So how does the NetAuth CGI add users to the email system?
NetAuth 'talks' to an external authentication
module which in turn adds the users to the user database.
Up until now NetAuth required that you use NWAuth
(free with DMail) as your user database.
NWAuth is Netwin's own
simple but very efficient user database program. It comes in the
DMail distribution set, along with its source so that you can modify
it.
Version 2.0 of NetAuth works with external
authentication modules other than NWAuth - e.g.
our LDAPauth or a module of your own design or modification (e.g. the
ODBC authenticator). (In the near future it will also work with
system password files, i.e. Unix style /etc/passwd and NT's system
user database.)
We still recommend that you use
NWAuth if you do not have any
limitations on which authentication option you choose.
For details of its performance see,
Performance Statistics
I want to make use of the Free Trial period to try this out.
So how do I set this up?
For those who want simple 'do this' type instructions we now have the,
Step by Step Installation Guide
For those who need to know more about how the system works,
we recommend the following sequence:
- Download and install DMail. Set
it up for just ONE domain (add extra 'virtual' domains later)
- Set up External Authentication (nwauth) with 'user@domain' type
authentication:
for example, set/edit the following settings in dmail.conf
(typically c:\winnt\system32\dmail.conf or /etc/dmail.conf),
authent_method external
authent_process c:\dmail\nwauth.exe
authent_domain true
Notes:
- there should be a host_domain setting in dmail.conf for your
domain, e.g.,
host_domain mydomain.com
- you need to RE-START DMSTP and DPOP after changing
the authentication process.
- Add a couple of test users:
You can do this either using the 'Users' section of the windows
GUI admin tool, DMAdmin,
or you can run nwauth from a command line, e.g. to add bob and fred
to the domain, mydomain.com enter,
c:\dmail\nwauth (runs nwauth)
set bob@mydomain.com pass1
set fred@mydomain.com pass2
quit (to close nwauth)
Now check that you have successfully added the two users by opening
in a text editor the database file, nwauth.add (or nwauth.txt). You
should see two lines (with encrypted passwords) like,
bob@mydomain.com:eqYFAFM:
fred@mydomain.com:byIMPKK:
At this point you should be able to send and receive email
with a normal, non-web-based, email client.
- Download and install
CWMail (or DMailWeb)
Now you should be able to send and receive email using
the web interface.
- Download and
install
NetAuth
Now you should have a complete system. You should be able to
add users from the web.
Each of the products has its own information on installation, which
you should read (click on the links above). Our products are rich in
features so don't get bogged down in the details :-)
If you have any problems or this does not cover your specific
situation then please contact
DMail support
or for CWMail/DMailWeb specific queries you can contact,
CWMail support
similarly for NetAuth specific queries you can contact
NetAuth support
- any of us will be happy to help :-)
What is a Auto Account Creation system?
A very popular feature of the DMail suite of products is the ability
to setup a Web Based Email System with Auto Account Creation, for example a
'HotMail' type system.
Users Adding Themselves to Your EMail System:
Basically such a system is where users can go along to your
web site and create themselves a mail account. Often they
are asked to provide details about themselves.
Users can then access this mail account via the web, so that
they can send and read mail from anywhere in the world. All they
need is a computer with a web browser and an internet connection.
Find out how to set up an Web Based Email
system