I’m creating a new VPS slice this afternoon on an onapp platform.
2Gb RAM, 80Gb HD
Once installed with the ISPs Image, I plan to upgrade CentOS to 6.3, and then install Virtualmin GPL.
Here is my question.
I previously ran a Zimbra mail server and a Webin webhost on two separate boxes, but plan to run all on this one box, including a LAMP application that I use webmin to support.
I understand that Zimbra and Webmin/Virtualmin do not play well together, because they both like to be in control. (I’m not asking about controlling Zimbra from Webmin, I’ve just read that the two on the same box is not wise.)
That being said, is Virtualmin’s configuration of standard Mail Services robust for mail, and what webmail services (other than usermin) do you recommend?
Well, the issue with Zimbra and Virtualmin on the same system is twofold… one, they each handle email differently, but both have an email service that runs on port 25 (and similar with POP/IMAP/SMTPS/Submission). Two, Zimbra has a web service on port 80, but that’s also where Virtualmin expects to be running it’s own websites.
But can you run email from Virtualmin? Sure! Virtualmin is designed to be able to provide email for a web hosting provider – meaning domain account owners can add/modify/delete their own email accounts and aliases (if you allow them to).
A lot of folks use RoundCube as a webmail client, which has a nice AJAX-based interface. You can install that using the Virtualmin Install Scripts.
It’s also possible to use Zimbra and Virtualmin together (I’m pretty sure some folks have done so), you just have to configure them to stay out of each others way. That would entail making Virtualmin not configure mail or create mail users (but maybe add MX records to server templates), and making Zimbra get off of port 80 for web stuff.
Beyond that, I think you’d have to just try it and see what happens. I suspect it can be done pretty easily, as long as you don’t need Virtualmin to be able to handle your mail (because the Zimbra way is pretty far from the Virtualmin way, and I doubt the two could be configured to cooperate, at this point in time).
zimbra is meant to be a singular stand alone mail solution. it ia also not meant to be used as an independent anything else either. You CAN run webmin on a zimbra server but anything else is going to be highly problematic. if you want to do something similar use a virtualization solution and two vm’s…one for zimbra and one for your virtualmin. do not have the virtualmin do anything with mail…no spam, mailling lists, email…etc etc etc.