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For an Ubuntu host that only needs to send alerts, cron output, and application mail, install the exim4 package and select mail sent by smarthost; no local mail in Debian’s configuration wizard. Enter the relay host (and port when needed), configure authentication and TLS if the relay requires them, then regenerate the configuration and restart Exim. Verify the handoff with the queue commands and Exim logs.

What send-only Exim mode does

Exim can deliver mail directly to recipient domains or hand messages to another SMTP server. A send-only Ubuntu machine normally should use the smarthost configuration with local mail disabled. In this mode, mail generated on the host is forwarded to a remote SMTP relay instead of being delivered locally, and the machine is not configured as the mail server for a local email domain.

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A smarthost is especially appropriate for a server with a dynamic or otherwise untrusted public IP address. Many receiving systems limit or block direct SMTP delivery from dynamic-address ranges, so using a relay avoids requiring this host to build direct-delivery reputation and accept Internet mail. The relay still controls authentication, sender policy, rate limits, and final delivery.

  • Outgoing notifications: suitable for system mail, monitoring alerts, backups, and applications that submit through /usr/sbin/sendmail.
  • No normal inbound service: the host is not intended to receive mail for external domains.
  • Relay dependency: delivery depends on the relay being reachable and accepting the credentials and sender address.

This is a routing choice, not merely a switch that turns off one listening socket. Exim still accepts locally submitted messages, places them in its queue, and applies its routers and transports. The destination of those messages is the configured smarthost. Consequently, a local application can often continue using the standard sendmail-compatible interface without knowing the relay’s username, password, or hostname.

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Before installing

  • Use an Ubuntu account that can run sudo.
  • Obtain the SMTP relay’s hostname or IP address and its required port. The standard SMTP submission port is not assumed; use the value specified by the relay administrator.
  • Determine whether the relay requires SMTP authentication, and which authentication method, username, password, sender addresses, and TLS policy it permits.
  • Ensure the server can resolve the relay hostname and that outbound firewall rules allow connections to the required SMTP port.
  • Choose a sender address the relay allows. A relay may reject mail when the envelope or header sender is outside its approved domains.

Do not put real passwords in a public document, in a command copied to shell history, or in a world-readable configuration file. Apply the relay’s credential-storage instructions and restrict access to any Exim authentication file.

Clarify the relay’s policy before you start. Some relays authorize a specific account, some authorize the server’s source address, and some require both an approved sender domain and authenticated submission. Ask whether the relay expects ordinary SMTP with an upgrade to TLS or another encryption mode, and record the exact hostname because certificate validation depends on using the correct name rather than an unrelated IP address.

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Also decide whether you want one generated Exim configuration file or Debian’s split-file layout. The choice affects where you inspect source fragments, but it does not change the smarthost concept. The wizard supports either arrangement.

Install the Exim4 package

Refresh Ubuntu’s package index and install Exim4:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install exim4

The package installation provides Exim and Debian’s configuration system. If a configuration dialog appears during installation, you can complete it there or run the reconfiguration wizard explicitly in the next step.

Use the package supplied by Ubuntu rather than downloading an unrelated Exim build. Debian’s packaging supplies the configuration answers, templates, service integration, queue handling, and the update-exim4.conf command used later. Keeping those pieces together makes subsequent reconfiguration predictable.

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Open Debian’s Exim configuration wizard

Run:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure exim4-config

The wizard asks how Exim should be configured and whether to keep one generated configuration file or use split files under /etc/exim4/conf.d. Either layout is supported by Debian’s packaging. The important choice for a send-only host is the general mail configuration type.

If you are correcting an existing installation, this command is also the safest way to revisit the principal answers. It prevents an old Internet-site choice or an obsolete relay value from being mistaken for the active design. Work through the prompts carefully instead of assuming that restarting the service alone will apply a new answer.

Select “mail sent by smarthost; no local mail”

At the general configuration prompt, choose mail sent by smarthost; no local mail. This option is intended for a client system that is not responsible for a local email domain. Locally generated messages are submitted to the configured smarthost rather than being routed as local-domain mail.

Do not select a mode merely because it sounds more powerful:

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Wizard choice Use it when Trade-off
Mail sent by smarthost; no local mail The Ubuntu machine only needs outbound notifications and another SMTP server will deliver them. Requires a reachable relay and, when required, valid credentials and permitted sender addresses. It avoids direct-delivery reputation and reduces inbound exposure.
Internet site The host has a stable, correctly configured public mail identity and is deliberately intended to deliver directly to recipient domains. Requires substantially more DNS, reputation, TLS, queue, abuse, and inbound-mail administration. It is not the usual send-only choice.
Local delivery only Messages must remain on this Ubuntu host. Does not deliver mail to remote recipients and therefore does not meet a send-only-to-the-Internet requirement.

The phrase “no local mail” can be misunderstood. It does not mean that Exim rejects every message generated on the machine. It means the host is not responsible for delivering mail for a local email domain; locally generated mail is routed onward through the smarthost. If an application submits a message and it appears in the queue, that is expected behavior while Exim is waiting for the relay or retrying a temporary failure.

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Conversely, do not add the recipient’s external domain to a local-domain list simply to make a test work. In a send-only design, external domains should be handled by the smarthost route. Marking one as local can make Exim attempt local delivery and produce confusing results.

Enter the smarthost and port

When the wizard requests the outgoing relay, enter its fully qualified hostname or IP address. Debian’s Exim configuration accepts a non-standard port by appending two colons to the host, for example:

smtp.example.net::587

The example uses port 587 only to demonstrate the syntax. Use the exact host, port, and encryption requirements supplied by the relay operator. A relay that requires implicit TLS, a particular submission port, or a restricted source network may not accept a generic SMTP connection.

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Continue through the remaining wizard questions with values that match the relay’s policy. In particular, do not list external recipient domains as local domains when the purpose is to forward them through the smarthost. Adding a domain as local changes routing behavior and can cause Exim to attempt local delivery instead of relay submission.

Enter the relay exactly as documented, including its fully qualified name and the two-colon port notation when a non-default port is required. A hostname typo, an omitted port separator, or a port blocked by the egress firewall can all look like an authentication problem because Exim never reaches the stage where credentials are exchanged. If the provider supplies separate hostnames for submission and receiving mail, use the submission hostname.

The relay address is a destination for outbound SMTP, not a DNS record that turns this Ubuntu host into a public mail server. You do not need to publish an inbound MX record for the Ubuntu machine merely because Exim is installed in smarthost mode.

Configure SMTP authentication and TLS

If the relay accepts unauthenticated mail from this server’s network, no username or password is needed. If it requires SMTP authentication, configure Exim’s authentication mechanism and credentials according to the relay’s instructions. The exact mechanism and credential file arrangement depend on the relay and the Debian Exim configuration being used, so copy only the settings it documents.

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Password-based authentication must be protected by TLS. Confirm all of the following before sending credentials:

  • The relay advertises or otherwise requires the TLS mode expected by your Exim configuration.
  • The selected port matches that TLS mode; do not assume that a port number alone enables encryption.
  • The relay’s certificate and hostname can be validated by the system’s TLS trust configuration.
  • The account is authorized to use the sender address and recipient destinations you intend to submit.

Keep authentication data out of shell history and source control. After saving credentials, check their ownership and permissions using the relay administrator’s security requirements, and avoid pasting secrets into diagnostic output.

Authentication and sender authorization are separate checks. A valid password may still be rejected if the envelope sender is not approved, if the account is not enabled for SMTP submission, or if the relay limits which recipients the account may use. When a provider gives a list of permitted sender addresses, test with one of those addresses rather than an arbitrary address that only looks plausible.

Do not “fix” a failed login by turning off encryption. Unencrypted password authentication exposes the credential to anyone able to observe the connection. Instead, compare the relay’s documented TLS mode, port, certificate name, and authentication mechanism with the values in the Exim transport and authenticator configuration.

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Generate and activate Exim’s configuration

Debian stores answers and templates separately from the active generated configuration. After completing the wizard, build the active file and restart the service:

sudo update-exim4.conf
sudo systemctl restart exim4

update-exim4.conf assembles the active Exim configuration from Debian-managed answers and templates. Run it again whenever you change the source configuration. Do not hand-edit the generated output: a later regeneration can overwrite manual changes, and the result may no longer reflect the wizard’s settings.

If you selected split configuration, source fragments are under /etc/exim4/conf.d. The wizard’s stored answers are represented in Debian’s Exim configuration files, including /etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf. Inspect those source files when diagnosing a wrong mode or relay value, then regenerate and restart rather than editing generated output.

Regeneration and restart are distinct operations. The first writes a new active configuration; the second causes the running Exim service to use it. If you change a relay hostname, port, authentication file, or TLS-related setting and perform only one of these steps, the running process may continue using old values. Repeat both steps after source changes.

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Likewise, avoid editing a generated file merely because its contents appear easier to understand. Debian’s templates and stored answers are the durable inputs. A package update, another wizard run, or the next regeneration can replace generated edits without warning.

Send a test message and verify the handoff

Submit a message from the local host with an installed mail client such as mail, or use an application that invokes /usr/sbin/sendmail. The test should use a recipient address outside the Ubuntu host so that it exercises the smarthost route.

Use a sender address that the relay permits, and make the subject distinctive enough to find at the destination. A successful local command only proves that Exim accepted the submission; it does not prove that the remote relay accepted or finally delivered the message.

Use Exim’s queue and log tools to determine what happened:

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exim -bp
exim -qff
sudo tail -f /var/log/exim4/mainlog
sudo tail -f /var/log/exim4/rejectlog
  • exim -bp lists messages currently queued. A message that disappears after successful handoff has normally been accepted by the next delivery stage; confirm final receipt at the destination as well.
  • exim -qff forces a queue run, including messages that would otherwise wait for their retry time. Use it when you have corrected a transient problem and want Exim to attempt delivery again.
  • /var/log/exim4/mainlog records delivery attempts, deferrals, and SMTP responses.
  • /var/log/exim4/rejectlog records messages or connections rejected by Exim’s policy.

A send-only setup should show the message being handed to the configured smarthost. It should not behave as a general inbound server for external domains. A successful local submission alone is not proof of final delivery: the relay can still reject, defer, or filter the message later.

Read the log while submitting the test so you can correlate the queue ID, relay connection, SMTP response, and final queue state. A temporary deferral normally leaves the message queued for a later retry. A permanent rejection requires correcting the stated policy or configuration problem rather than repeatedly forcing the same queue run.

After the relay accepts the message, verify receipt at the destination and inspect any bounce or filtering notice. The relay may apply its own sender policy, rate limits, or content controls after Exim has handed the message over. Those decisions are outside the local queue, so destination confirmation is an important final check.

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Troubleshoot deferred or rejected mail

Exim is using the wrong mode

Re-run the wizard:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure exim4-config

Choose mail sent by smarthost; no local mail, verify the relay value, then regenerate and restart:

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sudo update-exim4.conf
sudo systemctl restart exim4

Check the Debian-managed answers, including /etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf, rather than relying on a generated file that may be replaced during the next update.

The relay hostname or port cannot be reached

Read the exact SMTP response in /var/log/exim4/mainlog. Verify DNS resolution for the relay host, outbound firewall rules, routing, and the port supplied by the relay administrator. A typo in the host or the ::port syntax can prevent Exim from connecting at all.

If there is no SMTP response because the connection never starts, concentrate on name resolution, route selection, firewall egress, and the relay’s source-network restrictions. If a connection is established but the server closes it immediately, compare the selected port and TLS mode before changing credentials.

Authentication fails

Confirm the username, password, authentication mechanism, and allowed sender address. Check that the account is enabled for SMTP submission and that the relay permits this server’s source address. Do not respond to an authentication error by disabling TLS; password authentication should remain encrypted.

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Check the credential file for accidental whitespace, wrong ownership, or permissions that prevent Exim from reading it. Keep the password private while collecting logs; SMTP responses and configuration diagnostics should not be copied with secrets included.

TLS negotiation fails

Compare the relay’s required encryption mode and port with Exim’s authentication and transport settings. Certificate or hostname validation errors can indicate a wrong relay name, an incomplete trust store, or a relay that expects a different TLS mode. The log’s SMTP status and TLS error are more useful than the queue state alone.

Using an IP address where the relay expects a certificate name can also produce a name-validation failure. Prefer the provider’s documented hostname and confirm that the system can validate the certificate chain supplied by the relay.

Messages remain deferred

Exim keeps deferred messages in its queue and records retry behavior in the main log. Fix the underlying network, DNS, authentication, sender-policy, or TLS problem first, then run sudo exim -qff when appropriate. If the relay continues to defer mail, use its returned SMTP status to determine whether the issue is temporary capacity, rate limiting, policy, or an invalid recipient.

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Do not interpret a nonempty queue as proof that the configuration is wrong. Queueing is normal while Exim follows its retry schedule. The important evidence is the latest SMTP response and whether the relay eventually accepts the message. For a corrected transient failure, a forced queue run can provide a quick confirmation without waiting for the next retry interval.

The message is accepted locally but never arrives

Check the main log for a relay handoff, then check the recipient mailbox and any filtering or quarantine notices. If Exim handed the message to the smarthost, the remaining decision belongs to that service. Confirm that the envelope sender, header sender, recipient, and relay account all comply with the provider’s policy.

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Operational checks after setup

  • Keep the relay hostname, port, TLS requirement, and credential owner documented for future maintenance.
  • Recheck the queue and main log after changing the relay or credentials.
  • Confirm that applications are submitting through /usr/sbin/sendmail or the local SMTP interface expected by their configuration, rather than bypassing Exim with an unrelated direct-delivery setting.
  • Monitor rejected and deferred messages so an expired password or relay policy change does not silently stop system alerts.
  • Limit inbound firewall exposure; a send-only host does not need to advertise itself as a public receiving server merely because Exim is installed.

Review the configuration after Ubuntu or Exim package updates. If a package update changes a template or asks configuration questions again, confirm that the smarthost/no-local-mail choice, relay value, authentication arrangement, and TLS policy remain correct. Regenerate and restart after any source change.

Keep a small operational record of the relay contact, approved sender addresses, and the location and permissions of the credential file. This makes it easier to distinguish a local Exim problem from a provider-side account or policy change without exposing the password itself.

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The resulting design is deliberately simple: Ubuntu generates local mail, Exim queues it, and the configured smarthost performs authenticated or permitted onward delivery. When a message fails, the queue and SMTP response identify whether the fault is local configuration, network access, authentication, TLS, or the relay’s own policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Exim option is correct for an outbound-only Ubuntu server?

Choose mail sent by smarthost; no local mail in dpkg-reconfigure exim4-config. Debian describes this as the client configuration for a system that is not responsible for a local email domain.

Can I use an IP address instead of a relay hostname?

The wizard accepts a hostname or IP address, but use the relay provider’s documented hostname when TLS certificate validation depends on that name. An IP can cause hostname or certificate validation failures.

How do I specify a non-standard SMTP port?

Append two colons and the port to the relay host, such as smtp.example.net::587. Use the exact port and encryption mode supplied by the relay operator.

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Do I always need an SMTP username and password?

No. A relay may authorize the server’s network without credentials. If it requires SMTP authentication, configure the documented mechanism and protect password authentication with TLS.

Why did my message stay in the Exim queue?

A queued message may be waiting for its normal retry time after a temporary failure. Read /var/log/exim4/mainlog for the SMTP response, correct the network, DNS, authentication, sender-policy, or TLS problem, and use sudo exim -qff to retry when appropriate.

What is the difference between update-exim4.conf and restarting Exim?

update-exim4.conf generates the active configuration from Debian’s stored answers and templates. systemctl restart exim4 makes the running service use that generated configuration. After source edits, perform both steps.

Should I edit the generated Exim configuration directly?

No. Edit the Debian-managed answers or split configuration sources, then run sudo update-exim4.conf. Direct edits to generated output can be overwritten during the next regeneration.

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How can I verify that the host is really send-only?

Submit a test to an external recipient, confirm the main log shows handoff to the configured smarthost, and check that the host is not configured as the receiving server for external domains. Final receipt must also be confirmed at the destination.

What should I check when authentication works but mail is rejected?

Check the exact SMTP response, permitted sender address, recipient policy, account authorization, and the relay’s source-network rules. A valid login does not automatically authorize every sender or destination.

The Bottom Line

Install exim4, run sudo dpkg-reconfigure exim4-config, select mail sent by smarthost; no local mail, enter the relay and any required port, and configure authenticated TLS when required. Regenerate with sudo update-exim4.conf, restart Exim, then verify the queue, main log, relay handoff, and final receipt. Keep the relay policy and credentials protected, and troubleshoot from the exact SMTP response rather than guessing.

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