Postfix is a hugely-popular Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) designed to determine routes and send emails. This cross-platform server is open-source, free, and suitable for installation on the majority of UNIX-like operating systems.
Numerous client and server programs make up Postfix: the latter tend to run in the backend, while user or administrator programs utilize the former. Postfix’s structure is modular: it comprises various small, independent executables. Different parameters, features, and options are available, too.
Another key aspect of Postfix is that it was created to overcome those drawbacks seen in Sendmail. A solid configuration keeps Postfix user data secure from leakage, abuse, and spam.
Postfix includes a cutting-edge queue manager capable of handling queues in a faster, smoother way. That’s why a number of administrators cite Postfix’s higher efficiency compared to Sendmail, even with high loads.
With Postfix, you can expect a significant degree of flexibility and simple administration, which makes it easier for beginners to set up than alternative MTA options. On top of this, Postfix offers support for Sendmail’s command line interface. It’s also compatible with a variety of Sendmail’s mail filters.
Advantages of Postfix
Here are the main advantages you can expect to find when you start using Postfix:
- Includes highly-detailed documentation
- Security was clearly a priority in Postfix’s design
- Postfix offers impressive compatibility with Sendmail
- High queuing operation is fundamental to Postfix’s functionality
- Active development is part of the Postfix set-up
- Easy configuration, according to parameters of configuration files
Disadvantages of Postfix
- Unfortunately, Postfix can be hard to customize in some cases, depending on your unique requirements
We hope this brief guide has helped you understand Postfix better, so you can make an informed choice!