title: How to start dovecot?
body: <p>I'm building a web server to host multiple websites. I got everything working except the mail server. I'm using linode to host my vps and I've been following their tutorials. FYI, I'm using Ubuntu 11.10.</p>
  
  <p>Here is the link I've been following, <a href="http://library.linode.com/email/postfix/dovecot-mysql-ubuntu-10.04-lucid" rel="noreferrer">http://library.linode.com/email/postfix/dovecot-mysql-ubuntu-10.04-lucid</a>. I got up to the part where it tells me to restart dovecot, so I tried "service dovecot restart". But then I get this "restart: Unknown instance:". I'm logged in as root, so I'm not using sudo.</p>
  
  <p>Since that didn't work I tried "/etc/init.d/dovecot restart" and I get "dovecot start/running, process 4760". So I try "/etc/init.d/dovecot status" and I get "dovecot stop/waiting".</p>
  
  <p>So I tried "service dovecot start" and I get "dovecot start/running, process 4781". So I tried to get the status, so I tired "service dovecot status" and got "dovecot stop/waiting"</p>
  
  <p>Then I tired "/etc/init.d/dovecot start" and I get "dovecot start/running, process 4794". So I tired to get the status, so I tired "/etc/init.d/dovecot status" and got  "dovecot stop/waiting"</p>
  
  <p>Just for kicks and giggles I tired to kill the process, I used the PID that I got when I did "service dovecot start", this was the command "kill -9 4444" and I get this "bash: kill: (4805) - No such process"</p>
  
  <p>Am I doing something wrong?</p>
  
  <p>--EDIT 1--</p>
  
  <p>The following are logs that were found in /var/log/syslog that involved dovecot</p>
  
  <pre><code>dovecot: master: Dovecot v2.0.13 starting up (core dumps disabled)
  dovecot: ssl-params: Generating SSL parameters
  dovecot: ssl-params: SSL parameters regeneration completed
  dovecot: master: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill)
  dovecot: config: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill)
  dovecot: anvil: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill)
  dovecot: log: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill)
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (10276) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (10289) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (10452) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (2275) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (3028) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (3216) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (3230) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (3254) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (3813) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (3845) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (4664) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (4760) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (4781) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (4794) terminated with status 89
  kernel: init: dovecot main process (4805) terminated with status 89
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>--Edit 2 (/etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf)--</p>
  
  <p>The following is the dovecot.conf file</p>
  
  <pre><code>protocols = imap imaps pop3 pop3s
  log_timestamp = "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S "
  mail_location = maildir:/home/vmail/%d/%n/Maildir
  
  ssl_cert_file = /etc/ssl/certs/dovecot.pem
  ssl_key_file = /etc/ssl/private/dovecot.pem
  
  namespace private {
      separator = .
      prefix = INBOX.
      inbox = yes
  }
  
  protocol lda {
      log_path = /home/vmail/dovecot-deliver.log
      auth_socket_path = /var/run/dovecot/auth-master
      postmaster_address = postmaster@[mydomainname.com]
      mail_plugins = sieve
      global_script_path = /home/vmail/globalsieverc
  }
  
  protocol pop3 {
      pop3_uidl_format = %08Xu%08Xv
  }
  
  auth default {
      user = root
  
      passdb sql {
          args = /etc/dovecot/dovecot-sql.conf
      }
  
      userdb static {
          args = uid=5000 gid=5000 home=/home/vmail/%d/%n allow_all_users=yes
      }
  
      socket listen {
          master {
              path = /var/run/dovecot/auth-master
              mode = 0600
              user = vmail
          }
  
          client {
              path = /var/spool/postfix/private/auth
              mode = 0660
              user = postfix
              group = postfix
          }
      }
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>-- Edit 3 (/var/log/mail.log) --</p>
  
  <p>The following is what is in /var/log/mail.log</p>
  
  <pre><code>dovecot: master: Dovecot v2.0.13 starting up (core dumps disabled)
  dovecot: ssl-params: Generating SSL parameters
  postfix/master[9917]: daemon started -- version 2.8.5, configuration /etc/postfix
  dovecot: ssl-params: SSL parameters regeneration completed
  postfix/master[9917]: terminating on signal 15
  postfix/master[10196]: daemon started -- version 2.8.5, configuration /etc/postfix
  dovecot: master: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill)
  dovecot: config: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill)
  dovecot: anvil: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill)
  dovecot: log: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill)
  postfix/master[2435]: daemon started -- version 2.8.5, configuration /etc/postfix
  postfix/master[2435]: terminating on signal 15
  postfix/master[2965]: daemon started -- version 2.8.5, configuration /etc/postfix
  </code></pre>