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+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #216687 +++ Description of problem: Hello, IMHO, the postfix documentation should provide a standard, FHS-compliant place on the filesystem to put the virtual user mailboxes (mbox *or* Maildir). Please see http://www.postfix.org/VIRTUAL_README.html#virtual_mailbox: I mean the value for the virtual_mailbox_base parameter (and subdirectories for it). This should be default option in the main.cf file provided in distro. The FHS standard v2.3, paragraph 5.11 states that /var/mail is the default place, but explicitly says that "user mailboxes files in this location must be stored in the standard UNIX mailbox format". IMHO, it is unclear if this excludes only proprietary mailbox formats or Maildir as well. Given the fact that the distro is now SELinux-enabled by default and dovecot is the default IMAP server, the proposed directory should meet other requirements too: - dovecot (or other imap servers) must be able to pick-up messages from there (permissions related matters); - it should not matter if the virtual mailboxes share the same UID/GID for all users or if these are different; - documentation should explictly say which preconfigured system user/group will own the virtual mailboxes, in case it's a common one; - spamassassin, amavisd-new, pyzor, clamav and other programs that eventually need to access that directory should be able to do it; - the configuration should work when SELinux is in enforcing mode, with an unmodified (default) SELinux policy. Regards, Razvan Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): How reproducible: Steps to Reproduce: 1. 2. 3. Actual results: Postfix documentation only sugest a place for virtual user mailboxes. In a SELinux-enabled environment, there are often interoperability problems between the various components involved in an e-mail system, requiring various permissions hacks or disabling SELinux. Expected results: A FHS-compliant place for those mailboxes should be provided and suggested both in documentation and in Postfix's default main.cf. Postfix documentation should agree on this with POP3 server's documentation. SELinux default policy should take into account the proposed usage for this directory, allowing the various programs to acces it apropriately. A preconfigured system user/group should exist as a common owner for the virtual mailboxes, if administrator wants to use a common one. The docs should explicitly indicate this preconfigured system user in an RH-compliant distro. Additional info: --- Additional comment from kwade@redhat.com on 2006-11-21 17:25:44 CET --- Reassigning to the postfix maintainer in the Fedora Core component. Postfix documentation comes from upstream with the rest of the source, so it is not anything Fedora Documentation has control over. I don't know anything about the technical feasibility of this proposal, but I do know that a patch accompanying the suggestion should help acceptance from the Postfix team. --- Additional comment from kwade@redhat.com on 2006-12-28 16:47:38 CET --- Seems that reassigning to the component didn't reassign to that component owner; fixed by assigning to twoerner@redhat.com. --- Additional comment from razvan.sandu@mobexpert.ro on 2007-07-12 20:24:45 CEST --- Hello, Are there any news about this ? Răzvan --- Additional comment from tfu@redhat.com on 2010-06-29 03:46:19 CEST --- requested by anross --- Additional comment from mlichvar@redhat.com on 2010-09-21 14:22:26 CEST --- Is there a directory which selinux-policy expects to have the virtual mailboxes? Does dovecot or spamassassin have a default? --- Additional comment from mhlavink@redhat.com on 2010-09-21 15:17:26 CEST --- (In reply to comment #5) > Is there a directory which selinux-policy expects to have the virtual > mailboxes? > > Does dovecot or spamassassin have a default? dovecot defaults for system users so it has to be explicitly specified for virtual users. Mail storage if not specified is looked for at standard places : /var/mail, ~/mail and so on. If nothing is specified and nothing already exists dovecot complains to log and exits --- Additional comment from dwalsh@redhat.com on 2010-10-04 17:15:41 CEST --- Labels exist in RHEL5.6 for /var/mail and /var/spool/mail --- Additional comment from jskarvad@redhat.com on 2011-08-29 17:52:10 CEST --- Changing severity to 'medium', because this issue doesn't full-fill the 'high' definition, that is defined as: > Problem due to crashes, loss of data, severe memory, leak, etc. Cloning to RHEL-6.
This request was evaluated by Red Hat Product Management for inclusion in the current release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Because the affected component is not scheduled to be updated in the current release, Red Hat is unfortunately unable to address this request at this time. Red Hat invites you to ask your support representative to propose this request, if appropriate and relevant, in the next release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. If you would like it considered as an exception in the current release, please ask your support representative.
Reassigning to Deployment_guide according to bug 216687 comment 12.
Hello As per https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=216687#c18, a Red Hat Knowledgebase article was created. How to Configure a System to Manage Multiple Virtual Mailboxes Using Postfix and Dovecot - Red Hat Customer Portal - https://access.redhat.com/articles/209683 I will link to that from the guide. Thank you
Fixed in version: Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux-Deployment_Guide-6-en-US-6-5.2 See: https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/6/html/Deployment_Guide/s2-email-useful-websites.html Thank you