I have a Intel NUC with an i3 processor running the latest Mint version with the Cinnamon desktop and already installed some basic services (Apache, MariaDb, ownCloud etc).The next step would be to set up a mail server on the same box but I just recognized that most mail server which are considered as easy to install and maintain like iredmail consider a pretty fresh Linux environment without anything pre-installed (like web-server, database etc.).Since I don't want to mess up my current installation but still would like to use the NUC as a 24/7 server which also hosts my mail in the future I was thinking about setting up the mail server inside a dedicated VM (with Qemu or Virtual Box).The pros I see so far are the following:Dedicated mail server where the installed components cannot interfere with other installed stuffEasy backup since I can simply backup the complete VMEasy recovery-system if hardware of NUC fails since I can easily run the backed up VM on another computer / OS until the hardware issues are solved (is this true?)The cons:24/7 running VM consumes probably more resources of the NUC than a direct install?Is it basically a good idea to install the mail server in a dedicated VM or is there anything I forgot to consider?
Install mail server in VM
linux;email;virtual machine
Adding a mail server to an existing server should have no significant impacts.  Other than resources required, the software will not interfere with other services.  A few things to consider:Do you have a static IP address?  If not many servers will consider your email spammish. Can you get the PTR record set to the sub-domain you will user for the mail server?  If not your mail will be considered spammish.Are you prepared to do spam filtering?  It is common for up to 90% of received email to be spam.  Have you reviewed the relevant RFCs to understand what is expected of you as a mail server administrator?Recommended Documentation:Simple Mail Transfer Protocol RFC5321Internet Messsaga Format RFC5322Common DNS Operational and Configuration Errors RFC 1912 (Matching PTR and A records is now not common except for Mail servers.)Anti-Spam Recommendations for SMTP MTAs RFC 2505Message Header Field for Indicating Message Authentication Status RFC 5451Sender Policy Framework RFC7208Sender Policy Framework SiteDomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) Signatures RFC6376Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance RFC 7489Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance SiteMy blog post on Running an Email ServerMy Email Policy