Desktop FreeBSD Part 4: Internet Mail Setup

The one thing that really fired up the development of the Internet as we know it today was e-mail. The protocols were designed back when the system itself was highly difficult to access, and security wasn't a significant issue. Since then, even your average household pet has heard of Internet security problems.

How many times have we read popular pronouncements not to use a certain popular e-mail program that is highly vulnerable to attacks hidden in messages? Those attacks are possible because the program is designed to make things so easy. It does everything for you. It's too easy for folks to forget the danger, because that's the software that came with their systems. That sort of large, do-it-all software takes up lots of resources, too.

There is a better way. It requires changing how you view Internet mail, going back to the original intent. In this case, it also means using what came with your system -- your FreeBSD system. However, be aware, if you do not have a mail server account with your ISP, or some other provider, you will probably have a difficult time using a built-in system mail server to send mail across the Net. Most mail services to whom you try to send mail will probably be blocking mail from dialup and DSL connections. If you cannot work this out, while you may learn a lot, you'll still be stuck using a regular mail client.

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