I’m struggling to set up password resets and notifications for my self-hosted services. It seems like everything wants to use email, but getting an SMTP server is a real pain these days. VPS providers block port 25 and email services like Sendgrid are tough to get approved for as an individual.
Right now I’m stuck manually updating LDAP when my family needs password changes. It’s frustrating because all our stuff is behind a VPN anyway, so why do we need to rely on outside services?
Has anyone found good alternatives to email for this kind of thing? Maybe something that uses a different protocol entirely like Matrix? I’d love to hear about solutions that don’t require jumping through so many hoops for basic account management features.
hey, have u tried using pushover? its pretty cool for notifications n stuff. no need for email hassles. u can send alerts straight to phones or desktops. might work for password resets too if u set it up right. worth checkin out imo
I’ve faced a similar challenge and discovered that using Telegram bots can be a versatile solution for self-hosted services. I implemented it by creating a private Telegram bot and then writing a simple script to integrate it with my services. The bot now handles password resets and notifications directly, eliminating the need for email. This approach keeps everything contained within my network, and family members can easily use the existing Telegram app. The bot only responds to whitelisted users, ensuring security, while Telegram’s developer-friendly API makes the setup flexible and efficient.
I’ve been down this road before and found a pretty solid workaround. Instead of relying on email, I set up a self-hosted Matrix server for notifications and password resets. It’s been a game-changer for my home setup.
Matrix offers end-to-end encryption and works great behind a VPN. I wrote a simple bot that handles password reset requests and sends notifications through Matrix rooms. This way, everything stays within my network, and I don’t have to deal with email services or SMTP headaches.
For implementation, I used matrix-python-sdk to integrate with my existing services. It took some initial setup, but now it runs smoothly. Plus, family members can use Matrix clients on their phones for easy access.
This approach might require a bit more coding than an out-of-the-box email solution, but it’s much more flexible and secure in my experience.