Configuring Dovecot for IMAP Email Access

What is Dovecot?

Dovecot is a high-performance IMAP and POP3 server. Combined with Postfix for sending, Dovecot handles email retrieval — allowing users to access their mail through clients like Thunderbird, Outlook, or mobile apps.

Installation

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y dovecot-imapd dovecot-pop3d

Basic Configuration

Edit /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf:

protocols = imap pop3 lmtp
listen = *, ::

Edit /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-mail.conf:

mail_location = maildir:~/Maildir

Edit /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-auth.conf:

disable_plaintext_auth = yes
auth_mechanisms = plain login

SSL Configuration

Edit /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-ssl.conf:

ssl = required
ssl_cert =