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Setup Google Apps Free to POP/IMAP Domains - VPS Bible #18

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Set Up Unmanaged VPS (4 Newbies) - Part 18: Google Apps for Domain-Specific Email

25 Jun
google apps logo image

Easily configure GA's Standard Edition for catch-all@anydomain.com webmail, plus POP and IMAP email delivery to your desktop mail client.

Whether you want this as a standalone email solution, else to compliment your shared, virtual private or dedicated server, GA saves buckets of time and kicks spam into touch.

This tutorial takes you from initial sign up to configuring DNS and retrieving email on your PC or Mac.

Set Up an Unmanaged VPS (4 Newbies) .. The V-P-S Bible

In 20 copy/paste steps .. from zero to hero, blank box to cute-as Linux server.

Scroll down for the full series index.

So, hey, shed shared & viva virtual!   Hope it helps.   the_guv

What is Google Apps?

In a nutshell, it's pretty Gmail. Or rather, it's Gmail, except that instead of 1address@gmail, you get to use a-bunch-of-addresses@your-domain.

Why Google Apps?

For a start, I'm cheap and it's free. (Well, Google Apps Standard is free.) Then there's the multi-gig storage, that familiar Gmail interface, the bundled calendar and other G-wares. But what I really like is this lot:-

  • simple setup
  • domain-specific
  • POP & IMAP options
  • superb resource saving
  • immediate hassle-free spam control

Let's look at those points in a bit more detail, 'cos they're worth it.

Setup

Setting up GA takes 10 minutes, or maybe 25 the first time, with this guide and the links. And it's darned simple to do. For sure, easier than configuring a mail server like Courier or Dovecot.

Domain-Specific

This isn't Hotmail, it's Google Apps. None of that john1973@prettyHorrible.com. Use your domain. In fact, use anything-you-like@yourdomain.com, because there's a catch-all facility too.

POP & IMAP Options

Personally, I'm not a big webmail fan. I like my mail, kinda like my pub - local. With GA, besides the remote access, we can POP or IMAP.

Resource Saving

For webmasters, the most important reason to use an external mail mod is maybe this one: to filter every last bit of VPS resource towards your web sites and blogs.

Spam

And here's the big bonus. Have you ever set up SpamAssassin? Yikes! Betcha don't want to have to go through all that again. With GA, near as damn it, spam is a non-configurable non-story, full-stop. Do nothing, be spam-free, and spend more time on the beach. For many, this is the #1 reason to use GA and not bother with your own mail server. Besides that, spam is a resource hog.

And?

I daresay there are other reasons. Lemme know.

Why Not Google Apps?

There are anonymity concerns over Google's keyword research for targetted ads and, hey, who knows what other big brother tactics. If you've got something to hide, GA isn't for you.

Being something of a conspiracy buff myself, I'd be particularly interested to hear your thoughts. Unless your email address contains the letters 'cia', please chip in.

Can't Find the Google Apps Free Edition?

Talking of conspiracy, the GA freebie is pretty well hidden, huh ;)

Google Google Apps and you'll be taken to the biz version, Google Apps Premier, which used to have an obscure link to the free service, Google Apps Standard Edition. That link has since mysteriously disappeared. Google something like free Google Apps and the no-cost package isn't even in the page results, and my Google page is configured to return the top 100 results.

Hey, I guess it's just got a pap pagerank. Hmmn, you be the judge.

But don't fret, pet ..

How to Setup Google Apps

Go here to sign up for the free Standard Edition. If you want to weigh up the business account, that's over here, and costs $50 pa.

For most of us, including small to mid-sized businesses, the freebie service is superbly sufficient. And, I may add, a big cheers to the almighty G for a great ging-gang Googly gift. Cool sarcasm aside, briefly, I appreciate it.

Google Apps Premiere vs Standard Editions

Dunno. I'm freelance and have never set up Premiere for a client. If you employ a few dozen people, enjoy Premiere and care to let me know, I'll add some detail. I did read somewhere that they add some API's, so that's nice.

Signing Up to GA

Check Administrator, Enter your domain name and click Get Started

On the Sign up for Google Apps Standard Edition page, fill out the administrative details and click Continue.

On the Create your first administrator account page, Choose a username, a password, and Continue by accepting the T's & C's.

Verify Domain Ownership

Directed to your GA Dashboard, next to a warning sign you'll see a message ..

"To activate Google Apps services you must verify that you own your domain - somedomain.com."

.. and next to that, a link to Verify domain ownership, so click through that.

On the verification page, under Choose verification method in the drop-down menu, you have 2 options to proove you own your domain; either by creating a CNAME record, else by uploading an html page for Google to check.

To keep it easy:-

1. Upload an HTML File

This is simpler. Unless: either you have a domain name but no website, else you cannot access the website backend; in either case, skip to the CNAME option, applying those settings to your domain registrar account.

Click the HTML option and Google generates a code.

Now, crack out a standard html page template or, hey, just use this:-

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<title>Untitled Document</title>
</head>
<body>
<!-- ADD GOOGLE APPS CODE HERE -->
</body>
</html>

...and in the 'body' section, as I've pinpointed above, add Google's code.

Save that file as googlehostedservice.html and upload to your site root.

If you want to get all complicato, you can instead opt to ..

2. Create a CNAME Record

This is fairly easy, tho' it can require a little webhost-specific research 'cos the process and jargon varies from host to host. Google spell it out for some hosts, so I suggest you take a look at this.

For a general idea, watch this video which I've pinched from Google.

Video: Set Up CNAME for Google Apps

Watch the, er, guvideo for a better idea of how to do this.

Check out the_guv's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/guvnrDOTcom

...or if you can't be bothered with that, or even if you can, here's the detail...

Some Pointers

  • Not all shared hosts allow users direct CNAME access. If you can't find them, maybe you have to make a special request, then waitttttt.
  • If in doubt, check out your hosting provider forum or, hey, just set up the html page as above.
  • CNAME's take up to 48 hours to propogate. The email option takes maybe an hour, in my experience.

Verify Your Verification

Whether you chose to claim domain name ownership using the html page or a CNAME record, don't forget to tab back to the Google Apps page and click on Verify, under the drop-down.

And wait.

Accessing Email with Google Apps

Access your new GA account by heading to https://www.google.com/a/yourdomain.tld, swapping yourdomain.tld for your domain.

If the domain hasn't been verified, probably because the process needs more time, you'll see a notification. Try again later.

When it has been verified:-

Click on Inbox (in the top menu, so not the Email link) to check your mail (or personalised Gmail), and maybe send some test mails.

And customise whatever other GA settings to suit.

POP or IMAP to Your Mail Client - Outlook, Thunderbird etc

POP. IMAP. What Gives?

Give or take, blessed if I know! But these splendid folks do, so thank you very much:-

POP IMAP
Post Office Protocol Internet Messaging Access Protocol
Best if you use only one computer to check email Best if you use many different computers to check your email
Downloads your email to the particular computer you are checking it on Your mail is always on the server
Allows you to keep a large backlog of email messages only limited by the size of your computer. You are limited by your mailbox size quota for how many messages you keep, although you can archive old messages and save them onto your computer manually.
Does not have a web interface (Some webmail companies, such as Yahoo, will let you check POP mail) Has a web interface. If you are using NCF Webmail, you are using IMAP.
New messages are downloaded in their entirety, you have to wait for the message to download. New message headers are downloaded so you see all your mail faster, the message you want to read is not downloaded to your computer until you click on it.

Activating POP

With Google Apps, as with Gmail, POP is already activated. So if you don't want IMAP, just the POP protocol, head here for instructions relevant to your specific mail client.

Hey, I'm not kopping out on the instructions. Google's instructions cover a bunch of email clients, and they have some pretty pics too.

Activating IMAP

Do this lot:-

  • From your Google Apps Dashboard, click on Inbox
  • Now in Gmail, click on Settings in the top menu
  • Click on Forwarding and POP/IMAP
  • Next to IMAP Access, checkmark Enable IMAP
  • Save Changes
  • For your specific mail client IMAP setup instructions, click here.

Ditto above in the POP section. Google's instructions cover a wide range of email clients, and I can't improve on them, plus they've got pretty pics.

Booting Up Next ..

So that's the email sorted. And for webmaestros there's no resource footprint on the VPS.

In Part 19: Moving Day! How to Move Your Blog or Site we'll work through the best procedure for a smooth transition to your new server, be it shared, VPS or dedicated. I'll wrap this VPS Bible series with a handy bunch of Linux resources (and a thank you list to all those sparks who've helped make this series, and my personal VPS Linux learning curve, possible).

And then there'll be some follow-up appendice posts with advice for maintaining this tasty Nginx-powered web server.

Meantime, here's that index ..


SETUP an Unmanaged VPS (4 Newbies) .. The V-P-S Bible

Serve multi sites & blogs on a budget .. at the fastest possible speed .. with the least downtime .. in the most secure environment .. and future-proofed for easy admin.

That's what the VPS Bible is about, stepped out in simple copy & paste guides.

From high traffic WordPress blogs to startup web hosts, here's what you need.

Set it up?  Click here for the 21 part follow-up .. V-P-S Admin

  1. Intro: Set Up an Unmanaged VPS (4 Newbies) .. The V-P-S Bible
  1. VPS (Virtual Private Server) vs Shared vs Dedicated
  2. Set Up a VPS Linux Distribution  *
  3. Set Up the Command Line Interface (CLI) using PuTTY  *
  4. Create a Linux User & Set Permissions  *
  5. Encrypt Data with OpenSSH & Auto-Login with PuTTY  *
  6. Harden the Secure Shell (SSH) & Create a Firewall  *
  7. Edit bashrc for User-Friendly Linux, plus System Updates  *
  8. PHP5, MySQL, Xcache, Subversion (for Platforms like WordPress)  *
  9. Add a Domain Zone to Your VPS  *
  10. Prepare Linux Server for Email with Postfix  *
  11. Nginx (better than Apache) Web Server  *
  12. Setup FileZilla for Secure FTP (SFTP)  *
  13. Serve Multiple Sites & Blogs with Virtual Hosts  *
  14. Set up WordPress on Nginx with Pretty URLs & WP Super Cache  *
  15. WordPress Setup & Updates from the Command Line  *
  16. Nginx Control Panel
  17. Nginx Control Panel Workarounds
  18. Google Apps for Domain-Specific Email  *
  19. Moving Day! How to Move Your Blog or Site
  20. Blogroll, Links, Credits, Resources
  1. * Includes video tutorial.

  2. Not linked = not published. Won't be long. Fix a feed for updates.


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Posted on Thursday, June 25th, 2009
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thank you, thanx, tx, ta, t, tsst, twaddle, cheek, cheers, cheerio



  1. Ashesh August 27th, 2009 at 8:54 pm

    Hi Guv,

    I have not worked out this chapter but I have few questions to ask if you may please answer:

    1. There is no mention of how to setup MX records for google in DNS manager. I am wondering why?

    2. IN DNS manger there is already an entry mail.domainname.com 10. Do I have to delete it before adding the google server?

    3. For reverse DNS we had set mail.domainname.com. Would that have any effect if we change MX records?

    I am sure after going through these questions you would have understood how much of a newbie I am :P

    It would be really great if you could add something regarding MX setup in DNS manger for Google Apps.

    Thanks

  2. the_guv August 28th, 2009 at 1:50 pm

    Hey Ashesh,

    Sorry for delay .. was cooking a mobile ROM, or rather heating one up in the microwave, and how fiddly was that :P

    "There is no mention of how to setup MX records for google in DNS manager. I am wondering why?"

    .. 'cos this is a newbie guide, that complicates the issue, varies from VPS provider to VPS provider and just really isn't necessary. This method is simpler, and faster to propagate.

    "IN DNS manger there is already an entry mail.domainname.com 10. Do I have to delete it before adding the google server?"

    .. don't touch it. Did I say to touch it? ;)

    "3. For reverse DNS we had set mail.domainname.com. Would that have any effect if we change MX records?"

    .. No. If you wanna go get complicato and change MX records, or if you don't, your RDNS won't be affected.

    "I am sure after going through these questions you would have understood how much of a newbie I am :P "

    .. No. You're right to question these things, I reckon. While this guide is intended as a copy and paste and you need know nothing, it's obviously better if you have some idea of what's what and why.

    "It would be really great if you could add something regarding MX setup in DNS manger for Google Apps."

    .. refer above. Really truly scrumptious, it's not necessary here, and would lead to more problems than it's worth. If it made any difference to security or performance, I'd add it.

    Tx for all your comments Anesh, Bible-wide. I'm sure they'll answer some q's for a few folks. Appreciated, Sir.

  3. sagar kumar sutar September 17th, 2009 at 6:57 am

    Please tell me how to add my website link with google app and my requirement is to log in my mail directly over website.

    Thanks in advance.
    sagar

  4. the_guv September 18th, 2009 at 7:11 am

    @sagar .. hi to you. but sorry, I'm not sure what you're asking, exactly.

    "add my website link with google app" - guide covers that, no? (maybe it's covered from one of the GA links in the post.)

    "requirement to log in my mail directly over website" - can you flesh that out please, and I'll try to help.

  5. Mart September 23rd, 2009 at 3:22 am

    Hi Guv,
    I like your series. Just want to comment here that Google's automatic spam settings are a big negative in my opinion. I find that it has far too many false positives making the service too unreliable. It would be great if you could simply turn it off but Google doesn't allow that.
    Cheers
    Mart

  6. the_guv September 23rd, 2009 at 10:24 am

    @Mart .. thank you, Sir. Jolly kind.

    Tell me, how do you know about the false positives?! Pls tell me more.

  7. Brett J September 30th, 2009 at 8:14 am

    Hi Guvnr, first off, your guide is great! It covers so many area's, and really appreciate the depth you go in solving usual bits that can go wrong.

    I'm giving the Google Apps a try here, and am currently at the point of setting the MX records up. Although every vps provider have there own way of setting things up, one option not listed is a webmin route, which means you install bind on your server, and go by that.

    When using a stock webmin install, they can edit or copy paste settings into their domain file. I'm trying to set up brettjames.au.com , and that would be in "/etc/bind/brettjames.au.com.hosts"

    Currently though I'm having trouble putting in the settings, here is how my mx records are setup:
    http://pastie.org/636278

    Could you suggest a change in order to have it appear in a lookup?

    As a sidenote, Google recommends using dnsstuff, because it updates live, instead of a cached response. Example:
    http://www.dnsstuff.com/tools/legacy/?ToolFormName=googlemx&domain=brettjames.au.com&r=235660

    That would main any changes would be noticed straight away, avoiding you having to change, wait, then change again if needed..

  8. the_guv October 6th, 2009 at 6:18 am

    @Brett .. you are a lovely man.

    sorry for delay .. damn, been rebuilding both my boxes, well out of the loop. bloody motherboard cracked on one, the other, well, i just wanted the hassle.

    you sorted? looked at yer pastie. thing is, it varies from web host to host .. you need to ask them or the forum there. personally, i don't bother going that route anymore, which probably is terribly unprofessional, but it's just so easy to scp an authentication page, way quicker than logging into and navigating my manager. my manager gets lonely, i think. that's got to be a good sign :)

    webmin, you say .. webmin CP with Nginx - last i heard there was veeeeeeeeeery sluggish development going on with any nginx-mod. i like webmin tho, nice and light, as cp's go. if or when (i'd guess when) that is available, or more reluctantly any other cp, i'll for sure be adding a bunch of tuts about installing and using it.

  9. kevinayP December 16th, 2009 at 2:36 am

    Hi Guv,

    I got Google Apps working, including mail, verified, etc. But the address to go to read my mail from Google Apps is "http://mail.google.com/a/mydomain.com". Google said that to change it to "http://mail.mydomain.com/" I'd have to modify the CNAME records for "mail" and a verification string. I already have a mail A/AAAA record - would that affect things up? I'd also like to add that I actually haven't installed Postfix yet. And I haven't changed my reverse DNS. I want Google Apps to manage my e-mail from "http://mail.mydomain.com/" - how can I do that and what should I do next? :D

    Thanks,
    Kevin

  10. Brett December 17th, 2009 at 3:19 pm

    Hey! Remembered I had a comment on it to go from. For the original note I left, it turned out to be a waiting game - just had to wait it out. I'm on a vps, so I didn't need a working.

    I've differed slightly in some of my settings for the postfix section of the guide on here (that's part 10). The webserver will be serving multiple domainnames, so I thought that it wouldn't be as simple as setting the hostname to resolve to a singular name.

    Besides that though, I havn't been able to get the mail() function to work (receiving an email sent via it internally or externally). Worse is that I'll get no errors and just a success in the console when trying it as well.

    I first found out that the sending of email via the php for me wasn't working when a phpbb3 board never sent out emails - doh!

  11. Adrian M January 9th, 2010 at 6:28 pm

    Hi Guv,

    Very big thanks for this amazing tutorial series :) Awesome work. I were able to set up my webserver and it works pretty well.

    I have a problem with setting up gmail apps. When adding mx records, I have added the gmail ones, after my mail.mypage.com MX record. Gmail takes some time to verify them, but fails saying that "Your current MX records contain incorrect value(s)" and points my servers mail MX record. Is there a way to resolve this??

    Thanks :)

  12. the_guv January 9th, 2010 at 6:34 pm

    @Kevin ... follow the guide to a T and you can't go wrong. Famous last ..

    But you will need Postfix to future-proof your vps, sure, and to change the RDNS.

    Once done with that, provided you've covered the rest of the Bible (WordPress may be ignored for non-WP'ers) go and add your sites.

    .. Having added your first site, I recommend reading Add Web Sites Nginx Cheatsheet to speed up the process for any others.

    Otherwise, take a cursory glance at the growing* VPS Admin follow up series - Maintain Unmanaged VPS (4 Newbies) .. V-P-S Admin - because at some stage you'll likely need to refer to some of its detail.

    * yes, it will be growing again soon! Promise.

    @Brett .. er, that sorted then with phpbb3? Any special config? For forums I tend to use Simple Machines, don't know anything about phpbb3.

  13. the_guv January 9th, 2010 at 8:50 pm

    @Adrian .. many thanks. A solution to your problem can vary from host to host and you may need to put in a support ticket, else browse their forums. For an easy life, and the result being the same, take the "Verify Domain Ownership" route.

  14. Adrian M January 9th, 2010 at 9:57 pm

    @the_guv .. I have uploaded the file and verified it that way. But gmail apps wanted me to change the MX records to activate the email. Even now, when I click Email activation: Instructions on how to activate Email. I'm required to change the MX records. I'm using Linode. I have removed the old mail.mypage.com record and once the email is active I will add it again :P Hope that works.

    Thanks :)

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