Fedora Linux

# SSLDIR=/etc/pki/dovecot /usr/share/doc/dovecot-1.0/examples/mkcert.sh

7.7.1.2. Disabling Encryption

To disable encryption, edit /etc/dovecot.conf and locate the ssl_disable line:

# Disable SSL/TLS support.
#ssl_disable = no

Uncomment this line and change the value to yes :

# Disable SSL/TLS support.
ssl_disable = yes

7.7.1.3. Starting Dovecot

Start the dovecot service using the Services tool or from the command line:

# service dovecot start

If you are going to use IMAP or POP3 remotely, you will need to open some ports in your firewall. For IMAP, open ports for the IMAPandIMAPSservices (TCP ports 143 and 220); for POP3, open the POP3 and POP3S ports (TCP ports 110 and 995).

On the other hand, if you will be using the IMAP and POP3 services only with local applications such as SquirrelMailor local MTAs such as Evolution, you should close the IMAP and POP3 ports on your firewall.

7.7.2. How Does It Work?

Dovecot enables MUAs to access mailboxes over a network connection using the POP3 or IMAP protocols. POP3 is primarily used to fetch mail from a mailbox so that it can be used elsewhere; IMAP is used to manipulate email messages and folders while leaving them on the server.

Like SMTP, POP3 is a human-readable protocol, and you can use telnet to manually conduct a POP3 session to see how it works:

$ telnet bluesky.fedorabook.com pop3
Trying 172.16.97.102...
Connected to 172.16.97.102 (172.16.97.102).
Escape character is '^]'.
+OK Dovecot ready.
USER chris
+OK
PASS bigsecret
+OK Logged in.
LIST
+OK 2 messages:
1 615
2 609
.
RETR 1
+OK 616 octets
Return-Path: <[email protected]>
Received: from localhost.localdomain (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1])
 by localhost.localdomain (8.13.5/8.13.5) with ESMTP id k232Hf26026693
 for <[email protected]>; Thu, 2 Mar 2006 21:17:41 -0500
Received: (from root@localhost)
 by localhost.localdomain (8.13.5/8.13.5/Submit) id k232HfOb026692
 for chris; Thu, 2 Mar 2006 21:17:41 -0500
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2006 21:17:41 -0500
From: Jason Smith <[email protected]>
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: Book Cover
Nice!
.
QUIT
+OK Logging out.

IMAP is also human-readable, but a bit more complex.

In its default configuration, Dovecot uses the input mailboxes in /var/spool/mail as the IMAP INBOX folder and the POP3 data source. This ensures that other applications (such as a local MUA like Evolution) can be used to access the same messages.

7.7.3. What About...

7.7.3.1. ...IMAP folders other than the INBOX?

Dovecot creates these in the user's home directory.

7.7.4. Where Can I Learn More?

? The Dovecot web site: http://dovecot.org

? The Dovecot Wiki: http://wiki.dovecot.org