[Dovecot] mbox sync problem [was: Urgent problem: Dovecot fetches the same mails multiple times per POP]

[Andi Meier]

The problem in my OP seems to be this log message:

   mbox sync: UID inserted in the middle of mailbox /var/mail/office (3938 > 3918, seq=2, idx_msgs=10)

which appears from time to time. Every time it occurs, all mails are fetches again. I guess that's because all X-UID have now been replaced 
and the E-Mail Client (or Dovecot itself??) thinks they are all new.

Am I right?

What can I do about this? How can I diagnose this?

Many thanks,
Andi


On 10.01.2011 16:08, Andi Meier wrote:
> I have a problem since a couple of hours:
> I manage several mboxes on a virtual server using Dovecot (over POP3).
>
> Until a few hours ago, it worked well, but since 11:50, the e-mail clients which access Dovecot's mailboxes, receive all e-mails new each
> time the mailbox is queried.
>
> For example:
> 15:40 fetches 22 new mails
> 15:41 fetches the same 22 mails again as new
> 15:42 fetches the same 22 mails again as new
> etc.
>
>
> Dovecot version is 1.0.15 on Debian Lenny.
>
> How can I fix this? How can I diagnose what's wrong? The mailbox files themselves seem ok, no dupe messages.
>
> I noticed that in the /var/log/mail.log Dovecot says:
>
> ------- START ---------
> Jan 10 15:27:08 lvps87-230-81-99 dovecot: POP3(office): Disconnected: Logged out top=0/0, retr=23/6273313, del=23/23, size=6272894
> Jan 10 15:40:02 lvps87-230-81-99 dovecot: POP3(office): Effective uid=1002, gid=1002
> Jan 10 15:40:02 lvps87-230-81-99 dovecot: POP3(office): mbox: data=/var/mail:INBOX=/var/mail/office
> Jan 10 15:40:02 lvps87-230-81-99 dovecot: POP3(office): mbox: root=/var/mail, index=/var/mail, inbox=/var/mail/office
> Jan 10 15:40:02 lvps87-230-81-99 dovecot: POP3(office): mbox sync: Expunged message reappeared in mailbox /var/mail/office (UID 3234 < 3261,
> seq=2, idx_msgs=0)
> Jan 10 15:40:02 lvps87-230-81-99 dovecot: pop3-login: Login: user=<office>, method=PLAIN, rip=80.122.113.70, lip=87.230.81.99
> Jan 10 15:40:02 lvps87-230-81-99 dovecot: POP3(office): mbox sync: UID inserted in the middle of mailbox /var/mail/office (3261 > 3234,
> seq=2, idx_msgs=24)
> Jan 10 15:40:02 lvps87-230-81-99 dovecot: POP3(office): mbox sync: UID inserted in the middle of mailbox /var/mail/office (3285 > 3234,
> seq=2, idx_msgs=24)
> Jan 10 15:40:22 lvps87-230-81-99 dovecot: POP3(office): mbox sync: UID inserted in the middle of mailbox /var/mail/office (3309 > 3234,
> seq=2, idx_msgs=24)
> Jan 10 15:40:22 lvps87-230-81-99 dovecot: POP3(office): Disconnected: Logged out top=2/0, retr=24/6274745, del=24/24, size=6274309
> ------- END ---------
>
> What puzzles me: Each time the retr=XX value is never decreasing. Shouldn't it be 0/xxxxx the next time when the mails are not kept on the
> server? Apparently Dovecot does not manage to remove the mails form the mbox, although the email client tells it so (=> del=24/24)
> Is this the problem? How can I check this?
>
>
> I am very thankful for any hints!
>
> Cheers,
> Andi
>