The Stalker Internet Mail Server (SIMS) is a server application implementing Internet mail exchange service using the SMTP protocol, remote mailbox access using the POP3 protocol, and the "poppwd" service for remote password modification.
The Stalker Internet Mail Server is FREE. It does not have any limitations, and it can be used to support several hundred accounts.
The high performance Mail Server relies on OpenTransport, so OT 1.1.1 or better should be installed on the server computer. While this version is still slower than the best UNIX mail servers on comparable CPUs, several new enhancements will be implemented shortly. But even this beta version easily handles 100+ incoming and 100+ outgoing simultaneous connections on a Quadra or low-end PowerPC machines. The server itself still has the 68K-only code, so the speed of the native version is expected to be limited with the MacOS File System bottlenecks only.
The system design allows to configure, control, and monitor the server from any workstation on your LAN. The CommuniGator application version 2.7 and better (the client component of the CommuniGateｪ Messaging System) can be used to perform all administrating operations. It can be downloaded from the regular CommuniGate sources: <http://www.stalker.com/CommuniGate> or any major Internet Mac archive. When talking to the Stalker Internet Mail Server, the CommuniGator application enables only its administrating functions.
The SIMS smtp subsystem supports several "anti-spam" features:
･ it can detect when the server is being used as a mail relay by strangers;
･ﾊit can reject messages from known offenders.
Future releases will allow you to configure the Stalker Internet Mail Server via any Web browser, so the CommuniGator application will not be necessary.
The Stalker Internet Mail Server supports TCP and AppleTalk connections, so it can be used with mailers that can work via an AppleTalk network (as Claris Emailerｪ). This feature allows you to use SIMS on non-tcp networks, and it allows remote users to check their mailboxes on the server when they are connected to the server via an ARA connection.
The SIMS mailbox format is identical to the UNIX mailbox format, and if TCP/IP services are not available on the LAN, any mailer that can read UNIX mailboxes directly (such as Eudoraｨ) can also work with the Server accounts via File Sharing.
SIMS accounts can be used as "distribution mirror" accounts to "reflect" messages to many recipients.
Utilities
The SIMS Loader utility (included) allows you to create and update SIMS accounts information using tab-delimited text files. The MailShare Loader freeware application allows you to export the account information from MailShare (a.k.a. AIMS, a.k.a. EIMS) in the tab-delimited form that SIMS Loader accepts.
The AIMS->SIMS Converter utility (included) allows you to copy the contents of AIMS/EIMS mailboxes into SIMS accounts.
Running in the background-only mode
SIMS is released as a regular "double-clickable" application. But it does not display any window, and it does not use menus - the server is controlled via the CommuniGator application or a Web browser. Actually, SIMS can be used as a background-only (or "faceless") application, and it is designed to run in this mode.
To convert the SIMS application ("APPL"-type file) into a background-only application ("appe"-type file), use the APPL <-> appe utility (included). When SIMS file is converted into an "appe" file, its icon is changed. You should be put this file into the Extensions folder. When the server computer restarts, the SIMS is started automatically and it runs invisibly: its name does not show up in the Application menu.
Stalker Internet Mail Server vs. CommuniGate Server
While the CommuniGate Server is a MESSAGING system, the Stalker Internet Mail Server is an Internet Mail server only: as any other Internet mail-only server (UNIX sendmail, Apple Internet Mail Server, AppleShare 5.0, etc.), it supports only SMTP, POP and poppwd protocols. Message contents are not processed in any manner by the server: all functions are expected to be implemented within client mailer applications accessing the server. As other Internet-only servers, the Stalker Internet Mail Server is designed to use direct Internet connections, while the CommuniGate Server can use the same protocols via dial-up links.
However, the SIMS does use some of the CommuniGate technologies:
･ the interrupt-driven communication algorithms for high-speed message transfer on nondedicated servers;
･ the CommuniGate Address Parser and the CommuniGate Router;
･ the Internet protocols implementation;
･ anti-spam mechanisms;
･ support for dial-in SMTP clients;
･ remote administrating;
Please check <http://www.stalker.com/Solutions/MailCompare.html> for more information.
Stalker Internet Mail Server vs. Other MacOS servers
Please check <http://www.stalker.com/Solutions/MailCompare.html> for more information.
Resources
The latest version of the Stalker Internet Mail Server can be downloaded from:
<http://www.stalker.com/SIMS/>
or
<ftp://ftp.stalker.com/>
Stalker opens a new mailing list to discuss the Internet Mail Server: sims@stalker.com.
To subscribe to that list, please send any message to <mailto:sims-on@stalker.com>
If you are interested in the information about the Server updates only, please subscribe to the CommuniGate information list <mailto:cgate-on@stalker.com>
Installation
･ Make sure that OpenTransport TCP 1.1.1 or better is installed and properly configured.
･ Make sure that the DNS system is configured properly and that at least an A record exists for your server IP address.
Beta versions are released as regular applications, so they can be launched by double-clicking, and they can be stopped using the Quit menu command. You can convert these versions into background-only applications yourself.
Final versions are the background-only applications and they should be placed in the Extensions folder and then the computer should be restarted.
The server creates the SIMS folder inside the System Folder. All server-related files are stored there.
･ﾊAfter the server is launched, you should either connect to it using the CommuniGator application, or you should use your Web browser to connect to the TCP port 8100 on the server machine (disabled in the 1.0 version).
･ﾊLog in as Postmaster
･ Choose General from the Server menu.
･ﾊCorrect the server own Domain Name if necessary: if the domain name was not entered, the Server takes the name from the A record for the server machine IP address. That name can be something like mail.yoursystem.com, while the mail domain your server has to handle is just yoursystem.com
･ Close the General dialog box
･ Open the Router box from the Server menu. Enter the required Routing and/or aliasing information. Please read the ROU-Routing chapter of the CommuniGate manual <http://www.stalker.com/CommuniGate/Manual/> for more details. Please note that unlike the CommuniGate Server, the Stalker Internet Mail Server does not have modules, so all information about "routing via modules" is not applied here.
Besides the generic Router functions, the SIMS Router implements the routing functions of the CommuniGate SMTP (for example, it handles the IP-addresses as in abc@[123.45.67.89]), loopback addresses, etc.
･ Open the Users... selector from the Server menu. The Postmaster is the only user account created automatically. Use the Selector dialog box to create accounts. Each Account has the Mailbox settings controlling the User's mailbox and POP3 options, and the Privileges settings that controlling the user access rights to the server itself (via the CommuniGate or Web interface).
The server is ready. Use the SMTP, POP, PWD and Notify commands to bring up the monitors of these services. Double-click the top section of a monitor window or choose Service Settings from the service menu to set the service options.
Anti-Spam
Please download the CommuniGate SMTP software archive from <http://www.stalker.com/CommuniGate/SMTP/> and read the ReadMe file included into the archive.
Distribution Mirrors
All accounts with names starting with L- (as L-mylist, L-clients) are processed as Distribution Mirror accounts. After such an account is created, the administrator can open the account file (in the Accounts folder inside the SIMS folder) and place a list of E-mail addresses into that file.
Each address should be stored on a separate line. Several addresses can be placed on one line if they are separated with the comma sign.
When a message is sent to such a "mirror" account, a message copy is created and this copy is sent to all the addresses placed into the account file.
If you want to use a mirror account with a regular name, create a L-xxxx account, and place an alias into the SIMS Router:
<name-you-prefer> = L-xxxx
Account Aliases
If you have many accounts, you may want to move some of them to other disk volumes. The Server allows you to move mailboxes from the Accounts folder and replace them with their aliases.
Special Accounts
If a message is directed to a local user, and an account with the specified name is not registered, the server checks if the account "Unknown" exists. If the "Unknown" account exists, message is stored in that account.
If the account "Unknown" does not exist, the server checks for the account "L-Unknown". If that account exists, then the message is sent to that "mirror" account. As any mirror account, the "L-Unknown" account file should contain the list of E-mail addresses. If you want to redirect all mail sent to unregistered names to the user John@somedomain.com, create the "L-Unknown" account and place the address "John@somedomain.com" into the "L-Unknown" account file.
If the server cannot find the "L-Unknown" account, an error message is sent back.
Revision History
The revision history is maintained on the Stalker SIMS site:
