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  • Re: Dovecot for testing - can someone please give advice?./. Was: Citad

    From Markus Robert Kessler@3:633/10 to All on Sun Jan 18 21:30:01 2026
    Subject: Re: Dovecot for testing - can someone please give advice?./. Was: Citadel? Courier? Cyrus? Dovecot? - I just want to backup my emails

    On 18 Jan 2026 07:21:23 +1000 Computer Nerd Kev wrote:

    Markus Robert Kessler <no_reply@dipl-ing-kessler.de> wrote:
    I try to set up a simple Dovecot instance on a raspberry where I can
    create one mailbox and use this for testing purposes with GNU Mailutils
    and ImapSync.

    FWIW GNU Mailutils comes with an IMAP server too, which I use for about
    the same purpose as what you seem to be doing. It seemed like a good
    idea but in practice I rarely use it and read the mailbox movemail
    writes to directly with an email client instead.

    [..]

    Thanks! Yes, I see imapd is also created when installing from GNU
    Mailutils tarball. Confusingly, Raspbian has each a separate package for imapd, pop3, etc. Maybe, they consider this to be easier to just install what's needed, rather than do a 'systemctl disable ...' for all unwanted services.

    B.t.w., does GNU Mailutils imapd need mysql to store email details, or is there everything stored in plain text?

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Computer Nerd Kev@3:633/10 to All on Sun Jan 18 17:23:51 2026
    Subject: Re: Dovecot for testing - can someone please give advice?./. Was: Citadel? Courier? Cyrus? Dovecot? - I just want to backup my emails

    Markus Robert Kessler <no_reply@dipl-ing-kessler.de> wrote:
    On 18 Jan 2026 07:21:23 +1000 Computer Nerd Kev wrote:
    Markus Robert Kessler <no_reply@dipl-ing-kessler.de> wrote:
    I try to set up a simple Dovecot instance on a raspberry where I can
    create one mailbox and use this for testing purposes with GNU Mailutils
    and ImapSync.

    FWIW GNU Mailutils comes with an IMAP server too, which I use for about
    the same purpose as what you seem to be doing. It seemed like a good
    idea but in practice I rarely use it and read the mailbox movemail
    writes to directly with an email client instead.

    [..]

    Thanks! Yes, I see imapd is also created when installing from GNU
    Mailutils tarball.

    Actually it should be "imap4d".

    Confusingly, Raspbian has each a separate package for
    imapd, pop3, etc. Maybe, they consider this to be easier to just install what's needed, rather than do a 'systemctl disable ...' for all unwanted services.

    Probably, and note that when you install from the tarball you won't
    get the Systemd services added like you (might) get with the
    packages.

    B.t.w., does GNU Mailutils imapd need mysql to store email details, or is there everything stored in plain text?

    All plain-text, although you can choose the format, MH format in my
    example. With MH format each email is kept in an individual sequentially-numbered file.

    --
    __ __
    #_ < |\| |< _#

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Computer Nerd Kev@3:633/10 to All on Sun Jan 18 07:21:23 2026
    Subject: Re: Dovecot for testing - can someone please give advice?./. Was: Citadel? Courier? Cyrus? Dovecot? - I just want to backup my emails

    Markus Robert Kessler <no_reply@dipl-ing-kessler.de> wrote:
    I try to set up a simple Dovecot instance on a raspberry where I can
    create one mailbox and use this for testing purposes with GNU Mailutils
    and ImapSync.

    FWIW GNU Mailutils comes with an IMAP server too, which I use for
    about the same purpose as what you seem to be doing. It seemed like
    a good idea but in practice I rarely use it and read the mailbox
    movemail writes to directly with an email client instead.

    Something like this in /etc/mailutils.conf configures it:
    "
    program imap4d
    {

    logging
    {
    syslog yes;
    facility mail;
    severity debug;
    };

    #debug {
    # level auth;
    #};

    auth
    {
    authentication generic;
    authorization system;
    };

    login-disabled false;
    homedir
    {
    create false;
    }

    mailbox
    {
    mailbox-type "mh";
    folder "Mail/";
    };

    namespace personal
    {
    mailbox-mode g=;
    prefix ""
    {
    directory "$home/Mail";
    mailbox-type "mh";
    };
    };

    };
    "

    You need a "mail" group and add users who can log via IMAP to that
    group.

    I've configured Dovecot before too but I find it difficult, so
    you'd better get advice on that from one of the people who says
    it's easy.

    --
    __ __
    #_ < |\| |< _#

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)