Update to latest dovecot : Fail to start

[ssgill]

Hello just updated dovecot from directadmin panel and dovecot is failing to start with this error

systemctl status dovecot
â— dovecot.service - Dovecot IMAP/POP3 email server
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/dovecot.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Fri 2025-04-25 12:19:43 MDT; 8s ago
Process: 1719627 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/dovecot -F (code=exited, status=89)
Main PID: 1719627 (code=exited, status=89)
CPU: 6ms

Apr 25 12:19:43 matrix.domain.com systemd[1]: Started Dovecot IMAP/POP3 email server.
Apr 25 12:19:43 matrix.domain.com dovecot[1719627]: doveconf: Fatal: Error in configuration file /etc/dovecot/conf.d/90-master-user.conf line 2: passdb { } is missing section name
Apr 25 12:19:43 matrix.domain.com systemd[1]: dovecot.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=89/n/a
Apr 25 12:19:43 matrix.domain.com systemd[1]: dovecot.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.

/etc/dovecot/conf.d/90-master-user.conf

cat /etc/dovecot/conf.d/90-master-user.conf
auth_master_user_separator = +
passdb {
driver = passwd-file
args = /etc/dovecot/passwd.masterusers
master = yes
result_success = continue
}
passdb {
driver = shadow
}
userdb {
driver = passwd
}

Thanks

 

[ssgill]

Reverted back to version 2.3.21.1 and now it's working. Looks like i jumped to version 2.4.x and some thing didn't worked right.
Only custom for dovecot i have is
usr/local/directadmin/custombuild/custom/dovecot/conf.d/90-sieve.conf

#protocols = imap pop3 lmtp sieve

#Managesieve service (allows rules editing on client-side)
service managesieve-login {
inet_listener sieve {
port = 4190
}
service_count = 1
process_min_avail = 4
}

service managesieve {
}

protocol sieve {
managesieve_max_line_length = 65536
managesieve_implementation_string = Dovecot Pigeonhole
managesieve_max_compile_errors = 5
managesieve_logout_format = bytes=%i/%o
log_path = /var/log/dovecot-sieve-errors.log
info_log_path = /var/log/dovecot-sieve.log
}

plugin {
#More details: http://wiki2.dovecot.org/Pigeonhole/Sieve/Configuration
# The location of the user's main script storage. The active script
# in this storage is used as the main user script executed during
# delivery. The include extension fetches the ersonal scripts
# from this location. When ManageSieve is used, this is also where
# scripts are uploaded. This example uses the file system as
# storage, with all the user's scripts located in the directory
# `~/sieve' and the active script (symbolic link) located at
# `~/.dovecot.sieve'.
sieve = file:~/sieve;active=~/.dovecot.sieve

# If the user has no personal active script (i.e. if the location
# indicated in sieve= does not exist or has no active script), use
# this one:
sieve_default = /var/lib/dovecot/sieve/default.sieve

# The include extension fetches the :global scripts from this
# location.
sieve_global = /var/lib/dovecot/sieve/global/


# Always send vacation messages with the SMTP MAIL FROM envelope address set
# to the recipient. This is needed for the vacation response to be DKIM
# signed by Exim. See
# <https://wiki2.dovecot.org/Pigeonhole/Sieve/Extensions/Vacation> for more
# information.
sieve_vacation_send_from_recipient = yes


}

But error is not related to this file, it was thrown for "/etc/dovecot/conf.d/90-master-user.conf"

Any idea what went wrong, for future upgrade.

Thanks

 

[kristian]

Read through https://doc.dovecot.org/2.4.0/installation/upgrade/2.3-to-2.4.html and make sure you update any customization you have to work with the new syntax.

 

[zEitEr]

Hello,

It is a custom file /etc/dovecot/conf.d/90-master-user.conf from your own installation. A default installation of Dovecot from DirectAdmin does not use /etc/dovecot/conf.d/90-master-user.conf, you should follow documentation as Kristian mentioned and update the file, or revert back (as you already did).

But error is not related to this file, it was thrown for "/etc/dovecot/conf.d/90-master-user.conf"