I have tried to installed dovecot 1.0.15 on Centos 4.6
./configure --with-pam
make
make install

It got installed without error

However when I do
[root@~ ]# service dovecot start
dovecot: unrecognized service

When I do [root@~ ]# # locate dovecot
It gives me many files......
/usr/local/sbin/dovecotpw
/usr/local/sbin/dovecot
/usr/local/etc/dovecot-ldap-example.conf
/usr/local/etc/dovecot-example.conf
/usr/local/etc/dovecot-sql-example.conf
/usr/local/lib/dovecot
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib10_quota_plugin.la
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_convert_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/pop3
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/pop3/lib20_convert_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/pop3/lib02_lazy_expunge_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/pop3/lib20_mbox_snarf_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/pop3/lib10_quota_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/pop3/lib20_mail_log_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/pop3/lib20_expire_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib02_lazy_expunge_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_expire_plugin.a
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lda
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lda/lib20_convert_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lda/lib01_acl_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lda/lib10_quota_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lda/lib20_mail_log_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lda/lib20_expire_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lda/lib21_fts_squat_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lda/lib11_trash_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lda/lib20_fts_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib10_quota_plugin.a
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_mbox_snarf_plugin.la
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib01_acl_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_mbox_snarf_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib02_lazy_expunge_plugin.la
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_fts_plugin.a
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_mail_log_plugin.la
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_fts_plugin.la
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib10_quota_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib11_trash_plugin.a
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/auth
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_convert_plugin.la
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_mail_log_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib20_convert_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib02_lazy_expunge_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib20_zlib_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib01_acl_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib20_mbox_snarf_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib10_quota_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib11_imap_quota_plugin.a
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib20_mail_log_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib20_expire_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib11_imap_quota_plugin.la
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib21_fts_squat_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib20_zlib_plugin.a
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib20_zlib_plugin.la
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib11_trash_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib11_imap_quota_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/imap/lib20_fts_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_expire_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib11_trash_plugin.la
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib21_fts_squat_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib11_trash_plugin.so
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib01_acl_plugin.la
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_mail_log_plugin.a
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib21_fts_squat_plugin.la
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_mbox_snarf_plugin.a
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib21_fts_squat_plugin.a
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_convert_plugin.a
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib01_acl_plugin.a
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib02_lazy_expunge_plugin.a
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_expire_plugin.la
/usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_fts_plugin.so
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/pop3
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/imap-login
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/gdbhelper
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/dict
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/deliver
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/idxview
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/ssl-build-param
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/listview
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/pop3-login
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/imap
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/rawlog
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/dovecot-auth
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/convert-tool
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/expire-tool
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/logview
/usr/local/libexec/dovecot/checkpassword-reply
/usr/local/include/dovecot

I do not know how do I remove above file and make fresh instalation or rectify the current problem.

Any help would be highly appreciated.

Best Regards
onik

Have a loo kthrough the docs, but you need to find the init file to put in /etc/init.d. it will probably just be called dovecot, but the README or INSTALL file that came with the source should tell you.

You can then add the service with chkconfig --add dovecot