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Aug 25, 2022
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[Update] Running a Mail Server #5573

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7ab62b6
(more strongly) recommend using a trusted CA
jschauma Jul 11, 2022
11284a4
explain why we don't want a self signed cert
jschauma Jul 11, 2022
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wildmanonline Aug 25, 2022
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wildmanonline Aug 25, 2022
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13 changes: 5 additions & 8 deletions docs/guides/email/best-practices/running-a-mail-server/index.md
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Expand Up @@ -10,15 +10,14 @@ aliases: ['/mailserver/','/email/running-a-mail-server/','/email/best-practices/
modified_by:
name: Linode
published: 2013-06-05
title: Running a Mail Server
modified: 2022-08-25
title: "Running a Mail Server"
tags: ["email"]
image: mail_server_tg.png
---

This guide offers an overview of installing a mail server on your Linode. It covers mail server configuration, creating mail accounts, and basic overviews of tools relevant to hosting an email webserver.

![Running a Mail Server](mail_server_tg.png "Running Mail Server")

## Should You Run a Mail Server?

If you do, you'll have control over your domain's email, but you'll also have to deal with the hassles associated with setting up a complex environment of software. Using a third-party mail service is easier, but you'll sacrifice control and flexibility. In this section, we consider the benefits and drawbacks to running your own mail server, as well as how to choose an [external mail service](#external-mail-services), if you decide to go that route.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -141,13 +140,11 @@ Here are the most popular IMAP and POP3 servers available:

## Build Your Mail Server

### SSL Certificate

An SSL certificate encrypts connections to your mail server. It's possible to run a mail server without an SSL certificate, but it's not recommended.
### TLS/SSL Certificate

Any type of SSL certificate will work, but some certificates have different degrees of trustworthiness for your users. If you want the highest level of trustworthiness, you should [purchase a signed SSL certificate](/docs/guides/obtain-a-commercially-signed-tls-certificate/) from a reputable company.
A TLS (SSL) certificate can be used to encrypt connections to your mail server using protocols like [STARTTLS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunistic_TLS). It is recommended to obtain your certificate from a public Certificate Authority (CA) to provide authenticity guarantees for your users and avoid warnings and error messages. You can generate a free Let's Encrypt certificate using the [certbot](https://certbot.eff.org/) tool or use a paid service like your domain's registrar or a dedicated certificate provider. See [Obtain a Commercially Signed TLS Certificate](/docs/guides/obtain-a-commercially-signed-tls-certificate/) for additional details.

You can also use a free self-signed certificate if you are comfortable with the warnings it generates. You can make your own [self-signed SSL certificate](/docs/guides/create-a-self-signed-tls-certificate/), or, if you're following our recommended build, you can use the one that comes with Dovecot by default.
If the certificate is for internal use (not a public-facing service) and you are able to mark the certificate as trusted in your users' mail clients, a self-signed certificate may be sufficient. Consider any security implications and error messages that may appear when using a self-signed certificate. See [Create a Self-Signed TLS Certificate](/docs/guides/create-a-self-signed-tls-certificate/) for instructions.

### Software Installation

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