The qmail Handbook

This chapter introduces the concept of the MTA and discusses one particular MTA, qmail:

• First, we'll examine the role of the MTA in the Internet e-mail infrastructure.

• Next, we'll look at qmail—what it does and why you might want to use it.

• qmail's main design goals were security, reliability, performance, and simplicity. We'll see how qmail's creator was able to achieve these goals.

• We'll also compare qmail to other popular Unix MTAs such as Sendmail, Postfix, Courier, and Exim.

• Next, we'll look at qmail's features, history, architecture, and distribution license.

• Finally, we'll list various sources of information on qmail such as documentation, Web sites, and mailing-list archives. We'll also cover qmail support channels: mailing lists and hired consultants.