sSMTP

SSMTP

sSMTP is a lightweight SMTP client that can be used to send email from Linux servers. It allows Linux machines without a full mail server to relay mail through an external SMTP server, enabling applications and scripts to automatically send emails.
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smtp email client linux

sSMTP: Lightweight SMTP Client

A lightweight SMTP client for Linux servers to relay email through an external SMTP server

What is SSMTP?

sSMTP is a lightweight and minimal SMTP client for use on Linux servers. It lacks many advanced features of full mail transfer agents like Postfix or Sendmail, but provides the basic ability to send email messages through an SMTP server from a Linux machine.

Some key features and uses of sSMTP include:

  • Enables applications, scripts, and cron jobs to automatically send email notifications from a Linux server lacking a full MTA.
  • Very simple installation and configuration, with very low overhead.
  • Allows fitting in emails sent from Linux around an ISP's outgoing mail server, transparently.
  • sSMTP passes the email to a central mailhub for delivery, without handling queuing or other complex mail routing tasks itself.
  • No dependencies or special requirements beyond a connection to an SMTP server.

sSMTP is not designed to receive incoming emails or have high performance/scalability. But as a basic tool for outbound email notifications from scripts, daemons, or cron jobs on a Linux server, sSMTP handles that purpose well with very little setup or maintenance required.

SSMTP Features

Features

  1. Lightweight SMTP client for sending email
  2. Does not receive or store email messages
  3. Supports SMTP authentication
  4. Easy to configure and install
  5. Works without a full mail server

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Simple and easy to use

Small resource footprint

Wide platform support

Open source and free

Allows scripts and apps to send email

Cons

Limited functionality compared to full mail servers

No email storage or mailbox capabilities

Lacks advanced email features like encryption

Requires an external SMTP server


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