Configuring Postfix to use with AWS SES

Deokgon Kim

2026-03-31 2026-03-31 150 words One minute

Contents

Using AWS `SES` to send email from Linux host

I use AWS SES to send email to internet from home network.
So, here is brief configuration note.

`/etc/postfix/main.cf`

# AWS SES SMTP endpoint
relayhost = [email-smtp.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com]:587

# enable SASL authentication
smtp_sasl_auth_enable = yes
smtp_sasl_security_options = noanonymous
smtp_sasl_password_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/sasl_passwd

# enable TLS
smtp_use_tls = yes

Create SMTP Credentials file

create /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd

[email-smtp.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com]:587 username:secret_password

Username and password can be created on AWS Console.

sudo postmap /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd
sudo chown root:root /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd.db
sudo chmod 0600 /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd.db

Test mail

echo "SES Relay Test" | mail -s "Test Subject" -r root@testhost.dgkim.net dgkim@dgkim.net

In case host uses other name than FQDN

THIS NOT WORKING IN MY ENVIRONMENT (ubuntu)

# /etc/postfix/main.cf
myorigin = /etc/mailname
# /etc/mailname should contain official FQDN

Using generic map

/etc/postfix/generic

# local     aws ses email
@myhosname  systemmail@example.com

postmap

sudo postmap /etc/postfix/generic

/etc/postfix/main.cf

smtp_generic_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/generic