MSGID: <10kher1$31d14$3@dont-email.me> a185ba85
REPLY: <10kh5hk$2tn7e$2@dont-email.me> 59fe3e69
PID: PyGate 1.5.2
TID: PyGate/Linux 1.5.2
CHRS: CP1252 2
TZUTC: 1100
REPLYADDR ldo@nz.invalid
REPLYTO 3:633/10 UUCP
On Sat, 17 Jan 2026 23:21:24 -0000 (UTC), Markus Robert Kessler wrote:

> At the moment I am stuck because any attempt to log in ends by returning
> to commandline instantly:
>
> [592 root@rpi-inst /tmp]# doveadm auth login dov
> Password:
> passdb: dov auth succeeded
> extra fields:
>   user=dov
>
> userdb extra fields:
>   dov
>   system_groups_user=dov
>   uid=1010
>   gid=1010
>   home=/home/dov
>   auth_mech=PLAIN
> [593 root@rpi-inst /tmp]#
>
> No chance to create a mailbox here.

You?re expecting doveadm to enter some kind of interactive command
mode? Looking at the various man pages, I don?t think it works that
way.

I just tried doveadm as root, and I think it lets me perform admin
actions without having to do a dovecot login.

I?ve never used this command before, because I have my Dovecot (and
Postfix) setup to keep all mail in ~/.maildir in users? home
directories, and this gets created automatically as mail comes in.
Here?s the relevant change to the default configuration that was
installed on my Debian setup:

root@theon:~ # diff -u /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-mail.conf{-orig,}
--- /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-mail.conf-orig       2025-10-23 12:40:26.294676269
+1300
+++ /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-mail.conf    2025-10-23 12:42:46.602025244 +1300
@@ -33,10 +33,14 @@
 # against its use in production environments. See further information
 # at
 # https://doc.dovecot.org/2.4.1/core/config/mailbox/formats/mbox.html
-mail_driver = mbox
+# Notes for upgrade to 2.4:
+# 
+# 
+mail_driver = maildir
 mail_home = /home/%{user | username}
-mail_path = %{home}/mail
-mail_inbox_path = /var/mail/%{user}
+mail_path = %{home}/.maildir
+mailbox_list_layout = maildir++
+mail_inbox_path = .

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