Recreating My Email Server with Claude
3 days ago
- #email-server
- #NixOS
- #AI-assisted-development
- The author successfully recreated their email server setup using Claude, enhancing security and monitoring.
- Initial setup in 2020 used OpenSMTPD + Rspamd + Dovecot on a t3.nano EC2 instance, running smoothly for 6 years despite minor issues like manual certificate renewals and disk space outages.
- A 2022 attempt to migrate to Kubernetes failed due to complexity and knowledge gaps, leading to abandonment.
- In 2026, the author used Claude to automate and improve the setup, focusing on reproducibility, monitoring, and automatic certificate renewal.
- Claude helped debug a critical issue with systemd and podman networking, showcasing its ability to assist with complex technical challenges.
- The final setup is published on GitHub, allowing others to deploy a similar email server easily.
- The author highlights Claude's effectiveness as a coding assistant, especially with NixOS, and its ability to facilitate rapid iteration and problem-solving.