Is there a lint utility for 2.4.x configuration?
Hi all,
I use a local Dovecot IMAP server to store all my emails, which I access from either Claws-Mail or Evolution. On 7/7/2025 my email stopped working, a few hours of troubleshooting led to a Dovecot problem, a few more hours led to the 2.3 to 2.4 config file changes, and the next 3 days I went without email while trying to get a working 2.4. Finally I managed to downgrade back to 2.3.x and restore the config from backup, and didn't lose too many emails.
I've waited 6 months for all the dust to settle, and now I'm going to try to make a test VM (Void Linux) with 2.4.x, using phony baloney data because I don't want to lose my email capabilities again.
So my first question is this: Is there a lint utility for my configuration, so that I can cut down on experimenting with 50 different variables at once and reading conflicting documentation? Here's what I know so far about lint utilities:
I know doveconf -n and dovecot -n dump non-default settings, but I don't think they can detect syntax errors.
dovecot-sysreport doesn't seem to give me info about syntax errors.
None of the doveadm commands seem to check syntax.
Thanks,
SteveT
Steve Litt http://444domains.com
On 14/02/2026 16:17 EET Steve Litt via dovecot <[1]dovecot@dovecot.org>
wrote:
Hi all,
I use a local Dovecot IMAP server to store all my emails, which I
access from either Claws-Mail or Evolution. On 7/7/2025 my email
stopped working, a few hours of troubleshooting led to a Dovecot
problem, a few more hours led to the 2.3 to 2.4 config file changes,
and the next 3 days I went without email while trying to get a working
2.4. Finally I managed to downgrade back to 2.3.x and restore the
config from backup, and didn't lose too many emails.
I've waited 6 months for all the dust to settle, and now I'm going to
try to make a test VM (Void Linux) with 2.4.x, using phony baloney data
because I don't want to lose my email capabilities again.
So my first question is this: Is there a lint utility for my
configuration, so that I can cut down on experimenting with 50
different variables at once and reading conflicting documentation?
Here's what I know so far about lint utilities:
* I know doveconf -n and dovecot -n dump non-default settings, but I
don't think they can detect syntax errors.
* dovecot-sysreport doesn't seem to give me info about syntax errors.
* None of the doveadm commands seem to check syntax.
Thanks,
SteveT
Steve Litt
[2]http://444domains.com
_______________________________________________
dovecot mailing list -- [3]dovecot@dovecot.org
To unsubscribe send an email to [4]dovecot-leave@dovecot.orgHi!
You could use doveconf -c /path. Also we provide
[5]https://dovecot.org/upgrader
Aki
References
Visible links
- mailto:dovecot@dovecot.org
- http://444domains.com/
- mailto:dovecot@dovecot.org
- mailto:dovecot-leave@dovecot.org
- https://dovecot.org/upgrader/
Aki Tuomi said on Sat, 14 Feb 2026 16:49:02 +0200 (EET)
Hi! You could use
doveconf -c /path. Also we provide https://dovecot.org/upgrader Aki
T h a t ' s p r e t t y c o o l !
I knew if I waited long enough something like that upgrader would appear. Thanks Aki!
It converted to 1077 lines of 2.4.x config text, and I'm sure over 90% of that is just default stuff. The main thing is, assuming the converter's syntax is right, I can use it as a syntax guide.
When I get 2.4.2 up on my VM, I can do dovecot -n to see the non-default lines, and make a much shorter config based on that.
I have two specific questions from the converted config:
"dovecot_storage_version = 2.4.0" : What does that do, and why is it needed?
"maildir_copy_with_hardlinks = yes" : What does that do and what happens if I set it to "no", and what is its default?
Thanks,
SteveT
Steve Litt
On 14/02/2026 17:18 EET Steve Litt via dovecot <[1]dovecot@dovecot.org>
wrote:
Aki Tuomi said on Sat, 14 Feb 2026 16:49:02 +0200 (EET)
>Hi!
>
>You could use `doveconf -c /path`. Also we provide
>[2]https://dovecot.org/upgrader
>Aki
T h a t ' s p r e t t y c o o l !
I knew if I waited long enough something like that upgrader would
appear. Thanks Aki!
It converted to 1077 lines of 2.4.x config text, and I'm sure over 90%
of that is just default stuff. The main thing is, assuming the
converter's syntax is right, I can use it as a syntax guide.
When I get 2.4.2 up on my VM, I can do dovecot -n to see the
non-default lines, and make a much shorter config based on that.
I have two specific questions from the converted config:
1. "dovecot_storage_version = 2.4.0" : What does that do, and why is it
needed?See [3]https://doc.dovecot.org/2.4.2/core/summaries/settings.html#dovecot_storage_v...
2. "maildir_copy_with_hardlinks = yes" : What does that do and what
happens if I set it to "no", and what is its default?See https://doc.dovecot.org/2.4.2/core/summaries/settings.html#maildir_copy_with...
Thanks,
SteveT
Steve Litt
[4]http://444domains.com
_______________________________________________
dovecot mailing list -- [5]dovecot@dovecot.org
To unsubscribe send an email to [6]dovecot-leave@dovecot.orgAki
References
Visible links
- mailto:dovecot@dovecot.org
- https://dovecot.org/upgrader
- https://doc.dovecot.org/2.4.2/core/summaries/settings.html#dovecot_storage_v...
- http://444domains.com/
- mailto:dovecot@dovecot.org
- mailto:dovecot-leave@dovecot.org
participants (2)
-
Aki Tuomi
-
Steve Litt