---
name: "cyrus-mbpath"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "cyrus-common"
version: "3.10.2-1+deb13u2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cyrus-mbpath"
---

# cyrus-mbpath(8)

Cyrus IMAP documentation Translate mailbox names to filesystem paths

## NAME

mbpath - Cyrus IMAP documentation

Translate mailbox names to filesystem paths

## SYNOPSIS

```
mbpath [ -C config-file ] [ -l ] [ -m ] [ -q ] [ -s ] [ -u | -p ] [ -a | -A | -M | -S | -U ] [ mailbox-names... ]
```

## DESCRIPTION

*Given a mailbox name or a space separated list of mailbox names,* **mbpath** *outputs the filesystem path(s) of the mailbox.  By default,* *the mailboxes' data partition paths are shown (same as* **-D***).* *See Selectors for selecting which filesystem path(s) to output.*

**mbpath** *reads its configuration options out of the [imapd.conf(5)](/imapd.conf/5.md) file unless specified otherwise by* **-C***. It uses \<configdirectory\>/mailboxes.db* *to locate the mailboxes on disk.*

## OPTIONS

- **-C config-file**

  *Use the specified configuration file config-file rather than the default [imapd.conf(5)](/imapd.conf/5.md).*

- **-l, --local-only**

  *Local mailboxes only (exits with error for remote or nonexistent mailboxes)*

- **-m**

  *Output the path to the metadata files (if different from the* *message files).  Legacy, use* **-M***.*

- **-q, --quiet**

  *Suppress any error output.*

- **-s, --stop**

  *If any error occurs, stop processing the list of mailboxes and exit.*

- **-u, --userids**

  *The specified mailbox-names are userids, not mailboxes.*

- **-p, --paths**

  *The specified mailbox-names are UNIX mailbox paths, not mailboxes.*

## SELECTORS

- **-A, --archive**

  *Show the mailbox archive path*

- **-D, --data**

  *Show the mailbox data path (default)*

- **-M, --metadata**

  *Show the mailbox metadata path (same as* **-m***)*

- **-S, --sieve**

  *Show the user sieve scripts path*

- **-U, --user-files**

  *Show the user files path (seen, sub, etc)*

- **-a, --all**

  *Show all paths, as if all selectors were specified*

## EXAMPLES

```
mbpath user.jsmith
```

*Display the data path for mailbox user.jsmith.*

```
mbpath -M user.jsmith
```

*Display the metadata path for mailbox user.jsmith.*

```
mbpath -u -S jsmith
```

*Display the sieve scripts path for user jsmith.*

## FILES

*/etc/imapd.conf,* *\<configdirectory\>/mailboxes.db*

## SEE ALSO

*[imapd.conf(5)](/imapd.conf/5.md)*

## AUTHOR

*The Cyrus Team, Nic Bernstein (Onlight)*

## COPYRIGHT

*1993–2025, The Cyrus Team*