Sent email is correctly stored by postfix. Cannot receive mail from dovecot pop3 server. Using port 110.

Client: evolution 3.42.4 O/S: fedora 35;
When receiving: security “no encryption”, authentication “password”

Dovecot server: 2.3.20 O/S: fedora 38

Suspect problem is pam configuration error. Using default settings, i.e. as installed.

systemctl status dovecot – error messages
Sep 15 13:33:22 zeta.hoff.com.au auth[3531]: pam_unix(dovecot:auth): check pass; user unknown
Sep 15 13:33:22 zeta.hoff.com.au auth[3531]: pam_unix(dovecot:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=dovecot ruser=hoff@hoff.com.au rhost=f


getent passwd hoff - account exists
hoff:x:10000:10000:Andrew Hoff:/home/hoff:/bin/bash


doveconf -n
# 2.3.20 (80a5ac675d): /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf
# OS: Linux 6.3.8-200.fc38.x86_64 x86_64 Fedora release 38 (Thirty Eight)
# Hostname: zeta
auth_mechanisms = plain login
disable_plaintext_auth = no
listen = 127.0.0.1, ::1, 172.18.0.20, fec0::ac12:14
mail_location = mbox:~/mail:INBOX=/var/spool/mail/%u
mbox_write_locks = fcntl
namespace inbox {
inbox = yes
location =
mailbox Drafts {
special_use = \Drafts
}
mailbox Junk {
special_use = \Junk
}
mailbox Sent {
special_use = \Sent
}
mailbox Trash {
special_use = \Trash
}
prefix =
}
passdb {
args = dovecot
driver = pam
}
pop3_client_workarounds = outlook-no-nuls oe-ns-eoh
protocols = imap pop3
service auth {
unix_listener /var/spool/postfix/private/auth {
group = postfix
mode = 0666
user = postfix
}
}
service pop3-login {
inet_listener pop3 {
port = 110
}
}
ssl_cert = </etc/pki/dovecot/certs/postfix.pem
ssl_cipher_list = PROFILE=SYSTEM
ssl_key = # hidden, use -P to show it
ssl_min_protocol = TLSv1
userdb {
driver = passwd
}


ls -lZd /var/spool/mail – display mode of mail directory
drwxrwxrwt. 5 root mail system_ubject_r:mail_spool_t:s0 4096 Sep 13 22:14 mail
Note: tried setenforce 0 & got same result; this is NOT an selinux issue


cat /etc/pam.d/dovecot, as installed; have tried alternative (see below) same error
#%PAM-1.0
auth required pam_nologin.so
auth include password-auth
account include password-auth
session include password-auth
#
# alternative
# auth required pam_unix.so nullok
# account required pam_unix.so

Replace the above with the following and see if it helps:

Have applied changes, still unable to connect.
Error in system message file - using journalctl
dovecot[3769]: pop3-login: Disconnected: Connection closed (auth failed, 3 attempts in 22 secs): user=<hoff@hoff.com.au>

FYI extract doveconf -n
passdb {
driver = shadow
}

Since you're using username@domain.com to login, you should use the following (in /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-auth.conf or similar config file):
Also make sure you're using the correct username/password combination?

Have found problem.

implemented following in 10-auth.conf:
auth_username_format = %n

returned back to orginal setting:
passdb {
args = dovecot
driver = pam
}

used evolution from CLIENT running fedora 33 - success - retrieved mail
Issue: fedora 35 client uses YESCRYPT to create shadow passwords (password prefix $y$); fedora 33 uses SHA512 (password prefix $6$)

I have contacted Dovecot to verify Dovecot 2.3.20 is incompatibility with YESCRYPT. The pop3 server may be running YESCRIPT but the clients cannot.
Must now determine how to change password encryption from YESCRYPT to SHA512

Took a step back and checked the routing. I have two nics with two default routes in the motebook running Fedora 35. Everything is OK.

I sent a message and was able to retrive it using Evolution v3.42.4 I repeated the test a few times. Everything is OK.

This problem had nothing to do with YESCRYPT.

Please close this incident.

You should use the "Thread Tools" on top of the page to make the thread as "Solved"

Cheers