How to configure Postfix to send mail via Google Apps

In this tutorial, we’ll configure Postfix to send an email through Google’s SMTP on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server for Google Apps. We can use the exact same setup for Gmail account also:



Install Postfix and command line mail utility using the following command:

sudo apt-get install postfix mailutils

Backup the default configuration file for postfix:

sudo cp /etc/postfix/main.cf /etc/postfix/main.cf.bk

Edit the /etc/postfix/main.cf file:

sudo nano /etc/postfix/main.cf

Delete everything from main.cf file and add this:

smtp_sasl_security_options = noanonymous
relayhost = [smtp.gmail.com]:587
smtp_use_tls = yes
smtp_tls_CAfile = /etc/postfix/cacert.pem
smtp_sasl_auth_enable = yes
smtp_sasl_password_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/googleapps/password

Create a directory googleapps under /etc/postfix:

sudo mkdir /etc/postfix/googleapps

Move to the /etc/postfix/googleapps directory:

cd /etc/postfix/googleapps/

Create a file named password inside /etc/postfix/googleapps directory:

sudo nano password

Add the following contents to the password file:

[smtp.gmail.com]:587 arbab.nazar@rbgeek.com:password

Note: arbab.nazar@rbgeek.com is a Google apps mail address of mine with false password, you can use your original Google apps email address and password here.

Change the permission on password file:

sudo chmod 600 password

Transform the password file into a hashed table:

sudo postmap password

Copy CA root certificates to postfix directory:

sudo cp /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt /etc/postfix/cacert.pem

Restart the postfix service:

sudo /etc/init.d/postfix restart

Test the postfix server by sending an email to another account:

echo "Testing" | mail -s "Email from tendo" arbabnazar@ymail.com

Check the destination email account:



Hope this will help you!