This Python script aims to provide a simple command line interface to manage virtual mail accounts in an MySQL database that is organized as explained in the great tutorial of Thomas Leister:
https://thomas-leister.de/mailserver-debian-stretch/
The database layout, he is proposing, includes a table accounts with information (name, password hash, quota, enabled
flag, sendonly flag) on virtual mail accounts to be used by dovecot and a table aliases to be used by postfix for
redirects. Managing them is somehow compilcated, as it requires dealing with cumbersome SQL queries and the additional
usage of the doveadm command to hash passwords.
This script provides simple and dialog-oriented command line commands to get a quick overview over accounts and aliases and modify them.
Management of the domains and tlspolicies tables must (for now) still be done manually, which should be okay, since
it is required rather rarely.
You need Python 3 and the Python 3-MySQL-Connector:
$ apt install python3-pymysql
Now download the script (or clone it out from GitHub) and move it to any place you like. Move the configuration file
config.ini to /etc/managevmail/config.ini (which is the default location) or any other place you like (which then
requires the -c parameter to use the script). Chmod the config.ini file, if neccessary, to be only readable for
root (or any user/group you want to empower to manage the vmail database).
$ install -D -m 640 config.ini /etc/managevmail/config.ini
Create a MySQL user for the management, grant it SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT and DELETE privileges on the vmail database
and enter the MySQL credentials into the config.ini:
> CREATE USER managevmail@localhost IDENTIFIED BY '<your random password>';
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.08 sec)
> GRANT SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, DELETE ON vmail.* TO managevmail@localhost;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)
The script is meant to be executed with root privileges. Actually, they are (by default) only required to fetch the
current quota usage with doveadm and delete mailbox directories of deleted accounts, while all other actions require
only access to the database, i.e. to read the config.ini file.
The basic syntax is:
$ managevmail.py [-c path/to/config.ini] COMMAND [ADDRESS]
The commands are:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| list | List all known accounts and aliases. Aliases are displays with their destination, disabled and sendonly addresses are flagged. Does not require an address |
| show | Show all relevant information on the account or the alias (or both) to the given address. This even queries the quota usage from Dovecot. |
| add | Add an account. Queries interactively for quota, enabled flag, sendonly flag and password. |
| change | Change settings of an account. Queries interactively for quota, enabled flag and sendonly flag. |
| pw | Change password of an account. Queries interactively for the new password. |
| delete | Delete an account. Asks for confirmation, asks again for confirmation of mailbox deletion. |
| addalias | Add an alias. Queries interactively for enabled flag and destination address. |
| changealias | Change settings of an alias. Queries interactively for enabled flag and destination address. |
| deletealias | Delete an alias. Asks for confirmation. |
$ managevmail.py list
cms@exmaple.com [sendonly]
info@example.com → mail@example.com
mail@example.com
[dis] old@example.com
$
$ managevmail.py addalias webmaster@example.com
Destination address: mail@example.com
Enable Alias? [Y/n]
Alias has been created.
$
$ managevmail.py pw cms@example.com
New password:
Type password again:
Stored new password.
$
$ managevmail.py delete old@example.com
Do you really want to delete the account old@example.com? [y/N] y
Account has been deleted.
Do you want to delete the user's mailbox? [y/N] y
Account's Mailbox has been deleted.
$
$ managevmail.py show mail@example.com
mail@example.com is an account:
Enabled: Yes
Sendonly: No
Quota: 512 MiB
Quota used: 121.3 MiB (23.7 %)