How to enable the SMTP authentification on your Qmail server

The Qmail package from Dotdeb has been built with SMTP-auth features (but disabled by default). Here is the way to use them…

Installation

First of all, we suppose that :

you installed the last Qmail and Vpopmail packages from Dotdeb
you’re launching them using the bundled init scripts (with tcpserver)

Configuration

To enable SMTP-auth, you just have to edit the /etc/init.d/qmail init script and replace these lines :

sh -c "start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --user qmaild
  --pidfile /var/run/tcpserver_smtpd.pid --make-pidfile
  --exec /usr/bin/tcpserver -- -R
  -u `id -u qmaild` -g `id -g nobody` -x /etc/tcp.smtp.cdb 0 smtp
  $rblsmtpd /usr/sbin/qmail-smtpd 2>&1
  | $logger &"

by these ones :

sh -c "start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --user qmaild
    --pidfile /var/run/tcpserver_smtpd.pid --make-pidfile
    --exec /usr/bin/tcpserver -- -R
    -u `id -u qmaild` -g `id -g nobody` -x /etc/tcp.smtp.cdb 0 smtp
    $rblsmtpd /usr/sbin/qmail-smtpd /usr/sbin/vchkpw /bin/true 2>&1
    | $logger &"

Then, we have to setuid /usr/sbin/vchkpw :

chmod u+s /usr/sbin/vchkpw

and restart Qmail :

/etc/init.d/qmail stop
/etc/init.d/qmail start

The result

You will now be able to use the SMTP PLAINTEXT authentification. You just have to configure your favorite mail transport agent…