How to test local mail server

Testing a local mail server involves verifying that it is functioning correctly and sending and receiving emails as expected. Here are some steps to help you test your local mail server:

Step 1: Verify the mail server is running

• Check the mail server's status using the command service postfix status (if you're using Postfix) or service sendmail status (if you're using Sendmail).
• Make sure the mail server is running and listening on the correct port (usually 25).

Step 2: Test sending an email

• Use a mail client like Thunderbird, Outlook, or even the command-line tool mail to send an email to a local email address (e.g., [email protected]).
• Verify that the email is sent successfully and the mail server logs show the email being delivered.

Step 3: Test receiving an email

• Create a new email account on your local mail server (e.g., [email protected]).
• Use a mail client to send an email from another email account to the new email account on your local mail server.
• Verify that the email is received successfully and the mail server logs show the email being delivered.

Step 4: Test email forwarding

• Configure email forwarding on your local mail server to forward emails from one email address to another.
• Test sending an email to the original email address and verify that it is forwarded to the destination email address.

Step 5: Test email filtering

• Configure email filtering on your local mail server to filter emails based on specific criteria (e.g., subject, sender, recipient).
• Test sending an email that matches the filtering criteria and verify that it is filtered correctly.

Step 6: Test email authentication

• Configure email authentication on your local mail server (e.g., SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
• Test sending an email from an external email account and verify that the authentication checks pass.

Step 7: Test email retrieval

• Use a mail client to retrieve emails from your local mail server using IMAP or POP3.
• Verify that the emails are retrieved successfully and the mail server logs show the emails being retrieved.

Additional tips

• Use a mail client like Thunderbird or Outlook to test your local mail server, as they provide a user-friendly interface for sending and receiving emails.
• Use the telnet command to test the mail server's SMTP protocol. For example, telnet localhost 25 to connect to the mail server on port 25.
• Use the postmap command to test the mail server's aliasing and forwarding configuration.
• Use the mailq command to test the mail server's queue and verify that emails are being processed correctly.

By following these steps, you should be able to test your local mail server and verify that it is functioning correctly.