choose a server provider or use your own hardware to set up a server with a reliable internet connection.
    • Install a Linux distribution of your choice (e.g., Ubuntu, Debian) on the server.

    Step 2: Install Docker and Docker Compose

    • Follow the official Docker documentation to install Docker on your server.
    • Install Docker Compose, which will simplify the management of multiple Docker containers.

    Step 3: Acquire a domain name

    • Register a domain name from a domain registrar of your choice (e.g., Namecheap, GoDaddy).
    • Configure the domain’s DNS records to point to your server’s IP address.

    Step 4: Obtain an SSL certificate

    • Use Let’s Encrypt to obtain a free SSL certificate for your domain.
    • Follow their documentation to set up Certbot and generate an SSL certificate.

    Step 5: Configure DNS records

    • Set up the necessary DNS records for your email service:
      • Create an MX record that points to your server’s domain.
      • Create an SPF record to verify your server’s authenticity.
      • Add DKIM and DMARC records for additional security (optional but recommended).

    Step 6: Set up and configure mail server containers

    • Choose a mail server software to run in Docker (e.g., Postfix, Dovecot).
    • Create a docker-compose.yml file to define the containers and their configurations.
    • Configure the mail server containers with appropriate settings, such as domain name, SSL certificate, and mail storage location.

    Step 7: Start the containers

    • Run the docker-compose up -d command to start the containers in detached mode.
    • Verify that the containers are running without any errors by checking the logs.

    Step 8: Test the email service

    • Create an email account using the chosen mail server’s administration tools.
    • Configure an email client (e.g., Thunderbird, Outlook) to connect to your server using the provided credentials.
    • Send and receive test emails to ensure the service is working correctly.

    Step 9: Implement additional security measures

    • Configure firewall rules on your server to allow only necessary ports (e.g., 25 for SMTP, 143 for IMAP).
    • Regularly update the Docker images and containers to ensure you have the latest security patches.
    • Consider enabling additional security features like fail2ban to protect against brute-force attacks.

    It’s important to note that setting up a secure email service requires a good understanding of server administration and email protocols. It’s recommended to consult official documentation and seek professional assistance if needed to ensure proper configuration and security.