How to Install Dovecot on Ubuntu 24.04

This article explains how to install Dovecot on Ubuntu 24.04.

Dovecot is an open-source IMAP and POP3 email server for Linux systems, including Ubuntu. It is designed to provide secure and efficient email retrieval and is popular for user-friendliness and performance.

It works well with various mail protocols (IMAP, POP3) and integrates seamlessly with mail delivery agents like Postfix or Exim.

Dovecot is relatively easy to configure and manage, which benefits beginners and experienced system administrators.

Install Dovecot

You can use Dovecot with many SMTP mail servers. For this post, we will set up Dovecot to work with Postfix MTA with SASL function.

If you haven’t installed Postfix, read the post below to learn how to do it.

How to install Postfix on Ubuntu

When you are ready to install Postfix, run the command below.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install dovecot-core dovecot-pop3d dovecot-imapd

Configure Dovecot

After installing Dovecot, you will find its main configuration file at [/etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf].

Open the configuration file.

sudo nano /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf

Uncomment the lines highlighted.

# A comma separated list of IPs or hosts where to listen in for connections. 
# "*" listens in all IPv4 interfaces, "::" listens in all IPv6 interfaces.

listen = *, ::

Save and exit.

Next, open the file auth.conf below.

sudo nano /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-auth.conf

Uncomment the highlighted lines.

# Disable LOGIN command and all other plaintext authentications unless
# SSL/TLS is used (LOGINDISABLED capability). Note that if the remote IP
# matches the local IP (ie. you're connecting from the same computer), the
# connection is considered secure and plaintext authentication is allowed.

disable_plaintext_auth = no 

# Space separated list of wanted authentication mechanisms:
#   plain login digest-md5 cram-md5 ntlm rpa apop anonymous gssapi otp
#   gss-spnego
# NOTE: See also disable_plaintext_auth setting.

auth_mechanisms = plain login

Save and exit.

Next, open the mail.conf file.

sudo nano /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-mail.conf

Change the highlighted line.

#
# <doc/wiki/MailLocation.txt>

mail_location = maildir:~/Maildir

Save and exit.

Next, pen the master.conf file.

sudo nano  /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-master.conf

On lines 110 – 112, uncomment the section below.

  # Postfix smtp-auth
  unix_listener /var/spool/postfix/private/auth {
    mode = 0666
    user = postfix
    group = postfix
  }

Save and exit the file.

Then, restart Dovecot.

sudo systemctl restart dovecot

That should do it!

Conclusion:

In summary, installing and configuring Dovecot on Ubuntu 24.04 is straightforward. Here are the key takeaways:

• Dovecot is a reliable open-source IMAP and POP3 email server, ensuring secure email retrieval.
• It integrates seamlessly with popular mail delivery agents like Postfix or Exim.
• The installation process involves simple commands to get Dovecot up and running alongside Postfix.
• Configuration files such as dovecot.conf, 10-auth.conf, 10-mail.conf, and 10-master.conf are essential for tailoring Dovecot to your specific needs.
• Remember to restart Dovecot after making changes to apply the new settings.

With Dovecot adequately set up, you can enjoy efficient email management on your Ubuntu server.