Knowledge Base

How to install/change a local mail server in Plesk for Linux

Question

How to install a local mail server or switch between mail servers in Plesk for Linux?

Answer

Plesk allows to install the following mail components and switch between them using Plesk Installer:

SMTP servers

- Postfix
- Qmail
IMAP/POP3 servers

- Dovecot
- Courier

Note: Changing SMTP server does not affect mailboxes, but changing IMAP server may affect mailboxes. Visit this KB article to learn more about potential issues.

Installing/changing the mail server via the Plesk interface

Go to Tools & Settings and click Updates and Upgrades.
On the Updates and Upgrades page, click Add/Remove Components.
On the Add/Remove Components page, expand Mail Hosting and select required mail components:
- SMTP servers
  
  - Postfix (default)
  - Qmail
- IMAP/POP3 servers
  
  - Dovecot (default)
  - Courier
Click Continue to begin the installation.

Installing/changing the mail server via a command-line interface

Connect to a Plesk server via SSH.
Start Plesk Installer:

# plesk installer
Proceed to the "Main components list for Plesk" menu.
In the "Main components list for Plesk" menu, expand "Mail hosting".
In the "Primary components list/mail" menu, select required mail components using their numbers:
- SMTP servers
  
  - Postfix (default)
  - Qmail
- IMAP/POP3 servers
  
  - Dovecot (default)
  - Courier
Go back to the "Main components list for Plesk" menu.
Begin the installation.