Install SMTP client on Ubuntu server

1. Install the light-weight SMTP client “ssmtp”
   sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install ssmtp

2. Configure ssmtp (sudo nano /etc/ssmtp/ssmtp.conf) [1] and set correct info for the following lines:
   1. root=
   2. mailhub=
   3. AuthUser=
   4. AuthPass=
   5. hostname=
   6. rewriteDomain=

3. Make aliases for the local user to correct email address [2]
   sudo nano /etc/ssmtp/revaliases

4. ssmtp uses the local users Full name from the OS as the email sender, so make sure your name is correct. Change by using command
   sudo chfn -f "John Doe" yourUser

5. Verify ssmtp works by sending a test mail with command [3]
   ssmtp recipient@example.com

 

[1]: Example config

# Config file for sSMTP sendmail
#
# The person who gets all mail for userids < 1000
# Make this empty to disable rewriting.
root=kek@it-db.com

# The place where the mail goes. The actual machine name is required no
# MX records are consulted. Commonly mailhosts are named mail.domain.com
mailhub=smtp.it-db.com:587

AuthUser=johndoe
AuthPass=123456
UseTLS=YES
UseSTARTTLS=YES

# Where will the mail seem to come from?
#rewriteDomain=

# The full hostname
#hostname=MyMediaServer.home
hostname=it-db.com

# Are users allowed to set their own From: address?
# YES - Allow the user to specify their own From: address
# NO - Use the system generated From: address
FromLineOverride=YES

 

[2]: Example aliases

# sSMTP aliases
#
# Format: local_account:outgoing_address:mailhub
#
# Example: root:your_login@your.domain:mailhub.your.domain[:port]
# where [:port] is an optional port number that defaults to 25.

kek:noreply@it-db.com

 

[3]: Example ssmtp test

ssmtp recipient@example.com
Subject: Testing ssmtp
enter your body text here
via SMTP server.
^d