Re: Dovecot 2.4.1 with mbox format

2 Dec 2025


      Hello again,
I didn’t fully read the section in the documentation about using the mbox format. There is a setting, mail_inbox_path = /var/mail/%{user} to specify the iNBOX location for mails that are stored in /var/mail.
After setting mail_inbox_path I did initially have an issue about dovecot being able to write dotlock files, which was noted in the documentation. I was able to fix by adding users to the group “mail”.
I am using these settings in the new server now:
mail_driver = mbox
mail_path = ~/mail
mail_inbox_path = /var/mail/%{user}
mail_index_path = ~/mail/index
mail_control_path = ~/mail/control
...
On Dec 1, 2025, at 10:18 AM, Bill Steinberg via dovecot <dovecot@dovecot.org> wrote:
Hello,
I'm attempting to upgrade a mbox format based dovecot server to the latest
2.4.1 on Fedora release 43. I am using sendmail at the MTA. I have
provided a synopsis of my 2.4.1 dovecot config below. The dovecot server
I'm attempting to upgrade is running dovecot 2.3.21 on Fedora 37.
In the 2.3.21 setup all mbox based folders are at the top level in the
user's ~/mail location  For example Sent, Trash, Drafts, ...
In dovecot 2.4.1 this setting no longer works:  "mail_location =
mbox:~/mail:INBOX=/var/mail/%u",so when a client connects to the dovecot
server their sendmail based mbox /var/mail isn't visible.
Additionally mbox folders directly under a user's ~/mail iike Sent, Trash,
Drafts are not visible either.
The new 2.4.1 dovecot server creates a folder named "inbox" under ~/mail
as well as an .imap directory which contains directories that appear to
correspond to the folders at the top level along with other dovecot based
files.
Can you describe how I would make the seamail delivered mail in /var/spool
as well as a users top level mbox folders accessible in the new dovecot
mbox structures?
Thanks in advance for any help,
-Bill
Dovecot config
dovecot_config_version = 2.4.1
dovecot_storage_version = 2.4.1
protocols {
imap = yes

lmtp = yes
}
mail_driver = mbox
mail_home = /home/%{user}
mail_path = ~/mail
mbox_write_locks = fcntl
namespace inbox {
inbox = yes

separator = /
}

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Hello again,
I didn't fully read the section in the documentation about using the mbox
format. There is a setting, mail_inbox_path = /var/mail/%{user} to specify
the iNBOX location for mails that are stored in /var/mail.
After setting mail_inbox_path I did initially have an issue about dovecot
being able to write dotlock files, which was noted in the documentation. I
was able to fix by adding users to the group "mail".
I am using these settings in the new server now:
mail_driver = mbox
mail_path = ~/mail
mail_inbox_path = /var/mail/%{user}
mail_index_path = ~/mail/index
mail_control_path = ~/mail/control
 On Dec 1, 2025, at 10:18AM, Bill Steinberg via dovecot
 &lt;dovecot@dovecot.org> wrote:
   Hello,
   I'm attempting to upgrade a mbox format based dovecot server to the
 latest
   2.4.1 on Fedora release 43. I am using sendmail at the MTA. I have
   provided a synopsis of my 2.4.1 dovecot config below. The dovecot
 server
   I'm attempting to upgrade is running dovecot 2.3.21 on Fedora 37.
   In the 2.3.21 setup all mbox based folders are at the top level in the
   user's ~/mail location  For example Sent, Trash, Drafts, ...
   In dovecot 2.4.1 this setting no longer works:  "mail_location =
   mbox:~/mail:INBOX=/var/mail/%u",so when a client connects to the
 dovecot
   server their sendmail based mbox /var/mail isn't visible.
   Additionally mbox folders directly under a user's ~/mail iike Sent,
 Trash,
   Drafts are not visible either.
   The new 2.4.1 dovecot server creates a folder named "inbox" under
 ~/mail
   as well as an .imap directory which contains directories that appear
 to
   correspond to the folders at the top level along with other dovecot
 based
   files.
   Can you describe how I would make the seamail delivered mail in
 /var/spool
   as well as a users top level mbox folders accessible in the new
 dovecot
   mbox structures?
   Thanks in advance for any help,
   -Bill
   ======================================
   Dovecot config
   ======================================

   dovecot_config_version = 2.4.1

   dovecot_storage_version = 2.4.1

   protocols {

     imap = yes

     lmtp = yes

   }

   mail_driver = mbox

   mail_home = /home/%{user}

   mail_path = ~/mail

   mbox_write_locks = fcntl

   namespace inbox {

     inbox = yes

     separator = /

   }
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