title: How do I set up my Ubuntu VPS to send outgoing mail?
body: <p>My VPS provider (Slicehost) doesn't provide an SMTP server.  I use Google Apps to send and receive mail for my domains, but I want to be able to programmatically send e-mail.</p>
  
  <p>I've been Googling this issue on and off for many months, and I just can't seem to get a clear picture of what I need to do.  Do I just need an MTA like postfix?  Do I configure it as a "satellite", or an "internet" site?  Do I need to make any DNS changes?  If I want to programmatically receive e-mail someday, are there any configuration options I should be careful about tinkering with?  Also, if my VPS host <strong>did</strong> provide an SMTP server, what <em>wouldn't</em> I need to do, that I'm doing now?</p>
  
  <p>Thank you!</p>
  
  <p><strong>Edit</strong>: A quick synopsis of my findings:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Update <code>/etc/hosts</code> and <code>/etc/hostname</code> to reflect the FQDN (for example, <code>mail.domain.com</code> or <code>sub.domain.com</code> instead of <code>slicename</code>)
  
  <ul>
  <li>Reboot and verify with <code>hostname -f</code></li>
  </ul></li>
  <li>Set up reverse DNS (which is owned by whoever owns the IP pool) to point at the same FQDN
  
  <ul>
  <li>Check that the RDNS has propogated with <code>dig -x server.ip.address</code></li>
  </ul></li>
  <li><code>sudo aptitude install postfix telnet mailx</code>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Use <strong>internet site</strong> setting</li>
  <li>Set FQDN to whatever was chosen above</li>
  </ul></li>
  <li>Test with <code>mail whateveryouremailis@gmail.com</code></li>
  </ul>