In Email Alchemy we delve into the intricacies of self-hosting email services. Acknowledging the dominance of major providers like Google, Microsoft, and Apple, we embark on constructing a self-hosted email solution, driven by the desire to avoid reliance on specific ecosystems and confronted by the challenges of successfully delivering email to the major platforms. The aim was to build a server that reliably delivers emails to major providers, bypassing spam filters, supporting popular Mail User Agents, and using open-source software. Key objectives include stability, hosting, operating system choice, and security, with an emphasis on reproducibility and redeployment capability.
I have used email service with my own domain for several years. Gandi.net were chosen as my domain registrar, not only because its low fees, but also its free mailbox service. However, since the middle of this year, Gandi.net has announced their price increment and would cancel all free mailbox service in the end of November. Although it is a controversial decision, I have no choice but to find an alternative mail service as soon as possible. As I also own some always free instance of Oracle Cloud Computer, why not set up my own selfhosted mail service? So do I, and in this blog, I will share how to set up one selfhosted mail server securely and freely, yet without any fee.