Testing Environment - Mail Server Suggestions!

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shotocon
Forum Newbie
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:50 am

Testing Environment - Mail Server Suggestions!

Post by shotocon »

Hi There,

Bit of a newbie question here.

Have set up PHP (5.3.0), MySQL (5.0.5) and Apache (2.2) on my local machine (XP SP3) - purely for testing and development purposes, everything is running fine, which isnt like me.

Now I would like the ability to send email from forms, using the mail() function, on my local machine and so need a mail server - apparently. Is there anyway to install a mail server locally and have it run locally - ie use this server to send mail locally and receive it locally, doesnt have to break out to the internet? Or how easy is it to configure the mail() function to use a pop account - is this even possible? (if it comes to it, I can get a mail server and a domain and change mx records - but Im cheap, and this stuff is purely for my own uses :wink: )

The machine I develop and test on is part of a network - not a standalone machine.

Any advice I can get would be great, not too sure how to proceed with this one, or if it is even possible to be honest!

Thanks for your time :D
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califdon
Jack of Zircons
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Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:30 pm
Location: California, USA

Re: Testing Environment - Mail Server Suggestions!

Post by califdon »

You can't use a POP server, that's incoming mail. But whatever SMTP (outgoing) server you routinely use for sending email should work just fine, you just have to determine the name of the server. Just open whatever mail client you use (Outlook, e.g.) and see how it is configured for outgoing mail, then make sure your PHP.ini is configured the same way.
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