This is a text-only version of the following page on https://raymii.org:
---
Title : Forward or save outgoing email with Exim
Author : Remy van Elst
Date : 16-12-2015
URL : https://raymii.org/s/blog/Forward_or_save_all_outgoing_email_with_exim.html
Format : Markdown/HTML
---
I have a specific server where requirements state that all outgoing email should
be saved for archival and auditing purposes. The server uses the Exim mail
transfer agent, which makes this easy to configure. The outgoing email is also
forwarded to an off-site mailbox, both for backup and easy consulting. This
captures all outgoing email, sent by PHP scripts or cronjobs, or user accounts
that send via exim. This tutorial also shows how to forward or save all outgoing
email for a specific domain.
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### Exim configuration
There are two things that need to be configured. The system filter and the
specific transport. If you only want to forward emails and not save them to the
filesystem, the transport section is not needed.
Edit your exim configuration and add these lines at the top:
# /etc/exim.conf top
system_filter = /etc/system_filter.exim
system_filter_directory_transport = local_copy_outgoing
Add these lines lower in the configuration, in your transports section:
# /etc/exim.conf transpors section
local_copy_outgoing:
driver = appendfile
delivery_date_add
envelope_to_add
return_path_add
group = mail
user = mail
mode = 0660
maildir_format = true
create_directory = true
Change the `mail` user to the specific user account on your system exim runs at.
It could be named `exim`. You can check that with the `getent passwd` command.
To configure the actual saving and filtering create or edit the
`/etc/system_filter.exim` file. The below snippets should be placed in that
file, according to what you're trying to acomplish.
To save all outgoing mail from a specific domain to a maildir folder in
`/var/mail/`:
if $sender_address_domain is example.tld
then
unseen save /var/mail/example.tld/mailarchive/.${tr{$sender_address}{.}{_}}.outgoing/
endif
Forward all outgoing from specific domain to specific email address:
if $sender_address_domain is example.tld
then
unseen deliver othermailbox@otherdomain.com
endif
Forward ALL outgoing mail to email address:
unseen deliver othermailbox@otherdomain.com
Save ALL outgoing email to maildir folder:
unseen save /var/mail/${tr{$sender_address_domain}{.}{_}}/mailarchive/${tr{$sender_address}{.}{_}}.outgoing/
The files are saved in a maildir structure:
ls -la /var/mail/example.tld/mailarchive/example\@example.tld.outgoing/new/
total 16
-rw-rw---- 1 mail mail 1632 Dec 15 20:31 1450207897.H829447P10443.example.tld
drwx------ 5 mail mail 4096 Dec 15 20:31 ..
-rw-rw---- 1 mail mail 1747 Dec 15 20:33 1450207983.H51962P10484.example.tld
drwx------ 2 mail mail 4096 Dec 15 20:33 .
You can check the [exim documentation][2] for more variables you can use in this
filter document.
[1]: https://www.digitalocean.com/?refcode=7435ae6b8212
[2]: http://www.exim.org/exim-html-3.30/doc/html/filter_34.html
---
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