dovecot

secure IMAP and POP3 email server

TLDR

Start Dovecot daemon

$ dovecot

Run in foreground (do not daemonize)

$ dovecot -F

Show non-default configuration settings

$ dovecot -n

Show full configuration (all settings)

$ dovecot -a

Use alternate configuration file

$ dovecot -c [/path/to/dovecot.conf]

Reload configuration without restarting

$ dovecot reload

Stop Dovecot daemon

$ dovecot stop

Show version

$ dovecot --version

Dovecot is an open-source IMAP and POP3 email server for Unix-like systems. It provides secure, fast, and standards-compliant access to email stored on the server.The server supports various authentication methods, virtual users, and mailbox formats including Maildir and mbox. It is designed for both small and large-scale deployments with features like quota management and full-text search.Dovecot's modular architecture allows plugins for LDAP authentication, Sieve filtering, and integration with other mail system components. The -F flag is commonly used in container environments or with process supervisors.

PARAMETERS

-F

Run in foreground, do not daemonize

-n

Print non-default configuration and exit

-a

Print all configuration settings and exit

-c configfile_

Use specified configuration file instead of /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf

-p

Prompt for SSL key password on startup

reload

Reload configuration without restarting

stop

Stop the running daemon

--build-options

Show build options and exit

--version

Show version and exit

CONFIGURATION

/etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf

Main configuration file for protocols, authentication, and mail storage settings.

/etc/dovecot/conf.d/

Modular configuration directory for protocol-specific and feature-specific settings.

INSTALL

sudo apt install dovecot-core

sudo dnf install dovecot

sudo pacman -S dovecot

sudo apk add dovecot

sudo zypper install dovecot

brew install dovecot

nix profile install nixpkgs#dovecot

CAVEATS

Requires proper configuration before use. TLS certificate setup needed for secure connections. Permission issues common with mailbox access. Use dovecot -n to verify configuration before deploying changes.

HISTORY

Dovecot was created by Timo Sirainen and first released in 2002. It was designed as a secure, fast alternative to existing IMAP servers, emphasizing correctness and standards compliance.