streamline README, port some changes/additions from nine-branch

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holger krekel 2023-11-01 19:14:48 +01:00
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# Chat Mail server configuration
# Chatmail instances optimized for Delta Chat apps
This repository setups a ready-to-go chatmail instance
This repository helps to setup a ready-to-use chatmail instance
comprised of a minimal setup of the battle-tested
[postfix smtp server](https://www.postfix.org) and [dovecot imap server](https://www.dovecot.org).
[postfix smtp](https://www.postfix.org) and [dovecot imap](https://www.dovecot.org) services.
## Getting started
The setup is designed and optimized for providing chatmail accounts
for use by [Delta Chat apps](https://delta.chat).
1. prepare your local system:
Chatmail accounts are automatically created by a first login,
after which the initially specified password is required for using them.
## Getting Started deploying your own chatmail instance
1. Prepare your local (presumably Linux) system:
scripts/init.sh
2. setup a domain with `A` and `AAAA` records for your chatmail server
2. Setup a domain with `A` and `AAAA` records for your chatmail server.
3. set environment variable to the chatmail domain you want to setup:
3. Set environment variable to the chatmail domain you want to setup:
export CHATMAIL_DOMAIN=c1.testrun.org # replace with your host
4. run the deploy of the chat mail instance:
4. Deploy the chat mail instance to your chatmail server:
scripts/deploy.sh
5. run `scripts/generate-dns-zone.sh` and create the generated DNS records at your DNS provider
This script uses `pyinfra` and `ssh` to setup packages and configure
the chatmail instance on your remote server.
5. Run `scripts/generate-dns-zone.sh` and
transfer the generated DNS records at your DNS provider
6. Start a Delta Chat app and create a new account
by typing an e-mail address with an arbitrary username
and `@<your-chatmail-domain>` appended.
Use an at least 10-character random password.
### Ports
Postfix listens on ports 25 (smtp) and 587 (submission) and 465 (submissions).
Dovecot listens on ports 143(imap) and 993 (imaps).
Delta Chat will, however, discover all ports and configurations
automatically by reading the `autoconfig.xml` file from the chatmail instance.
## Emergency Commands to disable automatic account creation
If you need to stop account creation,
e.g. because some script is wildly creating accounts, run:
touch /tmp/nocreate
While this file is present, account creation will be blocked.
## Running tests and benchmarks (offline and online)
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scripts/bench.sh
## Running tests (offline and online)
```
## Dovecot/Postfix configuration
## Development Background for chatmail instances
### Ports
This repository drives the development of "chatmail instances",
comprised of minimal setups of
Postfix listens on ports 25 (smtp) and 587 (submission) and 465 (submissions).
Dovecot listens on ports 143(imap) and 993 (imaps).
- [postfix smtp server](https://www.postfix.org)
- [dovecot imap server](https://www.dovecot.org)
## DNS
as well as two custom services that are integrated with these two:
For DKIM you must add a DNS entry as found in /etc/opendkim/selector.txt on your chatmail instance.
The above `scripts/deploy.sh` prints out the DKIM selector and DNS entry you
need to setup with your DNS provider.
- `chatmaild/src/chatmaild/dictproxy.py` implements
create-on-login account creation semantics and is used
by Dovecot during login authentication and by Postfix
which in turn uses Dovecot SASL to authenticate users
to send mails for them.
- `chatmaild/src/chatmaild/filtermail.py` prevents
unencrypted e-mail from leaving the chatmail instance
and is integrated into postfix's outbound mail pipelines.
## Emergency Commands
If you need to stop account creation,
e.g. because some script is wildly creating accounts,
just run `touch /tmp/nocreate`.
You can remove the file
as soon as the attacker was banned
by different means.