[vort3]

I have a small free VPS and free domain name (whatever.duckdns.org). Do you think I can make a mail server that works, that could send emails that won't end up in spam folder of other people, and that I could use to create accounts?

I have thoughts of running my own mail server, but a lot of sites just won't let you create an account if you don't provide «trusted» email, and by «trusted» most of the time they mean gmail.

[superkuh]

Well, the best time to start is now... but without a domain name I don't think you'll have much luck. If you want to learn how to set up and run a mail server I cannot recommend https://workaround.org/ispmail enough. These tutorials cover all the background and high-level concepts for why you're doing things in addition to the details needed to implement a proper mailserver.

[vort3]

Thanks for the link, latest version has some mistakes but in general it's good.

I got myself a domain and trying to set up my mail server, but my VPS hosting is blocking outbound port 25. So I can receive emails, but can't send anything. ispmail guide has no workarounds for that…

[walrus01]

small fee VPS are likely to be in IP space that has a 'bad' reputation from other people who have historically done dumb things in the same /24 or /22, etc, even if it looks clean from RBL checking tools, you have no idea what its reputation is for actual delivery to google and office365.

[superkuh]

Nothing you do excepting buying your email service from the same-self megacorps will protect you from the megacorps whim and mistakes (and even then not all the time). As you and others have mentioned, even relatively large companies get blocked.

We have to be the changes we want to see in the world. Maybe don't use the domain/mailserver for life or death services the first few years and just see how it goes.