SELF-HOSTED | Set up and run your own Mailserver with Mailcow | DNS, Security, Installation, Test

THEY always tell you it is too hard and too complicated to run your own mailserver. Well, that's a lie.

In this video we are going to set up our own mailserver. We discuss reasons to do that, prerequisites, recommendations, security, the actual installation process, setting the required DNS-entries (including DKIM, SPF, and DMARC), setup of mailboxes, and what to do after the installation.

This video is a bit longer, but this is time well spent if you want to run your own mailserver! Please apologize the sound quality - I had some issues with the microphone. :-(

Resources:
GIST with firewall commands:

Mailcow Documentation:

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:36 - Why running your own mailserver?
02:59 - Prerequisites
04:32 - VPS- / VM-Setup
08:17 - Securing the System
10:57 - Reverse DNS
11:51 - Basic DNS
13:49 - Installing the Mailserver
16:10 - Changing the Admin-Password
17:09 - Adding a Domain and Finishing the DNS-Setup
24:05 - Adding a Mailbox
25:38 - Checking the Configuration
27:29 - Using the Mailserver
28:45 - What's Next?
30:28 - What do YOU think?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. And while you are there, don't forget to like, to subscribe, and to hit the notification bell - since it helps!

Don't forget: Let's make the world a better place - Now more than ever!

#StandWithUkraine #SelfHosted #Mailserver

[WokCorner]

25:48 - you just made me flashback to a Better Call Saul scene with that word "truly". "is there no other way, truly?" this sentence lives in my heart rent-free

[nura]

Hi Karsten, das ist das genialste Tutorial, dass ich jemals zu dem Thema gesehen habe. Du hast damit meinem Mailserver Projekt krassen Rückenwind gegeben. Tausend Dank dafür. Das ist so kurzweilig und cool gemacht und hat zwischen den Parts, die ich schon kannte, die Brücken gebaut. Genial.

[bosskiller]

This is what a tutorial is supposed to look like! Thank you!

[patrickscheel]

As always, a wonderful and inspiring video! Keep it up!

[raveni]

Seriously good job at explaining the process - although I installed mine on a ubuntu platform, most of it was the same - so thanks for your video tutorial. It helped a lot!

[Epicvids]

Amazing content, thank you for the tips! Got a 8.7 on the spam meter, and setup my first mailserver!!

[Star-egy]

you are so great, please come back with more self hosted series we need the great way of explaination, also let me say we miss you :)

[psij]

I love the content. I have one bit of unsolicited constructive criticism though, and I only am saying this because I believe you will succeed in this YouTube game: I would back off a bit on the zoom cuts. If you do it too often, it can become distracting. I would use it to add emphasis only on particular points or when the subject is changing or taking a slight detour. Great camera angle and your technique is on point too, just over used. Most important of all, you're a good speaker and the content is top notch. Keep up the good work, my friend! I'm your 777th subscriber!

[dwrout]

Awesome tutorial, I did this as self-hosted on proxmox vm. I only needed additional port forwarding, edits to my reverse proxy and also my domain name host screen layout looked different to the one used, but it came up as in the tutorial. Scored 10/10 on the email test. Great job on the video.

[frankuchan]

Thank you!
I was able to successfully set up my own mailserver!

[sparti]

Nice, and now i have a domain where i can host my own website. Looking forward for more videos to recycle domains :)

[fransvanderwerf]

Excellent tutorial from Germany! You've been a great help here :) Many many thanks

[geoffgates]

proper tutorial and no stupid loud music. cheers, by the way I did it and it works.

[francesco]

Hello and thank you very much for the clear and simple guide, but I wanted to ask you if you could also add the guide for port forwarding that needs to be done on your home router (provided that you always need to have a static public address) and if NGINX Proxy is also present Manager what should he manage and how?
Sorry for too many questions but I think this part should be explored :-)

Thank you very much

[gfhfghfghfghdfh]

Great video! Very well explained. My only concern is email reachability these days (aka oligopoly). Did you have any big issue?

[ishi]

thank you! mailcow has made the process so easy that its a no brainer for a tech company to run their own mail server - especially if privacy matters to your organization.

now need to look into backups.

[romainrochas]

it works !!!! Thank you so much ! (I am on this for almost 1 month already...) I still have to fix these anoying email blocking and spam categorization, but I can send and receive mails :)

[ADHDOCD]

This is a great tutorial. Can you also make a video on domain/email reputation & deliverability?

[vmerinom]

Thanks for this great explanation and the video! Regards from Chile

[James_Alfonso]

This is the first tutorial I was able to fulfill my mail server without a glitch