this might be because you are returning home from passdb/userdb. Check doveadm user foobar output for more information and fix accordingly.
or just use mail_path = /var/maildir/${user}
Aki
On 20/11/2025 22:17 EET Marek Greško <marek.gresko@protonmail.com> wrote:
Oops, apparently it is not equivalent. When I changed mail_path from /var/maildir/${user} to ~/ my folders in a client immadiately disappeared. So I put it back and happy using. So it seems the ~ is the /home/username directory, not the one in mail_home.
Marek
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štvrtok 20. novembra 2025, 20:25, Marek Greško <marek.gresko@protonmail.com> napísal/a:
Hello,
I have home directories in /home/username.
I have maildirs in /var/maildir/username.
So the setting mail_path = ~/ is equivalent to /var/maildir/%{user}?
The ~ means the directory specified in mail_home?
Thanks
Marek
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štvrtok 20. novembra 2025, 19:51, Aki Tuomi aki.tuomi@open-xchange.com napísal/a:
We recommend using ~/mail (this applies to migration and new setups)
If your mails were not in ~/mail, you obviously cannot use that, and you must use ~/ (if this was what you had before)
Aki
On 20/11/2025 20:48 EET Marek Greško via dovecot dovecot@dovecot.org wrote:
Hello,
thanks. After fixing the ssl issue I managed to run the dovecot. Apparently when I had mail_home set only to /var/maildir. it was not working. Mail client was reporting something about A000018 NO Character not allowed in mailbox name: '.' ( 0.001 + 0.000 secs ) . [ CANNOT ].
When I changed it to /var/maildir/%{user} it started working. So apparently mail_home is the location where dovecot is searching the maildir.
Now I am uncertain what mail_path is then. I have set it to /var/maildir/${user}. Is it something wrong with that? Why should it be ~/mail? And what is ~ it is a users $HOME or the /var/maildir/${user} directory?
If I set it to ~/mail, should I create mail directory in the users maildir? What is the purpose of this directory then?
Hmm, I just received the A000018 NO Character not allowed in mailbox name: '.' ( 0.001 + 0.000 secs ) . [ CANNOT ] error again, but I do not understand why. Is it related to the mail_path setting?
Thanks
Marek
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štvrtok 20. novembra 2025, 19:31, Aki Tuomi via dovecot dovecot@dovecot.org napísal/a:
Thats what I wrote too? Although in general we strongly recommend to use something like
mail_home = /var/maildir/%{user} mail_path = ~/mail
to avoid problems.
Aki
On 20/11/2025 20:13 EET Marek Gresko via dovecot <[1]dovecot@dovecot.org> wrote:
Hello Aki,
sorry for doubling the question, maybe you missed it in the other text. The chatgpt told me to use mail_home = /var/maildir/%{user}, not mail_home = /var/maildir/. Does it make some difference? Or should I use your version? From my point of view your version seems better, but I am unsure of mail_home purpose.
Thanks
Marek
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stvrtok 20. novembra 2025, 15:39, Marek Gresko via dovecot <[2]dovecot@dovecot.org> napisal/a:
Hello Aki,
thanks. I already found that options. I was trying also chatgtp to help me and it offered me:
mail_home = /var/maildir/%{user} mail_driver = maildir mail_path = /var/maildir/%{user} mail_index_path = /var/dovecot-index/%{user} mail_control_path = /var/dovecot-control/%{user}
The difference is the %{user} in mail_home. Should it be with or without it?
Thanks
Marek
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stvrtok 20. novembra 2025, 12:27, Aki Tuomi [3]aki.tuomi@open-xchange.com napisal/a:
On 20/11/2025 12:25 EET Marek Gresko via dovecot [4]dovecot@dovecot.org wrote:
Hello,
I just upgraded my server from Fedora 42 to Fedora 43 and found out there is an upgrade to dovecot 2.4 which requires completely new config.
I am in doubt how I should convert it.
My main issue is now hot co convert this line:
mail_location = maildir:/var/maildir/%u:INDEX=/var/dovecot-index/%u:CONTROL=/var/dovecot-control/%u
I am uncertain whether the first part should look like:
Good start
mail_home = /var/maildir/ mail_driver = maildir mail_path = /var/maildir/%{user}
mail_index_path = /var/dovecot-index/%{user} mail_control_path = /var/dovecot-control/%u{user}
See [5]https://doc.dovecot.org/2.4.2/core/config/mail_location.html
Aki
But I am completely lost how to convert INDEX and CONTROL section. Could someone help me in this matter?
Thanks Marek Hello, I just upgraded my server from Fedora 42 to Fedora 43 and found out there is an upgrade to dovecot 2.4 which requires completely new config. I am in doubt how I should convert it. My main issue is now hot co convert this line: mail_location = maildir:/var/maildir/%u:INDEX=/var/dovecot-index/%u:CONTROL=/var/dovecot-control/%u I am uncertain whether the first part should look like: mail_home = /var/maildir/ mail_driver = maildir mail_path = /var/maildir/%{user} But I am completely lost how to convert INDEX and CONTROL section. Could someone help me in this matter? Thanks Marek
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