- dovecot - dovecot.org

folders in folders
by Marek Greško 20 Nov '25

20 Nov '25

Hello, after upgrade of the dovecot to 2.4.1 version my folders in folders stopped working. For example I had folder work and subfolder done. When accessing folder work everything is working, but after accessing inner folder done, I get error in kmail: A000210 NO Character not allowed in mailbox name: '.' ( 0.001 + 0.000 secs ) . [ CANNOT ] When I look into disk structure on disk, the folder name is .work.done. It seems new version of dovecot does not allow the . in the name. How could I fix this? Thanks Marek Hello, after upgrade of the dovecot to 2.4.1 version my folders in folders stopped working. For example I had folder work and subfolder done. When accessing folder work everything is working, but after accessing inner folder done, I get error in kmail: A000210 NO Character not allowed in mailbox name: '.' ( 0.001 + 0.000 secs ) . [ CANNOT ] When I look into disk structure on disk, the folder name is .work.done. It seems new version of dovecot does not allow the . in the name. How could I fix this? Thanks Marek

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ee key too small
by Marek Greško 20 Nov '25

20 Nov '25

Hello, after upgrading from Fedora 42 to Fedora 43 the dovecot got upgraded to version 2.4. I tweaked the configuration, dovecot starts, but when client is trying to connect to imap, I get: imap-login: Error: Failed to initialize SSL connection: Couldn't initialize SSL server context: Can't load SSL certificate (ssl_server_cert_file setting): error:0A00018F:SSL routines ::ee key too small: I tried replacing 2048 bits RSA with 4096 bits RSA, I tried to not use the dh.pem file (I read somewhere it is not neede any more), I deleted /var/lib/dovecot/ssl-parameters.dat file, but still the same error. Where should I look next? My ssl config: ssl = required #ssl_server_dh_file = /etc/dovecot/dh.pem ssl_server { #ssl_server_dh_file = /etc/dovecot/dh.pem ssl_server_cert_file = /somewhere/dovecot.pem ssl_server_key_file = /somewhere/dovecot.pem prefer_ciphers = server } ssl_min_protocol = TLSv1.2 ssl_cipher_list = PROFILE=SYSTEM #ssl_verify_client_cert = no #ssl_prefer_server_ciphers = no Thanks Marek Hello, after upgrading from Fedora 42 to Fedora 43 the dovecot got upgraded to version 2.4. I tweaked the configuration, dovecot starts, but when client is trying to connect to imap, I get: imap-login: Error: Failed to initialize SSL connection: Couldn't initialize SSL server context: Can't load SSL certificate (ssl_server_cert_file setting): error:0A00018F:SSL routines ::ee key too small: I tried replacing 2048 bits RSA with 4096 bits RSA, I tried to not use the dh.pem file (I read somewhere it is not neede any more), I deleted /var/lib/dovecot/ssl-parameters.dat file, but still the same error. Where should I look next? My ssl config: ssl = required #ssl_server_dh_file = /etc/dovecot/dh.pem ssl_server { #ssl_server_dh_file = /etc/dovecot/dh.pem ssl_server_cert_file = /somewhere/dovecot.pem ssl_server_key_file = /somewhere/dovecot.pem prefer_ciphers = server } ssl_min_protocol = TLSv1.2 ssl_cipher_list = PROFILE=SYSTEM #ssl_verify_client_cert = no #ssl_prefer_server_ciphers = no Thanks Marek

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TLS cipher preference - yes or no or both?
by Edmund Lodewijks 20 Nov '25

20 Nov '25

Hello list, In the latest Dovecot docs I read: > For TLSv1.3 server ciphers should not longer be preferred: > > ssl_server_prefer_ciphers = client Source: https://doc.dovecot.org/2.4.2/core/config/ssl.html I am not so much wondering why TLS 1.3 should no longer have server preference enabled; I am wondering HOW one can set server preference to 'yes' for TLS <= 1.2, and to 'no' for TLS 1.3+. If this is not possible, which setting would be preferred? Would setting it to 'yes' break something with TLS 1.3, or would it be safe to leave it on 'yes' despite the docs (here, I suppose, I am asking for a bit of clarification on the 'why' of this change)? Thank you for enlightening me! Kind regards, Edmund -- Edmund Lodewijks <edmund(a)proteamail.com> TZ: UCT+2 / GMT+2

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[PATCH] doc: dovecot.conf is 644 file permission, not 755
by Xiao Pan 20 Nov '25

20 Nov '25

Use INSTALL_DATA instead of INSTALL in doc/Makefile.am to install dovecot.conf with 644 instead of 755 file permission. After the patch, after ./autogen.sh and ./configure, doc/Makefile shows dovecot.conf is correclty installed with INSTALL_DATA which is `/usr/bin/install -c -m 644` instead of INSTALL which is `/usr/bin/install -c`. More info about INSTALL_DATA see `info make`. Signed-off-by: Xiao Pan <xyz(a)flylightning.xyz> --- doc/Makefile.am | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/doc/Makefile.am b/doc/Makefile.am index 87b52dbe46..845e70e2db 100644 --- a/doc/Makefile.am +++ b/doc/Makefile.am @@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ all-local: stamp-man install-data-hook: $(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/dovecot test -e $(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/dovecot/dovecot.conf || \ - $(INSTALL) dovecot.conf $(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/dovecot/dovecot.conf + $(INSTALL_DATA) dovecot.conf $(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/dovecot/dovecot.conf install-data-local: $(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(docdir); \ -- 2.52.0

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inet_listener_address unimplemented
by Allan Zhang 18 Nov '25

18 Nov '25

Hello, I was hoping to use inet_listener_address to specify different listening addresses for IMAP (143) and IMAPS (993). It looks like inet_listener_address appears in the documentation[1] but is unimplemented[2]. 1. https://doc.dovecot.org/2.4.2/core/config/service.html#inet_listener_address 2. https://github.com/dovecot/core/blob/13ac9959a3c399e8a9d53f40f7858109dc0801… Best, Allan

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Devocot-lda help please
by Jászberényi Szabolcs 17 Nov '25

17 Nov '25

Dear All! I have a strange error after upgrading from Debian Bookworm (12) to Debian Trixie (13). The server was lunched more than 10 years ago, so there are countless possible issues. Motherboard: ASUS P8B-E Series CPU: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1230 V2 @ 3.30GHz Architecture: x64 Memory: 32GB (4 pcs of Kingston 9965525-058.A00LF) Disk: 2 pcs SSD in software RAID1 for / (root filesystem) and 2 pcs HDD with software RAID1 for /home Filesystems: ext4 The server will be soon replaced, but I need working configuration ASAP. After tweeking everything is working, but every time I am sending az email I have a Undelivered Mail Returned to Sender that has an error message: Command died with status 159: "/usr/lib/dovecot/dovecot-lda -f "$SENDER" -a "$RECIPIENT" -d "$USER"". Command output: Bad system call Tried to remove the -f and -a paramteres, but everithing is the same, only the command varies dependent on the config. Postfix in main.cf: mailbox_command = /usr/lib/dovecot/dovecot-lda -f "$SENDER" -a "$RECIPIENT" -d "$USER" # ls -l /usr/lib/dovecot/dovecot-lda -rwxr-sr-x 1 root mail 27024 okt 23 16.01 /usr/lib/dovecot/dovecot-lda The server has winbind configured thru nsswitch, so every other program uses pam for user authentication and paramteres. Postfix has LDAP configured. Can anyone point out what I am missing? I found that dovecot-lda is producing the error, but nothing in dovecot's logs. Postfix shows the error in mail.log, but nothing other than this. If I run the program manually it asks for only the -d parameter, nothing more. Before this version I had only the -f and -a paramteres, no -d. It was working, but now it only works if I set it up with -d. I have attached the sysreports output. Waiting for help! Best regards: -- Tisztelettel: Jászberényi Szabolcs Rendszergazda Győr, PÁGISZ <https://www.pagisz.hu/> Mobil: +36704157707 Dear All! I have a strange error after upgrading from Debian Bookworm (12) to Debian Trixie (13). The server was lunched more than 10 years ago, so there are countless possible issues. Motherboard: ASUS P8B-E Series CPU: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1230 V2 @ 3.30GHz Architecture: x64 Memory: 32GB (4 pcs of Kingston 9965525-058.A00LF) Disk: 2 pcs SSD in software RAID1 for / (root filesystem) and 2 pcs HDD with software RAID1 for /home Filesystems: ext4 The server will be soon replaced, but I need working configuration ASAP. After tweeking everything is working, but every time I am sending az email I have a Undelivered Mail Returned to Sender that has an error message: Command died with status 159: "/usr/lib/dovecot/dovecot-lda -f "$SENDER" -a "$RECIPIENT" -d "$USER"". Command output: Bad system call Tried to remove the -f and -a paramteres, but everithing is the same, only the command varies dependent on the config. Postfix in main.cf: mailbox_command = /usr/lib/dovecot/dovecot-lda -f "$SENDER" -a "$RECIPIENT" -d "$USER" # ls -l /usr/lib/dovecot/dovecot-lda -rwxr-sr-x 1 root mail 27024 okt 23 16.01 /usr/lib/dovecot/dovecot-lda The server has winbind configured thru nsswitch, so every other program uses pam for user authentication and paramteres. Postfix has LDAP configured. Can anyone point out what I am missing? I found that dovecot-lda is producing the error, but nothing in dovecot's logs. Postfix shows the error in mail.log, but nothing other than this. If I run the program manually it asks for only the -d parameter, nothing more. Before this version I had only the -f and -a paramteres, no -d. It was working, but now it only works if I set it up with -d. I have attached the sysreports output. Waiting for help! Best regards: -- Tisztelettel: Jaszberenyi Szabolcs Rendszergazda Gyo"r, [1]PAGISZ Mobil: +36704157707 References Visible links 1. https://www.pagisz.hu/

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doveadm -A finds non existent users
by Kippels, Julian 14 Nov '25

14 Nov '25

Hi, I am trying to iterate through all users using "doveadm sieve list -A" and I am seeing a lot of messages like this one: doveadm(someuser): Info: User no longer exists, skipping When I do "doveadm sieve list -u someuser" I get the following: doveadm(someuser): Error: User doesn't exist I have defined LDAP as my userdb and "someuser" is not present in the LDAP anymore. Where does doveadm -A get this user from and how can I clean this up? Thanks Julian

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authentication back-ends - go to specific one?
by lejeczek 13 Nov '25

13 Nov '25

Hi guys. Is it possible to tell *dovecot* to authenticate with a specific back-end for a given domain? If it would not the only back-end a given account of a specific domain would try, then it would be the first back-end such account would try to auth against - possible? many thanks, L. Hi guys. Is it possible to tell dovecot to authenticate with a specific back-end for a given domain? If it would not the only back-end a given account of a specific domain would try, then it would be the first back-end such account would try to auth against - possible? many thanks, L.

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after upgrade to 2.4 I get passwd-file: Password mismatch
by Helmut K. C. Tessarek 11 Nov '25

11 Nov '25

I upgraded dovecot from 2.3 to 2.4 today and all of a sudden I get an authentication error: passwd-file: Password mismatch My config looks like this: passdb pam { driver = pam } passdb passwd-file { driver = passwd-file auth_username_format = %{user | username} passwd_file_path = /etc/dovecot/alternate/passwd skip = authenticated } I haven't changed the /etc/dovecot/alternate/passwd in ages and its contents look similar to: user:$6$blablablagfsgfsgfsgsbfssfslongbase64stringhere Just earlier today (on 2.3) I was able to login just fine with the alternate password for my user. Did I misconfigure dovecot or are $6$ type passwords no longer supported. Here's the debug output: 2025-11-10 05:44:58 +0100auth(userhere,server-ip-here,sasl:plain)<VrJZMTZD7rtcKosF>: Debug: pam: Finished passdb lookup 2025-11-10 05:44:58 +0100auth(userhere,server-ip-here,sasl:plain)<VrJZMTZD7rtcKosF>: Debug: passwd-file: Performing passdb lookup 2025-11-10 05:44:58 +0100auth(userhere,server-ip-here,sasl:plain)<VrJZMTZD7rtcKosF>: Debug: passwd-file: lookup: user=userhere file=/etc/dovecot/alternate/passwd 2025-11-10 05:44:58 +0100auth(userhere,server-ip-here,sasl:plain)<VrJZMTZD7rtcKosF>: Debug: passwd-file: Finished passdb lookup 2025-11-10 05:44:58 +0100auth(userhere,server-ip-here,sasl:plain)<VrJZMTZD7rtcKosF>: Debug: Auth request finished 2025-11-10 05:44:58 +0100auth(userhere,server-ip-here,sasl:plain)<VrJZMTZD7rtcKosF>: Debug: delaying auth failure Any idea what might be going on? Cheers, K. C.

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Panic: file mail-user.c: line 185 (mail_user_deinit): assertion failed: ((*user)->refcount == 1)
by Szőts Ákos 10 Nov '25

10 Nov '25

Hi everyone, When I'm running a force-resync on my mailbox, it crashes. Unfortunately, after the crash, it left multiple new FTS mailboxes. Command: doveadm -D force-resync -u user(a)domain.ext '*' Error message: doveadm: Debug: Mailbox INBOX/fts-flatcurve/current.1756202040958990: Mailbox opened doveadm: Error: Mailbox INBOX: FTS optimize failed doveadm: Error: cmd force-resync: Forcing a resync on mailbox INBOX failed: FTS optimize failed doveadm: Panic: file mail-user.c: line 185 (mail_user_deinit): assertion failed: ((*user)->refcount == 1) doveadm: Error: Raw backtrace: #0 fatal_handler_real[0x7f7fcd996190] -> #1 default_fatal_handler[0x7f7fcd996260] -> #2 i_panic[0x7f7fcd8b5407] -> #3 mail_user_deinit.cold[0x7f7fcdc5720e] -> #4 doveadm_mail_next_user[0x55b93b0c16b0] -> #5 doveadm_cmd_ver2_to_mail_cmd_wrapper[0x55b93b0c33d0] -> #6 doveadm_cmdline_run[0x55b93b0d76e0] -> #7 doveadm_cmdline_try_run[0x55b93b0d7ee0] -> #8 main[0x55b93b0b0d10] -> #9 __libc_start_call_main[0x7f7fcd50827e] -> #10 __libc_start_main_alias_2[0x7f7fcd50833e] -> #11 _start[0x55b93b0b1320] Backtrace: #0 __pthread_kill_implementation(threadid=<optimized out>, signo=signo@entry=6, no_tid=no_tid@entry=0) at pthread_kill.c:44 #1 0x00007f7fcd57ae33in __pthread_kill_internal(threadid=<optimized out>, signo=6) at pthread_kill.c:89 #2 0x00007f7fcd51f7b6in __GI_raise(sig=sig@entry=6) at ../sysdeps/posix/raise.c:26 #3 0x00007f7fcd50634bin __GI_abort() at abort.c:77 #4 0x00007f7fcd8b5575in default_fatal_finish(type=LOG_TYPE_PANIC, status=0) at ../lib/failures.c:461 #5 fatal_handler_real(ctx=<optimized out>, format=<optimized out>, args=<optimized out>) at ../lib/failures.c:473 #6 0x00007f7fcd996283in default_fatal_handler(ctx=<optimized out>, format=<optimized out>, args=<optimized out>) at ../lib/failures.c:481 #7 0x00007f7fcd8b54d7in i_panic(format=format@entry=0x7f7fcdd3eac8 "file %s: line %d (%s): assertion failed: (%s)") at ../lib/failures.c:526 #8 0x00007f7fcdc57237in mail_user_deinit(user=<optimized out>) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/lib-storage/mail-user.c:185 #9 mail_user_deinit(user=<optimized out>) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/lib-storage/mail-user.c:183 #10 0x000055b93b0c18f2in doveadm_mail_next_user(ctx=0x55b93ed9dfb8, error_r=<optimized out>) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/doveadm/doveadm-mail.c:505 #11 0x000055b93b0c35e7in doveadm_mail_cmd_exec(ctx=0x55b93ed9dfb8, wildcard_user=0x0) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/doveadm/doveadm-mail.c:705 #12 doveadm_cmd_ver2_to_mail_cmd_wrapper(cctx=<optimized out>) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/doveadm/doveadm-mail.c:1034 #13 0x000055b93b0d7dd7in doveadm_cmdline_run(argc=<optimized out>, argv=0x55b93ed69840, cctx=cctx@entry=0x55b93ed90fa8) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/doveadm/doveadm-cmd-parse.c:451 #14 0x000055b93b0d7f8cin doveadm_cmdline_try_run(cmd_name=cmd_name@entry=0x55b93ed6987c "force-resync", argc=<optimized out>, argv=<optimized out>, cctx=cctx@entry=0x55b93ed90fa8) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/doveadm/doveadm-cmd.c:160 #15 0x000055b93b0b101din main(argc=<optimized out>, argv=<optimized out>) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/doveadm/doveadm.c:406 Unfortunately, this interrupted run left many new mailboxes in place: $ doveadm mailbox list -u user(a)domain.ext Junk Drafts Drafts/fts-flatcurve Drafts/fts-flatcurve/current.1756201209435330 Drafts/fts-flatcurve/index.5092 Trash Trash/fts-flatcurve Trash/fts-flatcurve/current.1756242793225435 Trash/fts-flatcurve/index.5401 Trash/Junk Trash/Junk/fts-flatcurve Trash/Junk/fts-flatcurve/index.6279 Trash/Junk/fts-flatcurve/current.1756366793619309 Interestingly, a short ago I deleted the Junk mailbox with "doveadm mailbox delete -e Junk". Trash/Junk was never a thing. Version: 2.4.2 In case FTS config is useful: mail_plugins { fts = yes fts_flatcurve = yes quota = yes virtual = yes } fts flatcurve { substring_search = yes } fts_autoindex = yes language en { default = yes } language de { } language_tokenizers = generic email-address Ákos Hi everyone, When I'm running a force-resync on my mailbox, it crashes. Unfortunately, after the crash, it left multiple new FTS mailboxes. Command: doveadm -D force-resync -u [1]user(a)domain.ext '*' Error message: doveadm: Debug: Mailbox INBOX/fts-flatcurve/current.1756202040958990: Mailbox opened doveadm: Error: Mailbox INBOX: FTS optimize failed doveadm: Error: cmd force-resync: Forcing a resync on mailbox INBOX failed: FTS optimize failed doveadm: Panic: file mail-user.c: line 185 (mail_user_deinit): assertion failed: ((*user)->refcount == 1) doveadm: Error: Raw backtrace: #0 fatal_handler_real[0x7f7fcd996190] -> #1 default_fatal_handler[0x7f7fcd996260] -> #2 i_panic[0x7f7fcd8b5407] -> #3 mail_user_deinit.cold[0x7f7fcdc5720e] -> #4 doveadm_mail_next_user[0x55b93b0c16b0] -> #5 doveadm_cmd_ver2_to_mail_cmd_wrapper[0x55b93b0c33d0] -> #6 doveadm_cmdline_run[0x55b93b0d76e0] -> #7 doveadm_cmdline_try_run[0x55b93b0d7ee0] -> #8 main[0x55b93b0b0d10] -> #9 __libc_start_call_main[0x7f7fcd50827e] -> #10 __libc_start_main_alias_2[0x7f7fcd50833e] -> #11 _start[0x55b93b0b1320] Backtrace: #0 __pthread_kill_implementation (threadid=<optimized out>, signo=signo@entry=6, no_tid=no_tid@entry=0) at pthread_kill.c:44 #1 0x00007f7fcd57ae33 in __pthread_kill_internal (threadid=<optimized out>, signo=6) at pthread_kill.c:89 #2 0x00007f7fcd51f7b6 in __GI_raise (sig=sig@entry=6) at ../sysdeps/posix/raise.c:26 #3 0x00007f7fcd50634b in __GI_abort () at abort.c:77 #4 0x00007f7fcd8b5575 in default_fatal_finish (type=LOG_TYPE_PANIC, status=0) at ../lib/failures.c:461 #5 fatal_handler_real (ctx=<optimized out>, format=<optimized out>, args=<optimized out>) at ../lib/failures.c:473 #6 0x00007f7fcd996283 in default_fatal_handler (ctx=<optimized out>, format=<optimized out>, args=<optimized out>) at ../lib/failures.c:481 #7 0x00007f7fcd8b54d7 in i_panic (format=format@entry=0x7f7fcdd3eac8 "file %s: line %d (%s): assertion failed: (%s)") at ../lib/failures.c:526 #8 0x00007f7fcdc57237 in mail_user_deinit (user=<optimized out>) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/lib-storage/mail-user.c:185 #9 mail_user_deinit (user=<optimized out>) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/lib-storage/mail-user.c:183 #10 0x000055b93b0c18f2 in doveadm_mail_next_user (ctx=0x55b93ed9dfb8, error_r=<optimized out>) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/doveadm/doveadm-mail.c:505 #11 0x000055b93b0c35e7 in doveadm_mail_cmd_exec (ctx=0x55b93ed9dfb8, wildcard_user=0x0) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/doveadm/doveadm-mail.c:705 #12 doveadm_cmd_ver2_to_mail_cmd_wrapper (cctx=<optimized out>) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/doveadm/doveadm-mail.c:1034 #13 0x000055b93b0d7dd7 in doveadm_cmdline_run (argc=<optimized out>, argv=0x55b93ed69840, cctx=cctx@entry=0x55b93ed90fa8) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/doveadm/doveadm-cmd-parse.c:451 #14 0x000055b93b0d7f8c in doveadm_cmdline_try_run (cmd_name=cmd_name@entry=0x55b93ed6987c "force-resync", argc=<optimized out>, argv=<optimized out>, cctx=cctx@entry=0x55b93ed90fa8) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/doveadm/doveadm-cmd.c:160 #15 0x000055b93b0b101d in main (argc=<optimized out>, argv=<optimized out>) at /usr/src/debug/dovecot-2.4.2/src/doveadm/doveadm.c:406 Unfortunately, this interrupted run left many new mailboxes in place: $ doveadm mailbox list -u [2]user(a)domain.ext Junk Drafts Drafts/fts-flatcurve Drafts/fts-flatcurve/current.1756201209435330 Drafts/fts-flatcurve/index.5092 Trash Trash/fts-flatcurve Trash/fts-flatcurve/current.1756242793225435 Trash/fts-flatcurve/index.5401 Trash/Junk Trash/Junk/fts-flatcurve Trash/Junk/fts-flatcurve/index.6279 Trash/Junk/fts-flatcurve/current.1756366793619309 Interestingly, a short ago I deleted the Junk mailbox with "doveadm mailbox delete -e Junk". Trash/Junk was never a thing. Version: 2.4.2 In case FTS config is useful: mail_plugins { fts = yes fts_flatcurve = yes quota = yes virtual = yes } fts flatcurve { substring_search = yes } fts_autoindex = yes language en { default = yes } language de { } language_tokenizers = generic email-address Akos References Visible links 1. mailto:user@domain.ext 2. mailto:user@domain.ext

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