Cyrus-Docker

Run Cyrus Imapd in a Docker container based on OpenSuSE Leap

Up and running in no time

# define a password for the mailserver administrator 'cyrus'
cyruspassword=password123

# Build and start the container cyrus-docker
docker-compose up -d --build
# Set the admin password for user cyrus
echo ${cyruspassword} |docker exec -i  cyrus-docker saslpasswd2 -p -u cyrus -c cyrus

# at this point you have the mailbox server running
# you can check it with 
docker ps

# Log in to it with bash (Note here we have -it whilst most other cmds have -i)
docker exec -it  cyrus-docker bash

# tail the logs:
docker exec -i cyrus-docker tail -f /var/log/imapd.log /var/log/auth.log &

# or test that it is answering on port 143
nc -vz localhost 143

# or talk to with via imap protocol See RFC 3501. 
telnet localhost 143
# first give a sequence number like a001 and then the command
# a001 login alice password1
# a002 list "" *
# a003 exit
# the above will not work before you create the mailboxes. See next:

# store the name and password in 2 shell variables to you can copy/paste the commands below 
mailuser=alice
mailuserpassword=password1

# Create the user account
echo ${mailuserpassword} |docker exec -i  cyrus-docker saslpasswd2 -p -u cyrus -c ${mailuser}

# Create the user mailbox:
docker exec -i  cyrus-docker env TERM=dumb cyradm --user cyrus --password ${cyruspassword} --authz ${mailuser} --auth PLAIN localhost << CYRADMSCRIPT
createmailbox INBOX
subscribe INBOX
createmailbox INBOX.Archive
subscribe INBOX.Archive
listmailbox
listaclmailbox *
CYRADMSCRIPT

# Set quota for the mailbox none removes the quota or pass a value
docker exec -i  cyrus-docker env TERM=dumb cyradm --user cyrus --password ${cyruspassword} --auth PLAIN localhost << CYRADMSCRIPT
setquota user.${mailuser} none
CYRADMSCRIPT

Set up Thunderbird to connect as user alice

Further things you can do with the container

# Log in to the user mailbox with cyradm
docker exec -i  cyrus-docker env TERM=dumb cyradm --user cyrus --password ${cyruspassword} --authz ${mailuser} --auth PLAIN localhost

# Log in to the admin account with cyradm
docker exec -i  cyrus-docker env TERM=dumb cyradm --user cyrus --password ${cyruspassword} --auth PLAIN localhost

# List the users in the sasldb2 database:
docker exec -i cyrus-docker sasldblistusers2 

# show the 3 background processes running in the container
docker exec -i cyrus-docker ps aux 

# look at the configuration files:
docker exec -i cyrus-docker cat /etc/imapd.conf
docker exec -i cyrus-docker ls -l /etc/pam.d/
docker exec -i cyrus-docker cat /etc/pam.d/imap
docker exec -i cyrus-docker cat /etc/sysconfig/saslauthd

# This should succeed but fails:
docker exec -i cyrus-docker testsaslauthd -u alice -p password1 -f /run/sasl2/mux

# Ask Sasl about the available plugins
docker exec -i cyrus-docker pluginviewer

Storing the data outside the container

If you feel you want to have the mailbox stored outside the potentially short lived container you can pass in the directory to use in the docker-compose.ymlfile. Cyrus Imapd stores the mailboxes in /var/lib/imap and /var/spool/imap.

        # uncomment this and replace on the left side yout data directory
        #volumes:
        #    - /richi/Privat/Data/Cyrus/lib/imap:/var/lib/imap
        #    - /richi/Privat/Data/Cyrus/spool/imap:/var/spool/imap

And when building the container and you already have data make sure to disable in the Dockerfile the following line:

# REMOVE THIS LINE IF YOU ARE CONNECTING TO EXISTING MAILBOXES
# initialise the mailboxes
RUN sudo -u cyrus /usr/lib/cyrus/tools/mkimap