[Dovecot] migrating/converting from system users -> virtual users

[Timo Sirainen]

On 8.3.2012, at 20.46, Steve Platt wrote:

>> use Dovecot v2.0's dsync
> 
> I gather from your reply that it's OK to use Dovecot 2.0 utilities (eg dsync) 
> on a dovecot (v1) installation; presumably with its own configuration file(s).

Yes, although in some situations it might write stuff to index files that v1.x complains about. But deleting index files afterwards fixes that.

>> You could set mail_drop_priv_before_exec=yes ... chgrp vmail ...
> 
> Yes, I think we could do that; I should have thought of it myself, thanks 
> again.
> 
> I think there was one other problem with the automatic conversion which I've 
> now remembered: I note that the first time a user connects to th eimap service 
> dovecot creates their (virtual) home directory for them with all the right 
> permissions. That's great and I use the existence of that directory as an 
> indication to our MTA that the user wants delivery into the dovecot store 
> rather than their old system mailbox.  However once I tried using the convert 
> plugin the process fails because (it seems) the conversion tries to take place 
> before the home directory has been created.
> 
> Is there any configuration change that might change this order?

No.

> Can I configure the convert plugin on LDA delivery, for example, instead of as 
> part of the "protocol imap" section?

Yes.