Spamassassin

[wkg]

OK, I know how to "enable" spamassassin and I know it creates a configuration file with a few brief comments as place holders.

 

I've looked at the documentation at http://spamassassin.taint.org/doc.html and there is way too much info there for me to digest - especially since I don't know the details of how it is implemented here.

 

Can anyone point me to a simple help file or would a user be so kind as to post an example config file.

 

I've just figured out that spamassassin "marks up" the suspected spam, then I need to filter that with my mail program on my computer, in my case Eudora. I know how to set up filters, but am unclear on what to filter for... am I looking for X-Spam-Status or the number of stars after X-Spam-Level?

 

See, told you I needed help. Thanks.

 

wkg [i used to sign Bill, but don't want to be confused with the real Bill ]

[rayners]

I've got my email client setup to look for "X-Spam-Status: Yes" in the email header, and if so, move the email into my caughtspam folder.

[wkg]

I've got my email client setup to look for "X-Spam-Status: Yes" in the email header, and if so, move the email into my caughtspam folder.

 

Do you have to do any configuration at the hosting level for this?

 

wkg

[rayners]

Well, to be honest, I actually run SpamAssassin on my home machine instead here at SNH, mostly because I aggregate mail from a number of other email addresses. But, even then, all I did was enable SpamAssassin. I didn't touch a single config file, so I imagine I'm using whatever the default setup is.

[wkg]

Since it apparently doesn't do anything, but add lines to the header, I guess the thing to do is to just enable it and look at the headers for a while as mail comes in and then decide how to filter it.

 

Thanks, rayners, for taking the time to respond.

 

wkg

[rayners]

In addition to adding lines to the header, if it actually does spot what it considers to be spam, it'll reformat the mail and add text to the beginning of the message explaining why this was considered spam (what SpamAssassin rules it broke, etc.).

[wkg]

In addition to adding lines to the header, if it actually does spot what it considers to be spam, it'll reformat the mail and add text to the beginning of the message explaining why this was considered spam (what SpamAssassin rules it broke, etc.).

 

I sent myself a couple of messages from various accounts with faux spam wording to try it out. I see what you mean now about the added text; and it is fairly inoffensive for non-spam messages.

 

I can hardly wait to get some real spam now

 

Thanks,

wkg

[rayners]

Be sure to keep an eye out for false positives. Once a week or so, I'll get a regular email that finds its way into my caughtspam folder usually because it violated just enough of SpamAssassin's rules (long lines, too many links, too many 'spam phrases', and so forth).

[wkg]

Absolutely. In fact I'm not even going to filter for a week or so. That way I can see its behaviour with real spam and non-spam. At that point I'll set up my filter to move offenders to a folder to temporarily store the supposed spam. I should know by then if I need to add any of my regular lists and such to the so-called whitelist.

 

Thanks,

wkg

[wkg]

Caught my first real spam in the assassin's net today! (yesterday was an unusually slow day.) And SpamCop didn't have any problems with Spamassassin's markups in the header either. Excellent!

 

Those of you who haven't enabled Spamassassin should give it a try. Contrary to its name it doesn't actually delete or redirect anything. It just allows you to easily set up a filter on your local computer's email program to handle the spam how ever you wish.

 

wkg