you gonna want to set up dns and sendmail it seems. dns...not really that bad... sendmail---not really that bad either...
But, if you want to administer them you HAVE to know them! they are both pretty involved...more so sendmail...
in send mail you use a config file to edit a config file... lol
as far as a HOWTO for sendmail...ummmm when I was in your position, I never could find anything like that that would suit my needs...it was a bite the bullet thing and just learn it and make it run...actually same w/dns
then too, after you set it up, you have to know it for when things go wrong.
john rose