email options
Recent messages about mutt and mail programs prompt me to think it's
about time I learned the basics. I have always used kmail, and it's been
adequate for my purposes - now I'd like to try better filtering and
perhaps reduce the junk coming in.
I've read as much as I can, including manpages and manuals, but I'm
not sure I even understand the principles. Then there is the question
of which choices from the mass of available programs. Finally, I'm
not clear how the programs interlink.
There's just a stand-alone box (with Slink & Potato) - I dial an ISP
when I feel like it and get mail from lists and very little personal
mail. Little in the manuals seems needed, but there's a mass of
detail to wade through.
Its seems I need:-
a. ppp -should be ok there.
b. something to fetch mail - should be ok with fetchmail.
c. a program to filter the incoming mail - procmail may do me, and as
I've some info on rules syntax, I have hopes - but what is
'formail' should be with procmail but I can't find it.
d. a 'reader and composer' - will try mutt, but shall struggle there.
e. an MTA to send my outgoing stuff - I'll try sSMTp which is
supposed to be 'minimalistic' - that seems true, very few
options. Can't work out how it will know how to send mail.
f. Initially, I'll leave junkbuster, pgp, ssh etc for the time being.
Anyone kind enough to let me know if I'm on the right road? I know
some of the apparently popular alternatives ( I can install exim but
feel I'll need a higher degree in martian magic to configure either
it or sendmail). A brief explanation of how the various programs are
aware of each other, would also clear some of the fog.
Grateful for any pointers. John.
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