Issue accessing Mac OS X Server WebMail

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Level 1

0 points

Issue accessing Mac OS X Server WebMail

Hi,

I am just in the process of setting up a Mac OS X Server for my boss just to run as a LAN. I've set up the web services so that all users can access wikis, calendars, blogs and webmail. All of us in the office have our on Gmail accounts which I have successfully synced to the mail application on the Mac OS X Server. Unfortunately, when trying to access the users mail via the webmail login it does not recognise the users name/password. The usernames and passwords are definitely correct as we've logged in to them directly using the mail application on the mac OS x server, but have issues when trying to access them via the web interface. I've synced the accounts so that each one links to that particular user but am still having issues. It is as if the users aren't synced to their respective mail accounts that have been setup. I did briefly get in to the master account on the computer, but after changing some settings, I can now longer access it.

Any help on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Richard

Mac OS X Server-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jun 14, 2012 6:09 AM

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Answer 1

capaho

Level 4

3,673 points

Jun 14, 2012 7:03 AM in response to Richard Dodd

The users should be able to log into webmail if the user names and passwords are configured correctly in Workgroup Manager with Mail enabled for their accounts. Their mail domains should also be listed in the Hosting section of the Mail settings in Server Admin.

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Answer 2

Richard Dodd Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 14, 2012 7:34 AM in response to capaho

Mail is enabled for each of the users. A list of users do appear in the maintenance tab of the mail settings in server admin as well. I can sign in with the accounts to access the web service but the same password does not allow me to access the mail service. Apologies, it is probably something obvious as this is the first time I have set up a server of any kind. The domain name that I am using is tuairisc.private for the LAN, would this also be the host name used for the mail system?

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Answer 3

Jun 14, 2012 7:48 AM in response to Richard Dodd

Mail and particularly tasks such as authentication can be sensitive to proper LAN-local DNS services.

To verify the server has proper DNS services, launch Terminal.app (from Applications > Utilities) on the server, and enter the non-destructive command:

sudo changeip -checkhostname

to verify your DNS is either correct, or that changes are required.

Launch Console.app (Applications > Utilities) or use Server Admin.app (install the Server Tools, look in Applications > Server) and see if there are any relevant errors being logged.

It's possible that tuairisc.private is the host name for the mail server, or it might be

your-server-host-name-here.tuairisc.private

(I haven't looked in the list of likely newly-registered top-level domains that has been recently published to see if ".private" is being acquired by somebody, or if ICANN has set that one aside for this use.)

If you're planning to access and use this mail server externally, then there are some additional steps that will be needed to get the server working; you'll have to set up the external domain as a virtual host within Server Admin.app, and you'll need to get your external DNS forward and reverse translations and your MX record matching or other mail servers either won't send or won't receive mail from your server. Mismatched public DNS will get your mail server classed as a spam engine by other mail servers.

And in general, get yourself a real and registered domain, or a subdomain of a real and registered domain; don't save yourself a couple of coffees a year at the cost of rebuilding the servers and the networks and the links and the websites and all the other arcane spots the domain names get stored.

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Answer 4

iToaster

Level 3

739 points

Jun 14, 2012 7:59 PM in response to Richard Dodd

check password setting in server admin mail advanced security

from memory webmail uses plain passwords unless your using SSL

try shortname login . if users have several short names try the first entry in WGM

as others have pointed out your going to run into issues not having a real domain name and trying to run a mail server

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Answer 5

Richard Dodd Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 15, 2012 1:51 AM in response to iToaster

Thanks for your responses. Using the shortnames worked for me. One question though, I have set up my gmail account on the Mac os x server. How do I go about linking it to my account? When I sign in using the mail application I can view my entire gmail inbox and send and receive from it. However, when I log in to webmail, it gives me a completely different inbox. I take it there must be a step which allows me to sync my gmail account to my user profile.

Thanks for your help in advance.

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Answer 6

Richard Dodd Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 18, 2012 8:16 AM in response to Richard Dodd

Still having an issue with this. I can't seem to link my Gmail account into the webmail feature found on the mac os x web server. Basically, I just want it to push and pull emails from gmail. Any help would be much appreciated.

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Answer 7

Jun 19, 2012 9:25 AM in response to Richard Dodd

I want to help, but I'm a bit confused about the configuration.

Using Apple's Mail program allows you to view mail (IMAP or POP) and possibly store copies in the user's home folder.

The webmail feature (as I understand it) reads IMAP email from a mail server (not from the user's home folder).

If I understand you correctly, you're wanting to have web access to the same In Box as you see in the Mail application. If that's correct, the only way I could see this happening is for you to set up a mail server and have GMAIL forwarded to your own server.

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Answer 8

Oct 21, 2012 9:44 AM in response to Richard Dodd

Hi

What is webmail address for mac os x server?

I am using os x server 2.1 on 10.8.2, is it applicable?

thx

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