HI, I’m using a VPS which runs CentOS Linux release 7.7.1908 (Core). And dovecot version is 2.2.36 (1f10bfa63). I haven’t changed anything by myself, but dovecot has become unable to start up a few days ago. After “systemctl start dovecot”, it says “failed” and I checked it. $ systemctl status dovecot.service dovecot.service - Dovecot IMAP/POP3 email server Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/dovecot.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled) Active: failed (Result: timeout) since Wed. 2019-10-02 16:50:44 JST; 20s ago Docs: man:dovecot(1) http://wiki2.dovecot.org/ Process: 1469 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/dovecot (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS) Process: 1465 ExecStartPre=/usr/libexec/dovecot/prestartscript (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS) Oct. 02 16:49:14 v153-127-250-223.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: Starting Dovecot IMAP/POP3 email server... Oct. 02 16:49:14 v153-127-250-223.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: Can't open PID file /var/run/dovecot/master.pid (yet?) after start: Too many levels of symbolic links Oct. 02 16:49:14 v153-127-250-223.vir.kagoya.net dovecot[1470]: master: Dovecot v2.2.36 (1f10bfa63) starting up for imap, pop3, lmtp (core dumps disabled) Oct. 02 16:50:44 v153-127-250-223.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: dovecot.service start operation timed out. Terminating. Oct. 02 16:50:44 v153-127-250-223.vir.kagoya.net dovecot[1470]: master: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill) Oct. 02 16:50:44 v153-127-250-223.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: Failed to start Dovecot IMAP/POP3 email server. Oct. 02 16:50:44 v153-127-250-223.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: Unit dovecot.service entered failed state. Oct. 02 16:50:44 v153-127-250-223.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: dovecot.service failed. Then I searched /var/run/dovecot/master.pid $ ls -la /var/run/dovecot/ drwxr-xr-x 5 root dovecot 740 Oct. 2 16:50 . drwxr-xr-x 21 root root 580 Oct. 2 17:08 .. srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 anvil srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 anvil-auth-penalty srw------- 1 dovecot root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 auth-client srw------- 1 dovecot root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 auth-login srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 auth-master srw-rw-rw- 1 dovecot root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 auth-userdb srw------- 1 dovecot root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 auth-worker srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 config srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 dict srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 dict-async srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 director-admin srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 director-userdb srw-rw-rw- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 dns-client srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 doveadm-server lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 25 Oct. 2 16:49 dovecot.conf -> /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 40 Oct. 2 16:43 empty srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 imap-hibernate srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 imap-master srw-rw-rw- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 imap-urlauth srw------- 1 dovecot root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 imap-urlauth-worker srw-rw-rw- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 indexer srw------- 1 dovecot root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 indexer-worker srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 ipc srw-rw-rw- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 lmtp srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 log-errors drwxr-x--- 2 root dovenull 140 Oct. 2 16:49 login srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 master srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 replication-notify prw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 replication-notify-fifo srw------- 1 dovecot root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 replicator srw-rw-rw- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 ssl-params srw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 stats prw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 stats-mail prw------- 1 root root 0 Oct. 2 16:49 stats-user drwxr-x--- 2 root dovenull 80 Oct. 2 16:49 token-login And I noticed that it said "Too many levels of symbolic links”. As in the list above, “dovecot.conf” is a symbolic link, so I moved to " /etc/dovecot.” $ cd /var/run/dovecot/ $ cd /etc/dovecot/ $ ls -la drwxr-xr-x 79 root root 4096 Oct. 2 16:31 .. drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Sep. 27 18:43 conf.d -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 4379 Feb. 20 2019 dovecot.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 4380 Feb. 20 2019 dovecot.conf.org -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1142 Jun. 20 13:51 passwd -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 520 Aug. 16 09:34 users $ cd conf.d $ ls -la drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Sep. 27 18:43 . drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 Sep. 27 18:31 .. -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 5392 Sep. 27 18:13 10-auth.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 5296 Feb. 20 2019 10-auth.conf.org -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1893 Apr. 30 2018 10-director.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 3118 Jul. 4 11:32 10-logging.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 3062 Feb. 20 2019 10-logging.conf.org -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 17622 Mar. 10 2019 10-mail.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 17579 Feb. 20 2019 10-mail.conf.org -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 3378 Mar. 10 2019 10-master.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2662 Sep. 27 06:40 10-ssl.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2486 Feb. 20 2019 10-ssl.conf.org -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1668 Apr. 30 2018 15-lda.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2808 Jun. 23 2017 15-mailboxes.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 4235 Mar. 10 2019 20-imap.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 936 Jun. 23 2017 20-lmtp.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 4065 Apr. 30 2018 20-pop3.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 676 Jun. 23 2017 90-acl.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 292 Jun. 23 2017 90-plugin.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2597 Apr. 30 2018 90-quota.conf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 499 Jun. 23 2017 auth-checkpassword.conf.ext -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 489 Jun. 23 2017 auth-deny.conf.ext -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 343 Jun. 23 2017 auth-dict.conf.ext -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 924 Jun. 23 2017 auth-ldap.conf.ext -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 561 Jun. 23 2017 auth-master.conf.ext -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 594 Jun. 20 13:40 auth-passwdfile.conf.ext -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 515 Feb. 27 2019 auth-passwdfile.conf.ext.org -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 788 Jun. 23 2017 auth-sql.conf.ext -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 624 Mar. 10 2019 auth-static.conf.ext -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 611 Feb. 27 2019 auth-static.conf.ext.org -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2185 Apr. 30 2018 auth-system.conf.ext -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 330 Jun. 23 2017 auth-vpopmail.conf.ext No more symbolic links found. So my next step was $ journalctl -xe -- -- Unit systemd-update-utmp-runlevel.service has begun starting up. Oct. 02 16:44:55 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: Started Update UTMP about System Runlevel Changes. -- Subject: Unit systemd-update-utmp-runlevel.service has finished start-up -- Defined-By: systemd -- Support: http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel -- -- Unit systemd-update-utmp-runlevel.service has finished starting up. -- -- The start-up result is done. Oct. 02 16:44:55 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: Startup finished in 1min 31.487s. -- Subject: System start-up is now complete -- Defined-By: systemd -- Support: http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel -- -- All system services necessary queued for starting at boot have been -- successfully started. Note that this does not mean that the machine is -- now idle as services might still be busy with completing start-up. -- -- Kernel start-up required KERNEL_USEC microseconds. -- -- Initial RAM disk start-up required INITRD_USEC microseconds. -- -- Userspace start-up required 91487176 microseconds. Oct. 02 16:45:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net crond[130]: (app) ERROR (getpwnam() failed) Oct. 02 16:45:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net crond[130]: (app) ERROR (getpwnam() failed) Oct. 02 16:45:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net crond[130]: (app) ERROR (getpwnam() failed) Oct. 02 16:45:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net crond[130]: (app) ERROR (getpwnam() failed) Oct. 02 16:45:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net crond[130]: (app) ERROR (getpwnam() failed) Oct. 02 16:45:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net crond[130]: (app) ERROR (getpwnam() failed) Oct. 02 16:45:15 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net postfix/smtpd[1376]: connect from unknown[193.56.28.183] Oct. 02 16:45:16 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net postfix/smtpd[1376]: warning: unknown[193.56.28.183]: SASL LOGIN authentication failed: authentication failure Oct. 02 16:45:17 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net postfix/smtpd[1376]: disconnect from unknown[193.56.28.183] Oct. 02 16:46:28 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net /var/maillog/smtpd[1441]: connect from unknown[167.71.104.90] Oct. 02 16:46:41 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net /var/maillog/smtpd[1441]: SSL_accept error from unknown[167.71.104.90]: lost connection Oct. 02 16:46:41 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net /var/maillog/smtpd[1441]: lost connection after CONNECT from unknown[167.71.104.90] Oct. 02 16:46:41 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net /var/maillog/smtpd[1441]: disconnect from unknown[167.71.104.90] Oct. 02 16:48:59 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net postfix/smtpd[1461]: connect from unknown[193.56.28.183] Oct. 02 16:49:00 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net postfix/smtpd[1461]: warning: unknown[193.56.28.183]: SASL LOGIN authentication failed: authentication failure Oct. 02 16:49:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net postfix/smtpd[1461]: disconnect from unknown[193.56.28.183] Oct. 02 16:49:14 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: Starting Dovecot IMAP/POP3 email server... -- Subject: Unit dovecot.service has begun start-up -- Defined-By: systemd -- Support: http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel -- -- Unit dovecot.service has begun starting up. Oct. 02 16:49:14 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: Can't open PID file /var/run/dovecot/master.pid (yet?) after start: Too many levels of symbolic links Oct. 02 16:49:14 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net dovecot[1470]: master: Dovecot v2.2.36 (1f10bfa63) starting up for imap, pop3, lmtp (core dumps disabled) Oct. 02 16:50:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net crond[130]: (app) ERROR (getpwnam() failed) Oct. 02 16:50:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net crond[130]: (app) ERROR (getpwnam() failed) Oct. 02 16:50:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net crond[130]: (app) ERROR (getpwnam() failed) Oct. 02 16:50:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net crond[130]: (app) ERROR (getpwnam() failed) Oct. 02 16:50:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net crond[130]: (app) ERROR (getpwnam() failed) Oct. 02 16:50:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net crond[130]: (app) ERROR (getpwnam() failed) Oct. 02 16:50:44 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: dovecot.service start operation timed out. Terminating. Oct. 02 16:50:44 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net dovecot[1472]: log: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill) Oct. 02 16:50:44 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net dovecot[1470]: master: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=kill) Oct. 02 16:50:44 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: Failed to start Dovecot IMAP/POP3 email server. -- Subject: Unit dovecot.service has failed -- Defined-By: systemd -- Support: http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel -- -- Unit dovecot.service has failed. -- -- The result is failed. Oct. 02 16:50:44 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: Unit dovecot.service entered failed state. Oct. 02 16:50:44 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net systemd[1]: dovecot.service failed. Oct. 02 16:52:01 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net /var/maillog/smtpd[1488]: connect from unknown[167.71.104.90] Oct. 02 16:52:14 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net /var/maillog/smtpd[1488]: SSL_accept error from unknown[167.71.104.90]: lost connection Oct. 02 16:52:14 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net /var/maillog/smtpd[1488]: lost connection after CONNECT from unknown[167.71.104.90] Oct. 02 16:52:14 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net /var/maillog/smtpd[1488]: disconnect from unknown[167.71.104.90] Oct. 02 16:52:39 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net postfix/smtpd[1490]: connect from unknown[193.56.28.183] Oct. 02 16:52:47 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net postfix/smtpd[1490]: warning: unknown[193.56.28.183]: SASL LOGIN authentication failed: authentication failure Oct. 02 16:52:47 MyIPAddress.vir.kagoya.net postfix/smtpd[1490]: disconnect from unknown[193.56.28.183] As suggested here, I’m writing this. I have no idea how to fix this. And in "/var/log/messages”, there’re much more details. But I’m not sure if it’s OK to paste 100 lines of the log, or attach it to the mail… Anyway, is there any solutions for this problem? Masaru <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> iOS Engineer / WEB Engineer / UI/UX Designer / VFX director Masaru Kitajima E-mail: thirstytraveler@xxxxxxx MMS: skull-1@xxxxxxxxxxx Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masaru.kitajima (Request required) Twitter: @JR8TQH (Request required) Instagram: @JR8TQH +81-80-5583-9839 iPhone <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> _______________________________________________ systemd-devel mailing list systemd-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel