Re: [tor-talk] Private mail server (Was: i saw your response on the Tor talk list)

[Andreas Krey <a.krey@xxxxxx>]

On Sat, 17 Nov 2012 18:38:24 +0000, Julian Yon wrote:
...
> > Don't think that regular colo/VPS server promise much more. The main
> > problem on cable/DSL is the usual lack of an actually fixed address.
> 
> Yes, that's also a problem. Not unsolvable, but irritating.

Actually, that's the line I wouldn't cross. It would mean that my mails
may get offered to other servers... (however slim the chance that there
is one.)

> Here, DSL
> providers typically offer no SLA at all, certainly on residential lines.
> So even if you only get a three nines promise on your colo, you're
> winning.

The colo may promise, but a promise is only something you can show
your boss if it is broken. :-)

...
> If your jurisdiction is .de (as per your address) then I can't comment
> on that. But trust me as somebody who has banged his head against many
> SMTP shaped walls (including such larks as persistent dictionary attacks
> pushing loadavgs up to over 3000 - another problem you have to deal
> with if you run your own server),

Oh, that would just saturate my DSL, not my server. :-) So far I only
had the annoying many-usernames attempts on ssl.

...
> Email isn't a guaranteed delivery service. I've spent enough of my life
> trying to drum that into people :( Whatever the rules in your own
> jurisdiction, that doesn't affect the behaviour of servers elsewhere.

Yes, but as I said the other server is under (indirect) control of the
mail author. If my DSL fails for a day, and the sender's server throws
it away, I will point at the auther and suggest to use a less crappy
server.

> 
> > [Actually, the server whose obligation to queue in case my MX is down
> >  is being paid for by the person sending the mail.]
> 
> How long do you think they're obliged to queue it for? Eternity?

Seven days (as sendmail does per default)? Send back a notification
after four hours of unsuccess and a final failure notice after a
few days. (Optionally different behaviour for many mails in the
same direction.)

> There's a dead simple DoS straight away. Sooner or later it'll be
> dropped or bounced.

Or no longer accepted. Keep in mind that this is the sender's mail
server which shouldn't be accepting mails from everyone anyway.

...
> > Well yes; I still like my mail directly appear in my inbox (even
> > though I admin that I need to poll this address).
> 
> Hmm. Didn't think to mention fetchmail/procmail/etc. It is of course
> possible to construct more interesting architectures pulling and
> pushing mail around, but I assumed the OP was asking about a ???normal???
> mailserver setup.

If the server isn't at home, you need either webmail or a way to get it home.

Andreas

-- 
"Totally trivial. Famous last words."
From: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@*.org>
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:29:21 -0800
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