# dovecot - passdb - encryption



## HL1234 (Mar 4, 2011)

Hello,
I try to get dovecot up, but I run into a lot of problems. However, here is one of the questions I can not solve about the dovecot wiki:

I like to have "Virtual Users" and I am using for this a passdb file.
http://wiki2.dovecot.org/VirtualUsers
The password in it "can be in any format that Dovecot supports"..http://wiki2.dovecot.org/Authentication/PasswordSchemes

I have decided to take 'SHA512', but testing the POP3 connecttion with telnet on port 110 this doesn't work. It says the password can not be confirmed... 

On the other hand I am using Outlook as client. 

So, I ask me now, if Outlook at all is abel to work with this SHA512 crypt passwords to connect with dovecote (IMAP + POP3 - Server)?

Can someone tell me if this should be possible? Or should I better take a standard 
encryption like MD5-CRYPT for the passords in the passwd file when using Oulook as client?

Many thanks for an idea! - Harald


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## HL1234 (Mar 8, 2011)

No answer?
I will try to ask a bit simple. When I crypt the password inside the passwdb file of a dovecote installation on a server with SHA12 - should this work with Outlook as client from home?

Example: passwd file with
username User1
password: RunInTrouble 
as SHA512 RunInTrouble = "{SHA512}trBMSHW/0zlSPihJLlvNY3ZqoARU5nqaEq+8m1LUJW6O7tKDCehVaE9xe8j679zrsbZ5d3/BgYirQoqAYMWuUw=="

The /etc/dovecot/passwd file looks like:

```
User1:{SHA512}trBMSHW/0zlSPihJLlvNY3ZqoARU5nqaEq+8m1LUJW6O7tKDCehVaE9xe8j679zrsbZ5d3/BgYirQoqAYMWuUw==
```

In Outlook client at home I create a new POP3 or IMAP connection with
Username: User1
Password: RunInTrouble

Schould this work, even if I take SHA512 for encryption?

Until know it doesn't work and I don't know is it the kind of password I use or something else.
Thanks for an idea - Harald


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## AndyUKG (Mar 8, 2011)

Hi,

  I doubt its anything to do with the client. I'd recommend testing POP3 authentication via telnet if you are in doubt about the client causing problems, google "test telnet pop3" you will find how to do it. You will need to allow, at least temporarily, POP3 without TLS to test with telnet,

thanks Andy.

PS and of course, turn on debugging in Dovecot so you can see if anything is going wrong.


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