title: SASL LOGIN authentication failed: Invalid authentication mechanism on Rails using Postfix and Dovecot on Ubuntu 12.10
body: <p>I have configured an ubuntu 12.10 server with Postfix and Dovecot. Nonetheless, I have SASL Login authentication problem when I try to send emails using a rails web application.</p>
  
  <p>Using RoundCube Webmail, I get this log when I send an email:</p>
  
  <pre><code>Feb 21 21:09:01 ks400054 postfix/qmgr[17883]: 61D4E113: removed
  Feb 21 21:16:34 ks400054 postfix/smtpd[19157]: connect from ks400054.kimsufi.com[37.59.38.218]
  Feb 21 21:16:34 ks400054 postfix/smtpd[19157]: 9FA8419: client=ks400054.kimsufi.com[37.59.38.218], sasl_method=CRAM-MD5, sasl_username=noreply@stagingcrio.info
  Feb 21 21:16:34 ks400054 postfix/cleanup[19161]: 9FA8419: message-id=&lt;c6935772262cfaefe506d0d1e8f61cf7@stagingcrio.info&gt;
  Feb 21 21:16:34 ks400054 postfix/qmgr[17883]: 9FA8419: from=&lt;noreply@stagingcrio.info&gt;, size=723, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
  Feb 21 21:16:34 ks400054 postfix/smtpd[19157]: disconnect from ks400054.kimsufi.com[37.59.38.218]
  Feb 21 21:16:35 ks400054 postfix/smtp[19162]: 9FA8419: to=&lt;guillem.hernandez.sola@gmail.com&gt;, relay=gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com[2a00:1450:4013:c01::1b]:25, delay=0.91, delays=0.26/0.02/0.1/0.53, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (250 2.0.0 OK 1361477795 w41si55958842eel.117 - gsmtp)
  Feb 21 21:16:35 ks400054 postfix/qmgr[17883]: 9FA8419: removed
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>However, when I try to send the email using the Rails webapp, I get this log:</p>
  
  <pre><code>Feb 21 21:17:32 ks400054 postfix/smtpd[19157]: connect from ks400054.kimsufi.com[37.59.38.218]
  Feb 21 21:17:32 ks400054 postfix/smtpd[19157]: warning: ks400054.kimsufi.com[37.59.38.218]: SASL LOGIN authentication failed: Invalid authentication mechanism
  Feb 21 21:17:32 ks400054 postfix/smtpd[19157]: lost connection after AUTH from ks400054.kimsufi.com[37.59.38.218]
  Feb 21 21:17:32 ks400054 postfix/smtpd[19157]: disconnect from ks400054.kimsufi.com[37.59.38.218]
  Feb 21 21:17:33 ks400054 postfix/smtpd[19157]: connect from ks400054.kimsufi.com[37.59.38.218]
  Feb 21 21:17:33 ks400054 postfix/smtpd[19157]: warning: ks400054.kimsufi.com[37.59.38.218]: SASL LOGIN authentication failed: Invalid authentication mechanism
  Feb 21 21:17:33 ks400054 postfix/smtpd[19157]: lost connection after AUTH from ks400054.kimsufi.com[37.59.38.218]
  Feb 21 21:17:33 ks400054 postfix/smtpd[19157]: disconnect from ks400054.kimsufi.com[37.59.38.218]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>My Postfix main.cf file is as follows:</p>
  
  <pre><code>smtpd_banner = $myhostname ESMTP $mail_name (Ubuntu/GNU)
  biff = no
  
  # appending .domain is the MUA's job.
  append_dot_mydomain = no
  
  # Uncomment the next line to generate "delayed mail" warnings
  #delay_warning_time = 4h
  
  myhostname = localhost
  alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases
  alias_database = hash:/etc/aliases
  myorigin = $myhostname
  mynetworks = 127.0.0.0/8, 10.0.0.0/24
  mailbox_size_limit = 0
  home_mailbox = Maildir/
  virtual_alias_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/virtual
  virtual_mailbox_domains = /etc/postfix/vhosts
  virtual_mailbox_base = /var/vmail
  virtual_mailbox_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/vmaps
  virtual_minimum_uid = 1000
  virtual_uid_maps = static:5000
  virtual_gid_maps = static:5000
  recipient_bcc_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/recipient_bcc
  recipient_delimiter = +
  inet_interfaces = all
  smtpd_sasl_auth_enable = yes
  smtpd_sasl_security_options = noplaintext,noanonymous
  smtpd_recipient_restrictions = permit_sasl_authenticated,permit_mynetworks,reject_unauth_destination
  smtpd_sasl_type = dovecot
  smtpd_sasl_path = private/auth-client
  virtual_transport=dovecot
  dovecot_destination_recipient_limit=1
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>My Postfix master.cf file is as follows:</p>
  
  <pre><code>#
  #
  # Postfix master process configuration file.  For details on the format
  # of the file, see the master(5) manual page (command: "man 5 master").
  #
  # Do not forget to execute "postfix reload" after editing this file.
  #
  # ==========================================================================
  # service type  private unpriv  chroot  wakeup  maxproc command + args
  #               (yes)   (yes)   (yes)   (never) (100)
  # ==========================================================================
  smtp      inet  n       -       -       -       -       smtpd
  smtps     inet  n       -       -       -       -       smtpd
    -o smtpd_tls_wrappermode=yes
  submission inet n       -       -       -       -       smtpd
  pickup    fifo  n       -       -       60      1       pickup
    -o content_filter=
    -o receive_override_options=no_header_body_checks
  cleanup   unix  n       -       -       -       0       cleanup
  qmgr      fifo  n       -       n       300     1       qmgr
  tlsmgr    unix  -       -       -       1000?   1       tlsmgr
  rewrite   unix  -       -       -       -       -       trivial-rewrite
  bounce    unix  -       -       -       -       0       bounce
  defer     unix  -       -       -       -       0       bounce
  trace     unix  -       -       -       -       0       bounce
  verify    unix  -       -       -       -       1       verify
  flush     unix  n       -       -       1000?   0       flush
  proxymap  unix  -       -       n       -       -       proxymap
  proxywrite unix -       -       n       -       1       proxymap
  smtp      unix  -       -       -       -       -       smtp
  # When relaying mail as backup MX, disable fallback_relay to avoid MX loops
  relay     unix  -       -       -       -       -       smtp
      -o smtp_fallback_relay=
  showq     unix  n       -       -       -       -       showq
  error     unix  -       -       -       -       -       error
  retry     unix  -       -       -       -       -       error
  discard   unix  -       -       -       -       -       discard
  local     unix  -       n       n       -       -       local
  virtual   unix  -       n       n       -       -       virtual
  lmtp      unix  -       -       -       -       -       lmtp
  anvil     unix  -       -       -       -       1       anvil
  scache    unix  -       -       -       -       1       scache
  #
  # ====================================================================
  # Interfaces to non-Postfix software. Be sure to examine the manual
  # pages of the non-Postfix software to find out what options it wants.
  #
  # Many of the following services use the Postfix pipe(8) delivery
  # agent.  See the pipe(8) man page for information about ${recipient}
  # and other message envelope options.
  # ====================================================================
  #
  # maildrop. See the Postfix MAILDROP_README file for details.
  # Also specify in main.cf: maildrop_destination_recipient_limit=1
  #
  maildrop  unix  -       n       n       -       -       pipe
    flags=DRhu user=vmail argv=/usr/bin/maildrop -d ${recipient}
  #
  # See the Postfix UUCP_README file for configuration details.
  #
  uucp      unix  -       n       n       -       -       pipe
    flags=Fqhu user=uucp argv=uux -r -n -z -a$sender - $nexthop!rmail ($recipient)
  #
  # Other external delivery methods.
  #
  ifmail    unix  -       n       n       -       -       pipe
    flags=F user=ftn argv=/usr/lib/ifmail/ifmail -r $nexthop ($recipient)
  bsmtp     unix  -       n       n       -       -       pipe
    flags=Fq. user=bsmtp argv=/usr/lib/bsmtp/bsmtp -t$nexthop -f$sender $recipient
  scalemail-backend unix  -   n   n   -   2   pipe
    flags=R user=scalemail argv=/usr/lib/scalemail/bin/scalemail-store ${nexthop} ${user} ${extension}
  mailman   unix  -       n       n       -       -       pipe
    flags=FR user=list argv=/usr/lib/mailman/bin/postfix-to-mailman.py
    ${nexthop} ${user}
  amavis    unix -        -       -       -       2       smtp
    -o smtp_data_done_timeout=1200
    -o smtp_send_xforward_command=yes
    -o disable_dns_lookups=yes
    -o max_use=20
  127.0.0.1:10025 inet n  -       -       -       -       smtpd
    -o content_filter=
    -o local_recipient_maps=
    -o relay_recipient_maps=
    -o smtpd_restriction_classes=
    -o smtpd_delay_reject=no
    -o smtpd_client_restrictions=permit_mynetworks,reject
    -o smtpd_helo_restrictions=
    -o smtpd_sender_restrictions=
    -o smtpd_recipient_restrictions=permit_mynetworks,reject
    -o smtpd_data_restrictions=reject_unauth_pipelining
    -o smtpd_end_of_data_restrictions=
    -o mynetworks=127.0.0.0/8
    -o smtpd_error_sleep_time=0
    -o smtpd_soft_error_limit=1001
    -o smtpd_hard_error_limit=1000
    -o smtpd_client_connection_count_limit=0
    -o smtpd_client_connection_rate_limit=0
    -o receive_override_options=no_header_body_checks,no_unknown_recipient_checks
  # AV scan filter (used by content_filter)
  scan      unix  -       -       n       -       16      smtp
          -o smtp_send_xforward_command=yes
  # For injecting mail back into postfix from the filter
  127.0.0.1:10025 inet  n -       n       -       16      smtpd
          -o content_filter=
          -o receive_override_options=no_unknown_recipient_checks,no_header_body_checks
          -o smtpd_helo_restrictions=
          -o smtpd_client_restrictions=
          -o smtpd_sender_restrictions=
          -o smtpd_recipient_restrictions=permit_mynetworks,reject
          -o mynetworks_style=host
          -o smtpd_authorized_xforward_hosts=127.0.0.0/8
  dovecot unix - n n - - pipe
   flags=DRhu user=vmail:vmail argv=/usr/lib/dovecot/deliver -f ${sender} -d ${recipient}
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>And my Dovecot configuration file, my dovecot.conf is as follows:</p>
  
  <pre><code>auth_mechanisms = plain cram-md5
  auth_verbose = yes
  base_dir = /var/run/dovecot/
  info_log_path = /var/log/dovecot.info
  log_path = /var/log/dovecot
  log_timestamp = "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S "
  mail_location = maildir:/var/vmail/%d/%n
  passdb {
    args = /etc/dovecot/passwd
    driver = passwd-file
  }
  protocols = imap pop3
  service auth {
    executable = /usr/lib/dovecot/auth
    user = root
  }
  service imap-login {
    chroot = login
    executable = /usr/lib/dovecot/imap-login
    user = dovecot
  }
  service imap {
    executable = /usr/lib/dovecot/imap
  }
  service pop3-login {
    chroot = login
    executable = /usr/lib/dovecot/pop3-login
    user = dovecot
  }
  service pop3 {
    executable = /usr/lib/dovecot/pop3
  }
  ssl = no
  userdb {
    args = /etc/dovecot/users
    driver = passwd-file
  }
  valid_chroot_dirs = /var/spool/vmail
  protocol pop3 {
    pop3_uidl_format = %08Xu%08Xv
  }
  
  auth default {
    mechanisms = plain cram-md5
    passdb passwd-file {
      args = /etc/dovecot/passwd
    }
    userdb passwd-file {
      args = /etc/dovecot/users
    }
    user = root
    socket listen {
      client {
        # The client socket is generally safe to export to everyone. Typical use
        # is to export it to your SMTP server so it can do SMTP AUTH lookups
        # using it.
        path = /var/spool/postfix/private/auth-client
        mode = 0660
        user = postfix
        group = postfix
      }
    }
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Then, the mail configuration on the Rails app is as follows:</p>
  
  <pre><code>config.action_mailer.smtp_settings = {
    :address =&gt; "ks400054.kimsufi.com" ,
    :port =&gt; 25,
    :domain =&gt; "ks400054.kimsufi.com" ,
    :user_name =&gt; "noreply@stagingcrio.info" ,
    :password  =&gt; "THE_CORRECT_PASSWORD",
    :authentication =&gt; :cram_md5,
    :enable_starttls_auto =&gt; true,
    :tls =&gt; true
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I don't know why I can not login using the Rails webapp.</p>
  
  <p>What am I missing? Is it something on the configuration?</p>