[CentOS] large numbers of linux system user for postfix

Mon Nov 8 15:25:13 UTC 2010
Ben McGinnes <ben at adversary.org>

On 8/11/10 11:54 PM, ahmad riza h nst wrote:
> 
> the problem is we would use webmin + virtualmin as an interface for
> costumers to manage their domain (mainly emails) on the server and
> virtualmin don't use/support mysql + vpopmail yet, at least that
> what i understand at this moment.
> 
> virtualmin choose to use unix system user with postfix, so if i
> create an email then it create one unix system user too, this is
> what i'm concern, since i don't have any information about what
> happen to linux/centos if these unix system user growing bigger and
> bigger to reach some thousands users for an example.

Assuming that Virtualmin doesn't have support for real virtual users
or redirecting to MySQL for that then you have three basic choices:

1a) Use a different management interface for managing the
Postfix/Dovecot configuration.

1b) Write your own extension for Virtualmin which provides this
functionality (essentially a variation on 1a).

2) Stick with the existing mail server configuration which already
works with Webmin and Virtualmin.

3) Create user accounts that do not provide an actual shell account
(e.g. /bin/noshell).

With the number of domains and users you're looking at, this could be
a real problem, especially when the usernames might conflict between
different domains.

If I were in your position I'd be looking at either 1a or 1b.


Regards,
Ben

-- 
Ben McGinnes  http://www.adversary.org/  Twitter: benmcginnes
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