Folks,

Trying to install Cyrus IMAP server(2.2.12) - all appeared to go ok, and was able to start the 'master' process, and use 'imtest' to authenticate a user successfully via TLS/saslauthd/SASLV2.

So, I tried to use 'cyradm' to set up a mailbox, and it just returned me to the prompt. So I looked at /var/log/messages, and got some nasties thrown up when the 'master' process runs.

Dec 4 10:36:21 server master[24897]: setrlimit: Unable to set file descriptors limit to -1: Operation not permitted
Dec 4 10:36:21 server master[24897]: retrying with 1024 (current max)
Dec 4 10:36:21 server master[24897]: process started
Dec 4 10:36:22 server master[20320]: about to exec /usr/cyrus/bin/ctl_cyrusdb
Dec 4 10:36:22 server ctl_cyrusdb[20320]: DBERROR ª^F^H: db4
Dec 4 10:36:22 server ctl_cyrusdb[20320]: DBERROR: dbenv->open '/var/imap/db' failed: Invalid argument
Dec 4 10:36:22 server ctl_cyrusdb[20320]: DBERROR: init() on berkeley
Dec 4 10:36:22 server ctl_cyrusdb[20320]: recovering cyrus databases
Dec 4 10:36:22 server ctl_cyrusdb[20320]: done recovering cyrus databases
Dec 4 10:36:22 server master[24897]: ready for work
Dec 4 10:36:23 server master[25796]: about to exec /usr/cyrus/bin/ctl_cyrusdb
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR ª^F^H: db4
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR: dbenv->open '/var/imap/db' failed: Invalid argument
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR: init() on berkeley
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: checkpointing cyrus databases
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: archiving database file: /var/imap/annotations.db
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR ª^F^H: db4
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR: couldn't checkpoint: Invalid argument
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR: sync /var/imap/db: cyrusdb error
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR ª^F^H: db4
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR: error listing log files: Invalid argument
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR: archive /var/imap/db: cyrusdb error
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: archiving database file: /var/imap/mailboxes.db
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR ª^F^H: db4
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR: couldn't checkpoint: Invalid argument
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR: sync /var/imap/db: cyrusdb error
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR ª^F^H: db4
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR: error listing log files: Invalid argument
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: DBERROR: archive /var/imap/db: cyrusdb error
Dec 4 10:36:23 server ctl_cyrusdb[25796]: done checkpointing cyrus databases
Dec 4 10:36:23 server master[24897]: process 25796 exited, status 1

Berkeley DB(4.3.27) was pre-installed (Suse 9.3/Yast) by my hosting company. I'd rather not recompile it unless I must, otherwise other things need to be recompiled.

Any bright ideas.. ?
Thanks,
Jonathan.

Looks like this was a versioning issue ie. berkeley client library used by cyrus/downloaded by me must have been a different version to the berkley db suppled as suse rpm by my vps provider.

I downloaded & built the latest berkeley db, thne recompiled (sigh) all programs that use it.. including sasl2, apache, cyrus impad etc. And now, finally I have a fully working imapd mail server with smtp auth all running over tls to protect passwords when sending and receiving mail to imapd.

It was all extremely painful and difficult, but you've got to measure it against the even greater pain, expense and self-loathing of using microsoft stuff instead. Suddenly it doesnt feel so painful after all.