dovecot

Start Dovecot daemon

$ dovecot

$ dovecot -n

$ dovecot -a

$ dovecot reload

$ dovecot stop

$ dovecot --version

dovecot [options]

Dovecot is an open-source IMAP and POP3 email server for Unix-like systems. It provides secure, fast, and standards-compliant access to email stored on the server.
The server supports various authentication methods, virtual users, and mailbox formats including Maildir and mbox. It's designed for both small and large-scale deployments with features like quota management and full-text search.
Dovecot's modular architecture allows plugins for LDAP authentication, Sieve filtering, and integration with other mail system components.

-n

Print non-default configuration.

Print all configuration.

Use specified configuration file.

Reload configuration.

Stop daemon.

Show build options.

Show version.

Display help information.

/etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf

Main configuration file for protocols, authentication, and mail storage settings.

Modular configuration directory for protocol-specific and feature-specific settings.

Requires proper configuration before use. Certificate setup needed for TLS. Permission issues common with mailbox access. Complex setups may need multiple config files.

Dovecot was created by Timo Sirainen and first released in 2002. It was designed as a secure, fast alternative to existing IMAP servers, emphasizing correctness and standards compliance.

postfix(1), doveadm(1), sievec(1)