linux - Best Way To Receive Email Website -

I am developing a website - in the prototype phase, alpha soon. I provide an email address in each account that allows the user to make the goods - not the actual email account, just one end point to send things to the site. Many sites now offer this type of service. I think the first thing I saw was a photobocket, which send you the photo as an email attachment.

My question is, what is the best way to implement such a service?

My prototype, I have written a POP3 client which receives all the new delivery mail (currently a test from a Gmail account). My service processes every new mail and attachment, and immediately removes it from the email server.

I can definitely outsource in an email service with POP3 and can be done with it. The problem is the cost that I need more services, I get much more services than I do, and they charge a charge per account. I hope to have many accounts and low traffic volume.

So I'm leaning towards hosting an email receipt. I am open for Windows or Linux code that processes the incoming email runs on Windows, but I have the other running Linux There are services I have seen many open source and free e-mail servers, such as HM MailServer and Mailable (Windows) and QMM, Postfix and Xim (Linux).

I think I like Linux less because hosting costs, but if a Windows service can provide clean integration, then it may be worth it, as far as the facilities are there, I have some spam Filter is, but it is not a major priority POP 3 is enough for retrieval, but a more direct API would be nice. To provision new accounts for the program, I need some type of API.

All suggestions are appreciated. Do you know how this kind of service applies to others?

UPDATE : I ended up using, which is a free mail server that runs on Windows. It looks quite mature and strong, its a COM interop library which is my The NET server accesses emails, accounts, etc. from the app, which is very easy.

If you are going to the host-own email-server path, then maybe I only I will use POSTFIX and pipes all your emails to PHP scripts that process email.

Here's a quick messy tutorial for setting up email pipes if you're using cPanel:

If not, how to do it :