Just some quick ideas * check if the mysql socket file has rw permissions for the dovecot user
# ls -l /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock srwxrwxrwx. 1 mysql mysql 0 Mar 1 19:33 /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock
* Try to run the mysql query as user dovecot (su dovecot)
The dovecot user I set up is a non-interactive user /sbin/nologin I studied different setup guides, and all of them suggested setting up dovecot with a non-interactive shell. However the mysql client is world executable: # ls -l /bin/mysql -rwxr-xr-x. 1 root root 3533008 Feb 5 05:47 /bin/mysql
* Try to set the local ip instead of localhost (mysql makes a difference in the ACL checks if you come from localhost)
I have tried with connect = host=localhost dbname=servermail user='usermail' password='gjwslegosoghjshloehg$_jsdgh' and connect = host=127.0.0.1 dbname=servermail user='usermail' password='gjwslegosoghjshloehg$_jsdgh' still doesn't work: Mar 2 04:58:48 mail dovecot: auth-worker(5745): Error: mysql(127.0.0.1): Connect failed to database (servermail): Access denied for user 'usermail'@'localhost' (using password: YES) - waiting for 1 seconds before retry
* Did mysql logged something useful?
I have turned on general-log in MySQL (actually mariadb): A few things to note: connection 221 is me manually logging into the server from the command line. The other numbers are dovecot. I'm using the same credentials as the dovecot config files. (not sure if this is useful or not) 221 Connect mailuser@localhost as anonymous on 221 Query select @@version_comment limit 1 150302 9:18:33 221 Query show databases 150302 9:18:38 221 Query SELECT DATABASE() 221 Init DB servermail 221 Query show databases 221 Query show tables 221 Field List virtual_aliases 221 Field List virtual_domains 221 Field List virtual_users 150302 9:18:43 221 Query show tables 150302 9:18:50 222 Connect usermail@localhost as anonymous on servermail 222 Connect Access denied for user 'usermail'@'localhost' (using password: YES) 223 Connect usermail@localhost as anonymous on servermail 223 Connect Access denied for user 'usermail'@'localhost' (using password: YES) 150302 9:18:56 221 Query select * from virtual_users 150302 9:19:19 224 Connect usermail@localhost as anonymous on servermail 224 Connect Access denied for user 'usermail'@'localhost' (using password: YES) 213 Quit 214 Quit 215 Quit 150302 9:19:20 225 Connect usermail@localhost as anonymous on servermail 225 Connect Access denied for user 'usermail'@'localhost' (using password: YES) 150302 9:19:24 221 Quit 150302 9:19:25 226 Connect usermail@localhost as anonymous on servermail 226 Connect Access denied for user 'usermail'@'localhost' (using password: YES) 150302 9:19:50 227 Connect usermail@localhost as anonymous on servermail 227 Connect Access denied for user 'usermail'@'localhost' (using password: YES) Dan LaSota Instructional Designer, UAF eLearning (907) 451-4067 dan.lasota@alaska.edu http://elearning.uaf.edu