Linux Email Services: Configuring IMAP with Dovecot

Libraries: If you want this lab, consider one of these libraries.
Cloud
Security

Linux Email Services: Configuring IMAP with Dovecot

Most customers enjoy using their own email client to check mail rather than a terminal. To that end, deploying a `dovecot` instance will help them check email and give you the security you need to sleep at night. This lab will help you practice setting up a `dovecot` instance to work with your `postfix` instance.

Get started Contact sales

Lab Info

Level

Beginner

Last updated

Sep 13, 2025

Duration

15m

Challenge

Install Dovecot

First, you need to install dovecot

yum install dovecot -y

Now edit the required files:

vim /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-auth.conf
    set up auth_mechanisms
vim /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-mail.conf
    set up mail_location to match postfix's home_mailbox from /etc/postfix/main.cf
vim /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-master.conf
    uncomment the auth-userdb unix_listener and configure the Postfix smtp-auth unix_listener

Create the test user:

useradd test_user
passwd test_user
mkdir /home/test_user/Maildir
chown test_user.test_user /home/test_user/Maildir/
chmod -R 700 /home/test_user/Maildir/

Now you can start dovecot:

systemctl start dovecot

Challenge

Test your Dovecot Configuration

First, connect to the dovecot IMAP server:

telnet localhost 143

You'll receive a response similar to:

OK [CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 LITERAL+ SASL-IR LOGIN-REFERRALS ID ENABLE IDLE STARTTLS AUTH=PLAIN AUTH=LOGIN] Dovecot ready.

a login test_user 1234

If things are set up correctly, you'll receive a response similar to:

OK [CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 LITERAL+ SASL-IR LOGIN-REFERRALS ID ENABLE IDLE SORT SORT=DISPLAY THREAD=REFERENCES THREAD=REFS THREAD=ORDEREDSUBJECT MULTIAPPEND URL-PARTIAL CATENATE UNSELECT CHILDREN NAMESPACE UIDPLUS LIST-EXTENDED I18NLEVEL=1 CONDSTORE QRESYNC ESEARCH ESORT SEARCHES WITHIN CONTEXT=SEARCH LIST-STATUS BINARY MOVE SNIPPET=FUZZY SPECIAL-USE] Logged in

Congratulations - you've configured dovecot!

About the author

Pluralsight Skills

Pluralsight Skills gives leaders confidence they have the skills needed to execute technology strategy. Technology teams can benchmark expertise across roles, speed up release cycles and build reliable, secure products. By leveraging our expert content, skill assessments and one-of-a-kind analytics, keep up with the pace of change, put the right people on the right projects and boost productivity. It's the most effective path to developing tech skills at scale.

Real skill practice before real-world application

Hands-on Labs are real environments created by industry experts to help you learn. These environments help you gain knowledge and experience, practice without compromising your system, test without risk, destroy without fear, and let you learn from your mistakes. Hands-on Labs: practice your skills before delivering in the real world.

Learn by doing

Engage hands-on with the tools and technologies you’re learning. You pick the skill, we provide the credentials and environment.

Follow your guide

All labs have detailed instructions and objectives, guiding you through the learning process and ensuring you understand every step.

Turn time into mastery

On average, you retain 75% more of your learning if you take time to practice. Hands-on labs set you up for success to make those skills stick.