Haraka - a Node.js Mail Server
Haraka is a highly scalable node.js email server with a modular plugin architecture. Haraka can serve thousands of concurrent connections and deliver thousands of messages per second. Haraka and plugins are written in asynchronous JS and are very fast.
Haraka has very good spam protection (see plugins) and works well as a filtering MTA. It also works well as a MSA running on port 587 with auth and dkim_sign plugins enabled.
Haraka makes no attempt to be a mail store (like Exchange or Postfix/Exim/Qmail), a LDA, nor an IMAP server (like Dovecot or Courier). Haraka is typically used with such systems.
Haraka has a scalable outbound mail delivery engine built in. Mail
marked as relaying (such as via an auth plugin) is automatically
queued for outbound delivery.
Getting Help
- Join the mailing list (implemented as a Haraka plugin)
- GitHub Issues
Screencast
Why Use Haraka?
Haraka's plugin architecture provides an easily extensible MTA that complements traditional MTAs that excel at managing mail stores but do not have sufficient filtering.
The plugin system makes it easy to code new features. A typical example
is providing qmail-like extended addresses to an Exchange system,
whereby you could receive mail as user-anyword@domain.com, and yet
still have it correctly routed to user@domain.com. This is a few lines of
code in Haraka.
Plugins are provided for running mail through SpamAssassin, validating HELO names, checking DNS Blocklists, and many others.
Installing Haraka
Haraka requires node.js to run. Install Haraka with npm:
# If the second command gives "nobody" errors, uncomment & run the next command
# npm -g config set user root
npm install -g HarakaAfter installation, use the haraka binary to set up the service.
Running Haraka
First, create the service:
haraka -i /path/to/haraka_testThat creates the directory haraka_test with config and plugin
directories within. It also sets the host name used by Haraka
to the output of hostname.
If hostname is not correct, edit config/host_list. For example,
to receive mail addressed to user@domain.com, add domain.com to the
config/host_list file.
Finally, start Haraka using root permissions:
haraka -c /path/to/haraka_testAnd it will run.
Configure Haraka
To choose which plugins run, edit config/plugins. Plugins control the
overall behaviour of Haraka. By default, only messages to domains listed
in config/host_list will be accepted and then delivered via the
smtp-forward plugin. Configure the destination in config/smtp_forward.ini.
Read the Fine Manual
haraka -h plugins/$nameThe docs detail how each plugin is configured. After editing
config/plugins, restart Haraka and enjoy!
Running from git
If you are unable to use npm to install Haraka, you can run from git by following these steps:
First clone the repository:
$ git clone https://github.com/haraka/Haraka.git
$ cd Haraka
Install Haraka's node.js dependencies locally:
$ npm install
Edit config/plugins and config/smtp.ini to specify the plugins and
config you want.
Finally run Haraka:
$ node haraka.js
License and Author
Haraka is MIT licensed - see the LICENSE file for details.
Haraka is a project started by Matt Sergeant, a 10 year veteran of the email and anti-spam world. Previous projects have been the project leader for SpamAssassin and a hacker on Qpsmtpd.