test_php_mail.php

<?php

  /* Sends a test email with PHP's mail() method
   *
   * Put this file on your web server or run it from the command line:
   *
   * php test_php_mail.php
   *
   * When testing locally, i.e. on your development machine, make sure that
   * you set a valid from address for sendmail unless your machine doesn't
   * have a valid, fully qualified domain name (FQDN).
   *
   * In your php.ini:
   *
   * sendmail_path = /usr/sbin/sendmail -t -i -f "hello@example.com"
   *
   * Your mail host will very likely reject mails originating from unknown
   * domains such as <your-computer-name.local> since that is where most
   * spam mails come from.
   * 
   * Based on: http://www.der-webentwickler.net/php-mysql/mail-versand-unter-php-testen/
   */

  $to = "<hello@example.com>";
  $subject = "mail() with PHP";
  $text = "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.";
  $headers = "From: $to\r\n";

  if (mail($to, $subject, $text, $headers)) {
    echo "Email was sent successfully.\n";
  }
?>