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+---
+title: "FreeBSD email server - Part 1: Preparations"
+date: 2016-10-31 07:57:50
+tags: Tutorial FreeBSD Email
+layout: post
+---
+
+This tutorial is devised into multiple chapters to make it more manageable, and
+to be able to better explain why certain parts are needed.
+
+The tutorial is created out of experience setting up my own email server. I have
+read through quite a lot of documentation so you do not have to. Nonetheless, I
+would recommend doing so. Email business is a tricky one, with a lot of moving
+parts that have to fit into each other. Knowing how exactly each part works will
+greatly help understanding why they are needed in a proper email server.
+Besides that, it will make your life a lot more enjoyable if you want to tweak
+some things after this tutorial.
+
+To kick off, some preparations should be done before you start on setting up
+your own email server.
+
+## DNS setup
+Some DNS setup is required for mail. Most importantly, the MX records of a
+domain. Be sure you have a domain available, otherwise, get one. There are
+plenty of registrars and the price is pretty low for most domains. If you want
+to look hip, get a `.email` TLD for your email server.
+
+For the DNS records themselves, make sure you have an `A` record pointing to
+the server IP you're going to use.  If you have an IPv6 address, set up an
+`AAAA` record as well. Mail uses the `MX` DNS records. Make one with the value
+`10 @`. If you have multiple servers, you can make MX records for these as
+well, but replace the `10` with a higher value each time (`20`, `30`, etc).
+These will be used as fallback, in case the server with pointed to by the `10`
+record is unavailable.
+
+## PostgreSQL
+Next up you will have to install and configure [PostgreSQL][postgres]. Although
+using a database is not required, this tutorial will make use of one. Using a
+database makes administration easier and allows you to add a pretty basic web
+interface for this task.
+
+### Installation
+Since the tutorial uses FreeBSD 11, you can install PostgreSQL easily by running
+
+{% highlight sh %}
+pkg install postgresql96-server
+{% endhighlight %}
+
+### Starting up
+In order to start Postfix, you should enable the system service for it. This
+way, `service` can be used to easily manage it. In addition, it will start
+automatically on boot.
+
+{% highlight sh %}
+echo 'postgresql_enable="YES"' >> /etc/rc.conf.local
+service postgresql start
+{% endhighlight %}
+
+### Database initialization
+Since PostgreSQL is a little different than the more popular [MySQL][mysql], I
+will guide you through setting up the database as well. To begin, switch user
+to `postgres`, which is the default administrative user for PostgreSQL. Then
+simply open up the PostgreSQL CLI.
+
+{% highlight sh %}
+su postgres
+psql
+{% endhighlight %}
+
+Once you are logged in to PostgreSQL, create a new user which will hold
+ownership of the database and make a database for this user.
+
+{% highlight sql %}
+CREATE USER postfix WITH PASSWORD 'incredibly-secret!';
+CREATE DATABASE mail WITH OWNER postfix;
+{% endhighlight %}
+
+Once this is done, create the tables which will hold some of our configuration
+data.
+
+#### domains
+{% highlight sql %}
+CREATE TABLE domains (
+    name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
+    PRIMARY KEY (name)
+);
+{% endhighlight %}
+
+#### users
+{% highlight sql %}
+CREATE TABLE users (
+    local VARCHAR(64) NOT NULL,
+    domain VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
+    password VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL,
+    PRIMARY KEY (local, domain),
+    FOREIGN KEY (domain) REFERENCES domains(name) ON DELETE CASCADE
+);
+{% endhighlight %}
+
+#### aliases
+{% highlight sql %}
+CREATE TABLE aliases (
+    domain VARCHAR(255),
+    origin VARCHAR(256),
+    destination VARCHAR(256),
+    PRIMARY KEY (origin, destination),
+    FOREIGN KEY (domain) REFERENCES domains(name) ON DELETE CASCADE
+);
+{% endhighlight %}
+
+## Let's Encrypt
+### Installation
+Installing the [Let's Encrypt][letsencrypt] client is just as straightforward
+as the PostgreSQL database, using `pkg`.
+
+{% highlight sh %}
+pkg install py27-certbot
+{% endhighlight %}
+
+### Getting a certificate
+Requesting a certificate requires your DNS entries to properly resolve. If they
+do not resolve yet, Let's Encrypt will bother you with errors. If they do
+resolve correctly, use `certbot` to get your certificate.
+
+{% highlight sh %}
+certbot certonly --standalone -d domain.tld
+{% endhighlight %}
+
+## Conclusion
+This should be everything required to get started on setting up your own email
+server. Continue to [part 2][part-2] of this series to start setting up
+Postfix.
+
+[freebsd]: https://www.freebsd.org/
+[letsencrypt]: https://letsencrypt.org/
+[mysql]: https://www.mysql.com/
+[part-2]: {{ "/post/2016/10/31/freebsd-mailserver-part-2-mailing-with-postfix/" | prepend: site.baseurl }}
+[postgres]: https://www.postgresql.org/