LinuxQuestions.org - [SOLVED] Dovecot Permissions Issue (only the error message makes no sense)

I'm just setting up a fresh install of Dovecot on a clean new CentOS6.3 server.

I followed the documentation here, pretty damn closely.

When I issue the command "mutt -f imap://peter@localhost" from the same machine, I get the following:

Code:

Aug  7 11:50:18 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: auth: Error: passwd-file /etc/dovecot/users: open(/etc/dovecot/users) failed: Permission denied (euid=97(dovecot) egid=97(dovecot) missing +r perm: /etc/dovecot/users, euid is not dir owner)                

Aug  7 11:50:18 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: master: Error: service(auth): command startup failed, throttling                                                    

Aug  7 11:50:18 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: log: Error: service(auth): child 1890 returned error 89 (Fatal failure)

ls -la /etc/dovecot

Code:

drwxrwxrwx.  3 dovecot dovecot 4.0K Aug  6 21:12 .

drwxr-xr-x. 68 root    root    4.0K Aug  7 10:26 ..

drwxrwxrwx.  2 dovecot dovecot 4.0K Aug  7 11:43 conf.d

-rwxrwxrwx.  1 dovecot dovecot 3.5K Aug  6 21:12 dovecot.conf

-rwxrwxrwx.  1 dovecot dovecot  43 Aug  6 21:04 users

The permissions were originally more restrictive, but I relaxed them for diagnostic purposes, but it hasn't helped.

Output of "dovecot -n"

Code:

# OS: Linux 2.6.32-279.2.1.el6.x86_64 x86_64 CentOS release 6.3 (Final) ext4

disable_plaintext_auth = no

last_valid_gid = 1000

listen = *

mail_location = maildir:/var/mail/%n/Maildir

passdb {

  args = scheme=PLAIN username_format=%u /etc/dovecot/users

  driver = passwd-file

}

ssl = no

userdb {

  args = username_format=%u /etc/dovecot/users

  driver = passwd-file

}

verbose_proctitle = yes

Output of "cat /etc/passwd | grep peter"

Code:

peter:x:500:500::/home/peter:/bin/bash

Output of "cat /etc/passwd | grep dove"

Code:

dovecot:x:97:97:Dovecot IMAP server:/usr/libexec/dovecot:/sbin/nologin

dovenull:x:498:497:Dovecot's unauthorized user:/usr/libexec/dovecot:/sbin/nologin

Output of "cat /etc/group | grep 500"

Code:

people:x:500:

Output of "cat /etc/group | grep 97"

Code:

dovecot:x:97:

dovenull:x:497:

Contents of "/etc/dovecot/users"

Code:

peter:{PLAIN}testpass:500:500::/home/peter

Output of "telnet 127.0.0.1 143"

Code:

Trying 127.0.0.1...

Connected to 127.0.0.1.

Escape character is '^]'.

* OK Waiting for authentication process to respond..

* BYE Disconnected for inactivity.

Connection closed by foreign host.

When I restart Dovecot, this is the /var/log/maillog entry:

Code:

Aug  7 12:06:58 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: master: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1942 uid=0 code=kill)

Aug  7 12:06:59 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: master: Dovecot v2.0.9 starting up (core dumps disabled)

When I do the above telnet command, this is the /var/log/maillog entry:

Code:

Aug  7 12:08:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: auth: Error: passwd-file /etc/dovecot/users: open(/etc/dovecot/users) failed: Permission denied (euid=97(dovecot) egid=97(dovecot) missing +r perm: /etc/dovecot/users, euid is not dir owner)

Aug  7 12:08:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: master: Error: service(auth): command startup failed, throttling

Aug  7 12:08:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: log: Error: service(auth): child 1959 returned error 89 (Fatal failure)

Aug  7 12:09:31 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: imap-login: Error: Timeout waiting for handshake from auth server. my pid=1958, input bytes=0

Aug  7 12:09:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: auth: Error: passwd-file /etc/dovecot/users: open(/etc/dovecot/users) failed: Permission denied (euid=97(dovecot) egid=97(dovecot) missing +r perm: /etc/dovecot/users, euid is not dir owner)

Aug  7 12:09:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: master: Error: service(auth): command startup failed, throttling

Aug  7 12:09:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: log: Error: service(auth): child 1960 returned error 89 (Fatal failure)

Aug  7 12:10:26 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: imap-login: Error: Timeout waiting for handshake from auth server. my pid=1958, input bytes=0                                                  

Aug  7 12:10:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: imap-login: Error: Timeout waiting for handshake from auth server. my pid=1958, input bytes=0                                                  

Aug  7 12:10:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: auth: Error: passwd-file /etc/dovecot/users: open(/etc/dovecot/users) failed: Permission denied (euid=97(dovecot) egid=97(dovecot) missing +r perm: /etc/dovecot/users, euid is not dir owner)              

Aug  7 12:10:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: master: Error: service(auth): command startup failed, throttling                  

Aug  7 12:10:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: log: Error: service(auth): child 1961 returned error 89 (Fatal failure)            

Aug  7 12:11:31 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: imap-login: Error: Timeout waiting for handshake from auth server. my pid=1958, input bytes=0      

Aug  7 12:11:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: imap-login: Disconnected: Inactivity (no auth attempts): rip=127.0.0.1, lip=127.0.0.1, secured      

Aug  7 12:11:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: auth: Error: passwd-file /etc/dovecot/users: open(/etc/dovecot/users) failed: Permission denied (euid=97(dovecot) egid=97(dovecot) missing +r perm: /etc/dovecot/users, euid is not dir owner)

Aug  7 12:11:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: master: Error: service(auth): command startup failed, throttling

Aug  7 12:11:56 BookkeeperNo1 dovecot: log: Error: service(auth): child 1962 returned error 89 (Fatal failure)

The above is only from that one telnet command, which takes a few minutes to fail completely.

I'm about out of ideas on this. I've been trying to set-up Dovecot now since Saturday, so any help would be very much appreciated.

Kindest regards,

Peter