I've had smtp turned off on my linux bbs but for a "fun" project i'm trying the following.
I have my linux bbs sending outbound mail through X-Bit using SMTP AUTH, and that part works. DNS for unix-bit.x-bit.org has MX pointing to x-bit.org, and X-Bit accepts mail for that domain via domains.cfg. Is there a proper Synchronet way to have X-Bit forward inbound mail for *@unix-bit.x-bit.org directly to Unix-Bit on my LAN, like 192.168.1.250:25, while X-Bit still uses mail.synchro.net as its outbound relay? alias.cfg caused a loop through mail.synchro.net when I tried it.
alias.cfg is the way. But a bigger question is: why are your 2 Synchronet hosts not sharing data (e.g. the mail base) and config files (since they're on the same LAN)? If they shared the same data files, you wouldn't need to relay anything.
Re: mail routing
By: Digital Man to xbit on Fri Jun 05 2026 03:14 pm
alias.cfg is the way. But a bigger question is: why are your 2 Synchronet hosts not sharing data (e.g. the mail base) and config files (since they're on the same LAN)? If they shared the same data files, you wouldn't need to relay anything.
Will review data sharing next as that would be preferred. But want to get my first routing project working as i feel i'm very close. So my last question on using alias.cfg:
If alias.cfg is the way, what exact syntax should I use to forward [email protected] to [email protected]:25 directly? When I tried that, X-Bit treated 192.168.1.250:25 as external mail and sent it through my RelayServer/mail.synchro.net, causing a loop. Is there a flag or syntax to force direct SMTP delivery and bypass RelayServer for that alias?
I have my linux bbs sending outbound mail through X-Bit using SMTP AUTH, and that part works. DNS for unix-bit.x-bit.org has MX pointing to *@unix-bit.x-bit.org directly to Unix-Bit on my LAN, like 192.168.1.250:25, while X-Bit still uses mail.synchro.net as its outbound
that, X-Bit treated 192.168.1.250:25 as external mail and sent it through
my RelayServer/mail.synchro.net, causing a loop. Is there a flag or syntax
to force direct SMTP delivery and bypass RelayServer for that alias?
Put 192.168.1.250 in your ctrl/domains.cfg file. I think that'll do it.
Re: mail routing
By: Digital Man to Rob McGee on Fri Jun 05 2026 04:47 pm
that, X-Bit treated 192.168.1.250:25 as external mail and sent it through
my RelayServer/mail.synchro.net, causing a loop. Is there a flag or syntax
to force direct SMTP delivery and bypass RelayServer for that alias?
Put 192.168.1.250 in your ctrl/domains.cfg file. I think that'll do it.
Adding 192.168.1.250 to domains.cfg stopped the relay loop issue, but alias.cfg still does not seem to catch the address. X-Bit is checking its local user database first: [email protected] delivers to local user #1, and [email protected] gives UNKNOWN USER.
My alias.cfg test line is: *@unix-bit.x-bit.org *@192.168.1.250:25
domains.cfg currently has:
192.168.1.250
Is there another setting needed to make alias.cfg catch *@unix-bit.x-bit.org before local user lookup, or should unix-bit.x-bit.org also be in domains.cfg?
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