vmail-sql is a complete virtual domains email setup, including sample Exim configuration sections, a (now obsolete) patch to gnu-pop3d, and a set of scripts for administrating domains. Rather than storing the virtual domains setup in flat text files, it uses a MySQL database, which allows the configuration to be readily updated, for instance by a web-based `control panel' application, without the hassles of file locking. It is designed for use in environments where several virtual domains are operated from a single machine/IP address, but will also work in multiple-IP virtual hosting.
The database configuration is reasonably flexible, allowing `forwarders' (aliases) and `popboxes' (mailspools); the latter can be assigned to any Unix user and may be placed anywhere in the filesystem. This allows virtual domain email to be subject to filesystem quotas. It is also possible to alias one domain to another, so that, for example, mail for foo@example.co.uk can be directed to foo@example.com, for all foo.
Derek of Ethereal Design implemented an alternative web control panel for vmail-sql in PHP; unfortunately, the Ethereal Design site, http://www.etherealdesign.com/, seems to have vanished. Donovan Craig has made some modifications to VMC and is now distributing it from http://snapfrozen.com/vmc-latest.tar.bz2.
vmail-sql is free software, available under the terms of the GNU GPL.
If you have a query about vmail-sql, please do not send us personal email. Send it to the mailing list instead. And before you do that, check the list archive to see whether someone else has already answered your question. You may send email to the list without subscribing to it, but email from subscribers is preferred.
Fixed a problem with the Exim configuration description in the README file. See this mailing-list posting.
Minor changes, including reimplementing the enforcement of POP box limits in the web control panel.
This release widens the primary keys in the database, fixing various uniqueness problems, adds support for domain aliasing, and fixes an unfortunate security blunder in the passwd_popbox script.
This update includes support for multiple password hashing methods and other good things.
Version 0.3 contains support for default local-parts for a domain, fixes for problems with the CGI configuration scripts, and snide comments about gnu-pop3d compared with tpop3d.
Well, I finally got sick of gnu-pop3d, and wrote a new POP3 daemon, tpop3d, which support vmail-sql in the standard distribution.
There now exists version 0.2 of vmail-sql, with the following enhancements:
You can view the README from the package or download the package. There is also a change log.
This program relies on some other software--
The software in the vmail-sql distribution is licensed under the GNU GPL, as are Exim and tpop3d. If you're some sort of free software fascist, you might want to get the GPL'd downlevel MySQL, too.
There is now a mailing list for vmail-sql, to which you can subscribe by sending a mail with the subject `subscribe' to vmail-discuss-request@lists.beasts.org. This is a low-traffic list which will also be used for announcements of new revisions of vmail-sql. You can also view archived postings to the list.
Copyright (c) 2001-2002 Chris Lightfoot and Paul Warren. All rights reserved.