---
name: "dovecot"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "dovecot-common"
version: "1:1.2.15-7"
release: "Debian 6.0 (Squeeze)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dovecot/8"
---

# dovecot(8)

An IMAP and POP3 mail server

## NAME

dovecot - An IMAP and POP3 mail server

## SYNOPSIS

**dovecot \[options\]**

## DESCRIPTION

**dovecot** is a POP3 and IMAP mail server that can work with standard mbox and maildir  formats.  It is fully compatible with UW-IMAP and Courier IMAP servers as  well as mail clients accessing the mailboxes directly.

**dovecot** can be setup to authenticate against LDAP, Postgres or MySQL databases, but by  default authentication is with  **[PAM(7)](/PAM/7.md)**.

**dovecot** is normally started during the system boot, and runs as a background process but it can also be run through **[inetd(8)](/inetd/8.md)**. In the latter case, the **/usr/lib/dovecot/imap-login** or **/usr/lib/dovecot/pop3-login** binaries are run directly not **/usr/sbin/dovecot .**

**dovecot** will log all of its activities according to syslog.

## OPTIONS

- **-c** *\<config file\>*

  This option changes the default configuration file in which  **dovecot** looks for its configuration.

- **-F**

  **dovecot** will run in the foreground, and it will still log to syslog.

- **--version**

  Print version information and exits.

## FILES

- */etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf*

  Default configuration file.

- */etc/dovecot/dovecot-ldap.conf*

  Additional configuration for LDAP based authentication.

- */etc/dovecot/dovecot-sql.conf*

  Additional configuration for database based authentication.

- */usr/lib/dovecot*

  Location of  **dovecot** modules.

## DEBIAN-SPECIFIC

**dovecot** is split into three packages:

- •

  **dovecot-common** contains files used by both servers

- •

  **dovecot-imapd** contains the IMAP server

- •

  **dovecot-pop3d** contains the POP3 server

## AUTHOR

Timo Sirainen \<tss@iki.fi\>

## COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright (c) 2001-2002 Timo Sirainen

Dovecot is mostly licensed under the terms of the LGPL v2.1.  See the file  COPYING in the source distribution for exceptions.

This man page is copyright (c) 2004 by Kai Hendry \<hendry@iki.fi\> who wrote it for Debian GNU/Linux.  It may be freely used by others under the terms of the BSD license.

## SEE ALSO

http://dovecot.org/

The mailing list: http://dovecot.org/list/dovecot