I’m trying to figure out how to deliver messages directly to my Gmail inbox using Perl scripts. I don’t want to rely on the sendmail utility that comes with most systems. Instead, I want to connect directly through SMTP protocol to send the messages. I’ve been searching around but can’t find a clear example of how to set this up properly. What modules should I use and how do I configure the SMTP settings to work with Gmail’s servers? I need to authenticate with my Gmail credentials and make sure the connection is secure. Can someone show me a working example of how to accomplish this task?
To send messages to Gmail using Perl and SMTP, you can utilize the Net::SMTP module with SSL. Connect to smtp.gmail.com on port 465 for a secure connection. If you have two-factor authentication enabled, remember to generate an app password as your regular Gmail password won’t suffice. Ensure you configure authentication, establish an SSL connection, include the necessary email headers, and send your message. Don’t forget to install IO::Socket::SSL, which is essential for the secure connection, and consider setting a timeout to manage slow responses from the server.
net::smtps is another option i’ve used - way simpler than the others mentioned here. just point it at smtp.gmail.com port 465 with your app password (not your regular gmail password). it handles ssl automatically, so no tls headaches. works great for basic email sending without the extra complexity.
I’ve been using Email::Sender::Simple with Email::Sender::Transport::SMTP::TLS for this exact thing and it works great. It beats Net::SMTP because it handles TLS encryption automatically - no manual SSL handshake needed. Use smtp.gmail.com on port 587 with STARTTLS enabled. Create an App Password in your Google Account settings instead of your regular password. This is crucial since Gmail blocks basic auth for regular passwords now. Email::Sender also gives you better error handling and makes it easier to build proper MIME messages with attachments down the road.