[SOLVED] Postfix SASL via dovecot fails with "fatal: no SASL authentication mechanism

[timandjulz]

I configured postfix to use SASL to authenticate via dovecot. Pop3 authenticates fine. SMTP does not. I get this in the log file "fatal: no SASL authentication mechanisms"

These are the facts and how I validated.

Postfix has support for dovecot sasl:
postconf -a returns "dovecot" and "cyrus"

Dovecot creates the auth file for postfix:
I removed the auth file and restarted dovecot. auth is recreated

Postfix is looking at the same auth file that dovecot created:
I stopped postfix and dovecot, removed the auth file and started postfix. Postfix logs "warning: SASL: Connect to private/auth failed: No such file or directory"

Postfix is configured for sasl in main.cf:
smtpd_sasl_auth_enable = yes
smtpd_sasl_type = dovecot
smtpd_sasl_path = private/auth
smtpd_sasl_authenticated_header = yes


auth's mode is correct:
Results of ls -l /var/spool/postfix/private/auth
srw-rw---- 1 postfix postfix 0 2008-12-29 19:20 auth
Dovecot configuration:
client {
# Assuming the default Postfix $queue_directory setting
path = /var/spool/postfix/private/auth
mode = 0660
# Assuming the default Postfix user and group
user = postfix
group = postfix
}


I need to narrow down where the problem is. Right now it looks like a problem with postfix.

HOW DO I TROUBLESHOOT THIS?
Is there a way to open the auth socket and validate dovecot is exposing the socket correctly? Are there other configurations I should check?

Thanks,
Tim

[albinootje]

ls -l /var/spool/postfix/private/auth
srw-rw---- 1 postfix postfix 0 2008-12-29 19:20 auth

On where mail-server where I successfully use postfix+dovecot+SASL :

 ls -l /var/spool/postfix/private/auth
srw-rw---- 1 postfix mail 0 Oct 28 02:38 /var/spool/postfix/private/auth

ls -l /var/spool/postfix/auth/dovecot 
srw-rw---- 1 postfix mail 0 Dec 23 22:50 /var/spool/postfix/auth/dovecot

smtpd_sasl_auth_enable          = yes
#smtpd_sasl_local_domain        = $myhostname
smtpd_sasl_exceptions_networks  = $mynetworks
smtpd_sasl_security_options     = noanonymous
broken_sasl_auth_clients        = yes
smtpd_sasl_type                 = dovecot
# Can be an absolute path, or relative to $queue_directory
##smtpd_sasl_path                 = private/auth
smtpd_sasl_path = auth/dovecot

Do you use postfix chrooted ? See : /etc/postfix/master.cf
See also here :
http://wiki.dovecot.org/HowTo/PostfixAndDovecotSASL
http://www.postfix.org/SASL_README.html#server_dovecot

[timandjulz]

Thanks albinootje. It looks like you have reconfigured to use auth/dovecot instead of private/auth. I assume your dovecot config for "client { }" points to the same folder. Can you paste that?

Thanks again,
Tim

[albinootje]

Thanks albinootje. It looks like you have reconfigured to use auth/dovecot instead of private/auth. I assume your dovecot config for "client { }" points to the same folder. Can you paste that?

I forgot to include that at first, but I've just edited my last comment to include it.

[albinootje]

And here's the relevant part of my dovecot.conf file :

}
auth default {
  mechanisms = plain
  passdb sql {
    args = /etc/dovecot/dovecot-sql.conf
  }
  userdb sql {
    args = /etc/dovecot/dovecot-sql.conf
  }
  userdb prefetch {
  }
  user = nobody
  socket listen {
    master {
      path = /var/run/dovecot/auth-master
      mode = 0600
      user = vmail
      group = mail
    }
    client {
      path = /var/spool/postfix/auth/dovecot
      mode = 0660
      user = postfix
      group = mail
    }
  }
}

[timandjulz]

I switched back to an older config and it is working again. Apparently there was a conflict between the previous authentication method (mysql query vs dovecot). I have no idea what was causing the problem. Troubleshooting something like this is darn near impossible.

I am closing this thread. Thanks to albinootje for your input.

[albinootje]

Troubleshooting something like this is darn near impossible.

That's not correct.
I have years of experience with postfix and dovecot, and I can tell you that it all boils down to using the logfiles properly.

What is however really unpleasant to (not) debug is a setup with Courier Maildrop.

[Techjacker]

On where mail-server where I successfully use postfix+dovecot+SASL :

 ls -l /var/spool/postfix/private/auth
srw-rw---- 1 postfix mail 0 Oct 28 02:38 /var/spool/postfix/private/auth

ls -l /var/spool/postfix/auth/dovecot 
srw-rw---- 1 postfix mail 0 Dec 23 22:50 /var/spool/postfix/auth/dovecot

smtpd_sasl_auth_enable          = yes
#smtpd_sasl_local_domain        = $myhostname
smtpd_sasl_exceptions_networks  = $mynetworks
smtpd_sasl_security_options     = noanonymous
broken_sasl_auth_clients        = yes
smtpd_sasl_type                 = dovecot
# Can be an absolute path, or relative to $queue_directory
##smtpd_sasl_path                 = private/auth
smtpd_sasl_path = auth/dovecot

Do you use postfix chrooted ? See : /etc/postfix/master.cf
See also here :
http://wiki.dovecot.org/HowTo/PostfixAndDovecotSASL
http://www.postfix.org/SASL_README.html#server_dovecot

you are THE man!
that dovecot wiki troubleshooting guide saved me.

anyone else who has been having troubles sending mail after following this guide, that wiki article holds the solution.

Thanks!

[aadmi]

I struggled with this issue for a while before finding out the correct solution. It is important that you place the queue_directory path before smtpd_sasl_path, that is if your smtpd_sasl_path is relative. In my case:

queue_directory = /var/spool/postfix
smtpd_sasl_type = dovecot
smtpd_sasl_path = private/auth

did the trick for me.

Bill