ah well, but i'm not using sql at all.

here's doveconf -n:

# 2.2.27 (c0f36b0): /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf
# Pigeonhole version 0.4.16 (fed8554)
# OS: Linux 4.9.0-4-amd64 x86_64 Debian 9.4
auth_cache_negative_ttl = 0
auth_mechanisms = plain login
hostname = rhyno.tech
mail_debug = yes
mail_location = maildir:~/mail
namespace inbox {
  inbox = yes
  location =
  mailbox Drafts {
    special_use = \Drafts
  }
  mailbox Junk {
    special_use = \Junk
  }
  mailbox Sent {
    special_use = \Sent
  }
  mailbox "Sent Messages" {
    special_use = \Sent
  }
  mailbox Trash {
    special_use = \Trash
  }
  prefix =
}
passdb {
  args = /etc/dovecot/dovecot-ldap.conf.ext
  driver = ldap
}
protocols = " imap lmtp pop3"
service auth-worker {
  user = $default_internal_user
}
service auth {
  unix_listener /var/spool/postfix/private/auth {
    group = postfix
    mode = 0660
    user = postfix
  }
}
service imap-login {
  inet_listener imap {
    port = 143
  }
  inet_listener imaps {
    port = 993
    ssl = yes
  }
}
service lmtp {
  process_min_avail = 5
  unix_listener /var/spool/postfix/private/dovecot-lmtp {
    group = postfix
    mode = 0600
    user = postfix
  }
}
service pop3-login {
  inet_listener pop3 {
    port = 0
  }
  inet_listener pop3s {
    port = 0
  }
}
ssl_cert = </etc/letsencrypt/live/wc-rhyno.tech/fullchain.pem
ssl_key =  # hidden, use -P to show it
submission_host = localhost:25
userdb {
  driver = prefetch
}
protocol lmtp {
  mail_plugins = sieve
}
protocol lda {
  mail_plugins = sieve
}
protocol imap {
  imap_client_workarounds = tb-extra-mailbox-sep
}


2018. 08. 02. 0:48 keltezéssel, Aki Tuomi írta:
protocol lmtp {
    userdb {
       driver = sql
       args = /path/to/dovecot-sql.conf.ext
    }
}



---
Aki Tuomi
Dovecot oy

-------- Original message --------
From: Andras Kemeny <pdx@pdx.hu>
Date: 02/08/2018 01:35 (GMT+02:00)
To: dovecot@dovecot.org
Subject: LMTP error, mysterious

hi (especially to you, Aki),

so to solve the previous UID issue, i went the full LMTP route. however,
i seem to be having problems with the prefetch userdb (i'm trying to
minimize load on the LDAP server). namely, the log says:

Aug  2 00:15:35 rhyno postfix/submission/smtpd[21158]: 5EEF35C05C5:
client=localhost[127.0.0.1], sasl_method=login, sasl_username=aik
Aug  2 00:15:40 rhyno postfix/cleanup[22201]: 5EEF35C05C5:
message-id=<20180801221535.5EEF35C05C5@beach.rhyno.tech>
Aug  2 00:15:40 rhyno postfix/qmgr[17437]: 5EEF35C05C5:
from=<pdx@pdx.hu>, size=295, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Aug  2 00:15:40 rhyno dovecot: lmtp(20321): Connect from local
Aug  2 00:15:40 rhyno dovecot: auth: Error: prefetch(aik@rhyno.tech):
userdb lookup not possible with only userdb prefetch
Aug  2 00:15:40 rhyno dovecot: lmtp(aik@rhyno.tech): Error: user
aik@rhyno.tech: Auth USER lookup failed
Aug  2 00:15:41 rhyno postfix/lmtp[22211]: 5EEF35C05C5:
to=<aik@rhyno.tech>, relay=beach.rhyno.tech[private/dovecot-lmtp],
delay=13, delays=13/0.01/0/0.03, dsn=4.3.0, status=deferred (host
beach.rhyno.tech[private/dovecot-lmtp] said: 451 4.3.0 <aik@rhyno.tech>
Internal error occurred. Refer to server log for more information. (in
reply to RCPT TO command))
Aug  2 00:15:41 rhyno dovecot: lmtp(20321): Disconnect from local:
Successful quit
Aug  2 00:15:42 rhyno postfix/submission/smtpd[21158]: disconnect from
localhost[127.0.0.1] ehlo=1 auth=1 mail=1 rcpt=1 data=1 quit=1 commands=6

(the above is a transcript of a full session i've done over telneting to
localhost 587 and auth login-ing with valid credentials)

so, i've tested the actual login process, and it works flawlessly, and
it looks like IMAP is up and running:

Connected to localhost.
Escape character is '^]'.
* OK [CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 LITERAL+ SASL-IR LOGIN-REFERRALS ID ENABLE
IDLE STARTTLS AUTH=PLAIN AUTH=LOGIN] Dovecot ready.
0 login aik@rhyno.tech ofCourseThisIsN0TtheRealPassword
0 OK [CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 LITERAL+ SASL-IR LOGIN-REFERRALS ID ENABLE
IDLE SORT SORT=DISPLAY THREAD=REFERENCES THREAD=REFS
THREAD=ORDEREDSUBJECT MULTIAPPEND URL-PARTIAL CATENATE UNSELECT CHILDREN
NAMESPACE UIDPLUS LIST-EXTENDED I18NLEVEL=1 CONDSTORE QRESYNC ESEARCH
ESORT SEARCHRES WITHIN CONTEXT=SEARCH LIST-STATUS BINARY MOVE
SPECIAL-USE] Logged in
1 list "" "%"
* LIST (\HasNoChildren \Sent) "." Sent
* LIST (\HasNoChildren \Trash) "." Trash
* LIST (\HasNoChildren) "." INBOX
1 OK List completed (0.000 + 0.000 secs).
2 status INBOX (MESSAGES)
* STATUS INBOX (MESSAGES 2)
2 OK Status completed (0.000 + 0.000 secs).

this is how i send the test mails:

Connected to localhost.
Escape character is '^]'.
220 beach.rhyno.tech mail server
ehlo x
250-beach.rhyno.tech
250-PIPELINING
250-SIZE 10240000
250-ETRN
250-STARTTLS
250-AUTH PLAIN LOGIN
250-AUTH=PLAIN LOGIN
250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
250-8BITMIME
250-DSN
250 SMTPUTF8
auth login
334 VXNlcm5hbWU6
***obviously_masked***
334 UGFzc3dvcmQ6
***obviously_masked***
235 2.7.0 Authentication successful
mail from:<pdx@pdx.hu>
250 2.1.0 Ok
rcpt to:<aik@rhyno.tech>
250 2.1.5 Ok
data
354 End data with <CR><LF>.<CR><LF>
test
.
250 2.0.0 Ok: queued as 5EEF35C05C5
quit
221 2.0.0 Bye
Connection closed by foreign host.

my concern is these two:

Aug  2 00:15:40 rhyno dovecot: auth: Error: prefetch(aik@rhyno.tech):
userdb lookup not possible with only userdb prefetch
Aug  2 00:15:40 rhyno dovecot: lmtp(aik@rhyno.tech): Error: user
aik@rhyno.tech: Auth USER lookup failed

10-auth.conf has these settings:

passdb {
  driver = ldap
  args = /etc/dovecot/dovecot-ldap.conf.ext
}
userdb {
  driver = prefetch
}

dovecot-ldap.conf.ext has these settings (only the relevant ones)

dn = ***whatever, it works***
dnpass = ***whatever, it works***
auth_bind = no
base = dc=rhyno,dc=tech
pass_attrs = \
  =user=%{ldap:uid}, \
  =password=%{ldap:userPassword}, \
  =userdb_home=%{ldap:homeDirectory}, \
  =userdb_uid=%{ldap:uidNumber}, \
  =userdb_gid=%{ldap:gidNumber}
pass_filter =
(&(objectclass=postfixUser)(mailacceptinggeneralid=%n)(mailacceptinggeneralid=@%d))

so what am i missing? also, this format of setting variables
(=<output_field>=%{<whatever_special_result_field>}) is never explained
on the wiki (or am i just blind?)

thanks in advance,
a