So, my question is: Why doesn't postfix simply use /etc/aliases to redirect incoming mail to external email addresses like I'm used to when I used ubuntu 16.04LTS?
Follow up question: Is there a simpler way to use /etc/postfix/virtual that I'm missing?
I have a new server and the email handling doesn't work the way I'm used to. I've spent most of the day scouring tutorials and manuals, but am still not having any luck. This server does not need to have any mailboxes, virtual or otherwise. It will need to send mail for system processes, and via php, mysql, etc., and to redirect all other incoming emails (or discard them as garbage).
I'm good with the system sending mail, but the redirect doesn't work at all how I'm used to from previous ubuntu servers.
On previous servers, I would often do vanity email redirects so, [email protected] would just be delivered to [email protected]. I did this using /etc/aliases and then running the command newaliases to enable them.
It was convenient, because I could simply write:
name: [email protected]
and no matter which of my domains the email was addressed to, it was redirected to [email protected] Also, I could use:
name: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] (etc.)
I would never make system accounts for any of these, just drop them in the file and Bob's your uncle.
With the current setup, it appears that the aliases.db is completely ignored. The redirects work properly if I use /etc/postfix/virtual but it takes more time to set them up. I have to type in:
[email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
etc.....
