Help with E-Mail

["James Robert Lunsford" <jrl007@comports.com>]

I need help setting up mail on my debian system.  I've been running
it for about a month now.  I've got the x-windows system up and running
but this mail thing has me stumped.

I've learned DOS inside and out, same for OS/2, and ran an 8 line BBS
for 2 years, and didn't have this much trouble.  I think that I'm just
getting
confused with all of the options that are out there.

I've got smail, fetchmail, and nmh.  When I installed the smail package
dselect
helped me through a rudimentary configuration and I told it all of the info
that
I knew.  At the end it sent me a test message, but it said that the system
wasn't
ready.

I'm lost here.  I've read the docs that came with smail and fetchmail but am
totally confused.

If someone could give me some pointers, steps to follow, or signs to look
for, I'd be really
grateful.  A step by step setup guide would be great.  It doesn't have to be
incredibly detailed
but the more the better.

Thanks!