Dovecot configuration error (Permission denied) – Email for root

dovecotemailemail-serverpostfix

I have setup a local user called postman and logged into it using Thunderbird (IMAP). Following is being shown in the mail error log.

Dec 14 23:45:18 ams1 dovecot: lda(root): Fatal: Invalid user settings. Refer to server    log for more information.
Dec 14 23:45:18 ams1 dovecot: lda(root): Error: chdir(/root/) failed: Permission denied (euid=65534(nobody) egid=65534(nogroup) missing +x perm: /root, dir owned by 0:0 mode=0700)
Dec 14 23:45:18 ams1 dovecot: lda(root): Error: chdir(/root) failed: Permission denied
Dec 14 23:45:18 ams1 dovecot: lda(root): Error: user root: Initialization failed:    Initializing mail storage from mail_location setting failed: stat(/root/Maildir) failed:    Permission denied (euid=65534(nobody) egid=65534(nogroup) missing +x perm: /root, dir owned by 0:0 mode=0700)

How to solve it and how to exclude root from using mail?

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

mail_location = maildir:~/Maildir

/etc/postfix/main.cf

home_mailbox = Maildir/

Is there a better way of storing emails rather than in /home?

Best Answer

Delivery of email for root (MTA alias)

Standard security recommendation states that email to root should be redirected to non privileged user -> In postfix configuration create alias for root.

http://www.postfix.org/aliases.5.html

BTW AFAIR some file system (NFS?) map user root to user nobody.

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