using a remote IMAP server and smarthost

["Richard Lyons" <richard@the-place.net>]

I've been trying to solve this for about three years now.  Every few
months, when I have a moment, I try again.  It is not a specifically
debian issue, but someone here must have a similar setup.

I have an IMAP server on a remote vm.  I access it with mutt because it
sucks least.  But when I want to send mail, I have to open a webmail
interface (squirrel as it happens) because that way I am logged on to
the server, and not blocked from sending.  I send from the server via
the supplier's smarthost, which obviously will not relay for me from any
other IP.  Similarly my vm will not relay from wherever I happen to be
so I cannot use mutt on my local machine to send.

I have tried repeatedly to set up some sort of secure logon for the mutt
connection to courier IMAP, but I do not understand the technology, and
following various step-b-step guides has always failed with an error
not predicted in the guide.  I gather something called TLS is needed.
Perhaps there are other ways. Perhaps I should try a different
combination on the server than the default exim4 + courier IMAP.  Can
anybody advise me how to proceed?

TIA

-- 
richard