this might be because you are returning home from passdb/userdb. Check doveadm
user foobar output for more information and fix accordingly.
or just use mail_path = /var/maildir/${user}
Aki
> On 20/11/2025 22:17 EET Marek Greško <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> Oops, apparently it is not equivalent. When I changed mail_path from
> /var/maildir/${user} to ~/ my folders in a client immadiately disappeared. So
> I put it back and happy using. So it seems the ~ is the /home/username
> directory, not the one in mail_home.
>
> Marek
>
>
>
>
>
> Odoslané pomocou bezpečného emailu Proton Mail.
>
> štvrtok 20. novembra 2025, 20:25, Marek Greško <[email protected]>
> napísal/a:
>
> > Hello,
> >
> > I have home directories in /home/username.
> >
> > I have maildirs in /var/maildir/username.
> >
> > So the setting mail_path = ~/ is equivalent to /var/maildir/%{user}?
> >
> > The ~ means the directory specified in mail_home?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Marek
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Odoslané pomocou bezpečného emailu Proton Mail.
> >
> >
> > štvrtok 20. novembra 2025, 19:51, Aki Tuomi [email protected]
> > napísal/a:
> >
> > > We recommend using ~/mail (this applies to migration and new setups)
> > >
> > > If your mails were not in ~/mail, you obviously cannot use that, and you
> > > must use ~/ (if this was what you had before)
> > >
> > > Aki
> > >
> > > > On 20/11/2025 20:48 EET Marek Greško via dovecot [email protected]
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Hello,
> > > >
> > > > thanks. After fixing the ssl issue I managed to run the dovecot.
> > > > Apparently when I had mail_home set only to /var/maildir. it was not
> > > > working. Mail client was reporting something about A000018 NO Character
> > > > not allowed in mailbox name: '.' ( 0.001 + 0.000 secs ) . [ CANNOT ].
> > > >
> > > > When I changed it to /var/maildir/%{user} it started working. So
> > > > apparently mail_home is the location where dovecot is searching the
> > > > maildir.
> > > >
> > > > Now I am uncertain what mail_path is then. I have set it to
> > > > /var/maildir/${user}. Is it something wrong with that? Why should it be
> > > > ~/mail? And what is ~ it is a users $HOME or the /var/maildir/${user}
> > > > directory?
> > > >
> > > > If I set it to ~/mail, should I create mail directory in the users
> > > > maildir? What is the purpose of this directory then?
> > > >
> > > > Hmm, I just received the A000018 NO Character not allowed in mailbox
> > > > name: '.' ( 0.001 + 0.000 secs ) . [ CANNOT ] error again, but I do not
> > > > understand why. Is it related to the mail_path setting?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks
> > > >
> > > > Marek
> > > >
> > > > Odoslané pomocou bezpečného emailu Proton Mail.
> > > >
> > > > štvrtok 20. novembra 2025, 19:31, Aki Tuomi via dovecot
> > > > [email protected] napísal/a:
> > > >
> > > > > Thats what I wrote too? Although in general we strongly recommend to
> > > > > use
> > > > > something like
> > > > >
> > > > > mail_home = /var/maildir/%{user}
> > > > > mail_path = ~/mail
> > > > >
> > > > > to avoid problems.
> > > > >
> > > > > Aki
> > > > >
> > > > > On 20/11/2025 20:13 EET Marek Gresko via dovecot
> > > > > <[1][email protected]> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Hello Aki,
> > > > >
> > > > > sorry for doubling the question, maybe you missed it in the other
> > > > > text.
> > > > > The chatgpt told me to use mail_home = /var/maildir/%{user}, not
> > > > > mail_home = /var/maildir/. Does it make some difference? Or should I
> > > > > use
> > > > > your version? From my point of view your version seems better, but I
> > > > > am
> > > > > unsure of mail_home purpose.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks
> > > > >
> > > > > Marek
> > > > >
> > > > > Odoslane pomocou bezpecneho emailu Proton Mail.
> > > > >
> > > > > stvrtok 20. novembra 2025, 15:39, Marek Gresko via dovecot
> > > > > <[2][email protected]> napisal/a:
> > > > >
> > > > > Hello Aki,
> > > > >
> > > > > thanks. I already found that options. I was trying also chatgtp to
> > > > > help me and it offered me:
> > > > >
> > > > > mail_home = /var/maildir/%{user}
> > > > > mail_driver = maildir
> > > > > mail_path = /var/maildir/%{user}
> > > > > mail_index_path = /var/dovecot-index/%{user}
> > > > > mail_control_path = /var/dovecot-control/%{user}
> > > > >
> > > > > The difference is the %{user} in mail_home. Should it be with or
> > > > > without it?
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks
> > > > >
> > > > > Marek
> > > > >
> > > > > Odoslane pomocou bezpecneho emailu Proton Mail.
> > > > >
> > > > > stvrtok 20. novembra 2025, 12:27, Aki Tuomi
> > > > > [3][email protected] napisal/a:
> > > > >
> > > > > On 20/11/2025 12:25 EET Marek Gresko via dovecot
> > > > > [4][email protected] wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Hello,
> > > > >
> > > > > I just upgraded my server from Fedora 42 to Fedora 43 and found
> > > > > out there is an upgrade to dovecot 2.4 which requires completely
> > > > > new config.
> > > > >
> > > > > I am in doubt how I should convert it.
> > > > >
> > > > > My main issue is now hot co convert this line:
> > > > >
> > > > > mail_location =
> > > > > maildir:/var/maildir/%u:INDEX=/var/dovecot-index/%u:CONTROL=/var/dovecot-control/%u
> > > > >
> > > > > I am uncertain whether the first part should look like:
> > > > >
> > > > > Good start
> > > > >
> > > > > mail_home = /var/maildir/
> > > > > mail_driver = maildir
> > > > > mail_path = /var/maildir/%{user}
> > > > >
> > > > > mail_index_path = /var/dovecot-index/%{user}
> > > > > mail_control_path = /var/dovecot-control/%u{user}
> > > > >
> > > > > See [5]https://doc.dovecot.org/2.4.2/core/config/mail_location.html
> > > > >
> > > > > Aki
> > > > >
> > > > > But I am completely lost how to convert INDEX and CONTROL section.
> > > > > Could someone help me in this matter?
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks
> > > > > Marek Hello,
> > > > > I just upgraded my server from Fedora 42 to Fedora 43 and found
> > > > > out there
> > > > > is an upgrade to dovecot 2.4 which requires completely new config.
> > > > > I am in doubt how I should convert it.
> > > > > My main issue is now hot co convert this line:
> > > > > mail_location =
> > > > > maildir:/var/maildir/%u:INDEX=/var/dovecot-index/%u:CONTROL=/var/dovecot-control/%u
> > > > > I am uncertain whether the first part should look like:
> > > > > mail_home = /var/maildir/
> > > > > mail_driver = maildir
> > > > > mail_path = /var/maildir/%{user}
> > > > > But I am completely lost how to convert INDEX and CONTROL section.
> > > > > Could
> > > > > someone help me in this matter?
> > > > > Thanks
> > > > > Marek
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > dovecot mailing list -- [6][email protected]
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> > > > > References
> > > > >
> > > > > Visible links
> > > > > 1. mailto:[email protected]
> > > > > 2. mailto:[email protected]
> > > > > 3. mailto:[email protected]
> > > > > 4. mailto:[email protected]
> > > > > 5. https://doc.dovecot.org/2.4.2/core/config/mail_location.html
> > > > > 6. mailto:[email protected]
> > > > > 7. mailto:[email protected]
> > > > > 8. mailto:[email protected]
> > > > > 9. mailto:[email protected]
> > > > > 10. mailto:[email protected]
> > > > > 11. mailto:[email protected]
> > > > > _______________________________________________
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