Enable an RPi to serve as an ioT gateway for our P2 Hardware - while dedicating only 2 pins for serial communication
To enable email send from your RPi chose then follow the instructions for one of these two forms:
- Mail is sent from another machine on your network, not directly from this RPi
- Mail is sent directly from this RPi
Lastly, after having configured one or the other, you will want to send a test email using your new configuration to make sure everything works!
I the author's case mail is delivered by one of a single machine on the authors network so that it is the only machine which needs to know email account and password necessary to send email.
To configure this is a single install and answer a couple of questions during the install. The author uses postfix for all mail delivery even on this RPi.
To install and configure for this form do:
$ sudo apt-get install postfix postfix-docDuring install you will be prompted for:
- mail configuration, choose:
- satellite
- hostname of machine that delivers the email:
- {your email deliveror hostname}
- default email domain:
- the authors home network is known by one domain name. Use this domain here:
- {your external domain name}
Once these questions are answered the postfix packages will finish install and then configure themselves. At this time you can now send an email from the command line.
$ sendmail [email protected]
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Test Send Mail
Hello World
.<return> # this will end the entry of the email and send itIf you addressed it correctly and you see the email arrive in your inbox then you have a working email send system. Congratulations!
Lastly, we need to tell the python script that it should use sendmail(1) for sending email.
Ensure the following is set in your config.ini:
[EMAIL]
use_sendgrid = falseThis completes your setup of email using delivery by another machine on your network.
Most direct-send email mechanisms request the use and storage of the username and password in clear-text on the sending RPi. We are choosing to use the SendGrid free account so there is only an API Key stored on the sneding RPi. Get your free account and API Key by doing:
Be sure to perform the following prerequisites to complete this form of email setup.
- Sign up for a SendGrid account.
- Enable Two-factor authentication.
- Create and SendGrid API Key with Mail Send > Full Access permissions.
- Complete Domain or Single Sender Authentication.
- Configure SendGrid use in the gateway config.ini:
- Turn on SendGrid use by the gateway
use_sendgrid = true - Record your API Key
sendgrid_api_key = {api_key} - Record the From Email Address you reported to SendGrid
sendgrid_from_addr = {sendgridFromAddress}
When you sign up for a free SendGrid account, you'll be able to send 100 emails per day forever.
Twilio SendGrid requires customers to enable Two-factor authentication (2FA). You can enable 2FA with SMS (direct texting your mobile device) or by using the Authy app. See the 2FA section of our authentication documentation for instructions.
I use Create a "from sender" form of authentication to set up my account. After selecting this form of authentication you fill out the form. Press submit and then you'll be sent an email which you the click on the link in the verify email.
When you fill in the form you specified a From Email Address. Take note of it as you will be asked to enter this email address into the Daemon config.ini in a later step.
Unlike a username and password — credentials that allow access to your full account — an API key is authorized to perform a limited scope of actions. If your API key is compromised, you can also cycle it (delete and create another) without changing your other account credentials.
NOTE this key must be created with Mail Send > Full Access permissions or this Daemon won't be able to send email.
Visit the SendGrid API Key documentation for instructions on creating an API key, ignore the storing your key sections we don't care about this aspect.
WARNING Be real careful here! you have can only copy your API Key while the page showing your key is open. If you close this page without copying it you will have to generate a new key!
Lastly, we need to tell the python script that it should use SendGrid for sending email.
Ensure the following lines are uncommented in your config.ini:
[EMAIL]
use_sendgrid = true
sendgrid_api_key = {api_key}
sendgrid_from_addr = {sendgridFromAddress}REPLACE:
-
replace {api_key} with your new API Key.
-
replace {sendgridFromAddress} with your sendgrid-registered from address.
A python script has been provided with which you can test your new configuration. Run the script providing the correct to: address and an email will be delivered via SendGrid or sendmail which ever you have set up in your config.ini.
To test your email setup run:
./gw-send-test-email.py --to {emailRecipient} # replace {emailRecipient} with your desired email recipient addressRun this script at shown providing your own addressee. If the email is delivered then your configuration works!
If it is not delievered the check your to: address, double check your values in config.ini, and/or run the email test script enabling debug and verbose message output from the script by:
./gw-send-test-email.py -d -v --to {emailRecipient} # replace {emailRecipient} with your desired email recipient addressHopefully, one of these ideas will help you find the problem and get you to sending email correctly!
This completes your setup of email delivery via SendGrid.
If you like my work and/or this has helped you in some way then feel free to help me out for a couple of ☕'s or 🍕 slices!
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This project is a community project not for commercial use.
This project is in no way affiliated with, authorized, maintained, sponsored or endorsed by Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd. or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries.
Likewise, This project is in no way affiliated with, authorized, maintained, sponsored or endorsed by Parallax Inc., dba Parallax Semiconductor or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries.
Licensed under the MIT License.
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