dovecot - Aug 2013 - Couldn't drop privileges

attempts to login result in:

dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<lists@*munged*>, method=PLAIN,
rip=ip.xx.yy.zz, lip=75.148.117.91, mpid=75104, TLS,
session=<cBjCqf/jdwAXGJaN>
dovecot: imap(lists@*munged*): Error: user lists@*munged*: Couldn't drop
privileges: User is missing UID (see mail_uid setting)
dovecot: imap(lists@*munged*): Error: Internal error occurred. Refer to server
log for more information.

Local (shell) user authentication works fine. It looks to me like the
authentication is working based on the first line, so I don't think the
issue is in the dovecot-sql.conf.ext

$ cat dovecot-sql.conf.ext
driver =  mysql
connect = host=localhost dbname=postfix user=dovecot password=dovecot
default_pass_scheme = MD5-CRYPT
password_query = select password from mailbox where username ='%u'
user_query = select maildir from mailbox where username = '%u'

# home is set in userdb static, kept for history
#user_query = select concat('/usr/local/virtual/', maildir) from mailbox
where username = '%u'
#user_query = select concat('/usr/local/virtual/', maildir),
'vpopmail' as uid, 'postfix' as gid, from mailbox where username
= '%u'

#iterate_query = SELECT username AS user FROM users


# 2.2.5: /usr/local/etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf
# OS: FreeBSD 9.1-RELEASE i386  
auth_mechanisms = plain login
disable_plaintext_auth = no
mail_location = maildir:~/Maildir
managesieve_notify_capability = mailto
managesieve_sieve_capability = fileinto reject envelope encoded-character
vacation subaddress comparator-i;ascii-numeric relational regex imap4flags copy
include variables body enotify environment mailbox date ihave
namespace inbox {
  inbox = yes
  location = 
  mailbox Drafts {
    special_use = \Drafts
  }
  mailbox Junk {
    auto = subscribe
    special_use = \Junk
  }
  mailbox NotJunk {
    auto = subscribe
  }
  mailbox Sent {
    special_use = \Sent
  }
  mailbox "Sent Messages" {
    special_use = \Sent
  }
  mailbox Trash {
    special_use = \Trash
  }
  prefix = 
}
passdb {
  driver = pam
}
passdb {
  args = /etc/dovecot/dovecot-sql.conf.ext
  driver = sql
}
ssl_cert = </etc/ssl/certs/dovecot.pem
ssl_key = </etc/ssl/private/dovecot.pem
userdb {
  driver = passwd
}
userdb {
  args = /etc/dovecot/dovecot-sql.conf.ext
  driver = sql
}
userdb {
  args = uid=vpopmail gid=postfix home=/usr/local/virtual/%u
  driver = static
}

I have also tried:

userdb {
  args = uid=vpopmail gid=postfix
  driver = static
}

sql users all have their mail in

/usr/local/virtual/lists@*munged*

$ ls -lsd /usr/local/virtual/lists\@*munged* 
8 drwxr-xr-x  12 vpopmail  postfix  512 Aug 14 21:40
/usr/local/virtual/lists\@*munged*

[New thread because the old one's original issue is solved]

-- 
BUGS: There is no conversion specification for the phase of the moon."
strftime(3) man page

On 15 Aug 2013, at 11:29 , LuKreme <kremels at kreme.com> wrote:
> attempts to login result in:
> 
> dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<lists@*munged*>, method=PLAIN,
rip=ip.xx.yy.zz, lip=75.148.117.91, mpid=75104, TLS,
session=<cBjCqf/jdwAXGJaN>
> dovecot: imap(lists@*munged*): Error: user lists@*munged*: Couldn't
drop privileges: User is missing UID (see mail_uid setting)
> dovecot: imap(lists@*munged*): Error: Internal error occurred. Refer to
server log for more information.
Turned on the debug and this is what I see:

Aug 15 13:16:45 auth-worker(77340): Debug: sql(lists@*munged*,ip.xx.yy.zz):
query: select password from mailbox where username ='lists@*munged*'
Aug 15 13:16:45 auth: Debug: client passdb out: OK	1	user=lists@*munged*
Aug 15 13:16:45 auth: Debug: master in: REQUEST	2891186177	77374	1
a2bde9e07ec4034dff654566596e062f	session_pid=77375
Aug 15 13:16:45 auth-worker(77340): Debug: passwd(lists@*munged*,ip.xx.yy.zz):
lookup
Aug 15 13:16:45 auth-worker(77340): Info: passwd(lists@*munged*,ip.xx.yy.zz):
unknown user
Aug 15 13:16:45 auth-worker(77340): Debug: sql(lists@*munged*,ip.xx.yy.zz):
select maildir from mailbox where username = 'lists@*munged*'
Aug 15 13:16:45 auth: Debug: master userdb out: USER	2891186177	lists@*munged*
maildir=lists@*munged*/	auth_token=8016448b78ce6682d24f056ad695b2158bac7ee2
Aug 15 13:16:45 imap-login: Info: Login: user=<lists@*munged*>,
method=PLAIN, rip=ip.xx.yy.zz, lip=75.148.117.91, mpid=77375, TLS,
session=<1hadUAHk7AAXGJaN>
Aug 15 13:16:45 imap(lists@*munged*): Error: user lists@*munged*: Couldn't
drop privileges: User is missing UID (see mail_uid setting)
Aug 15 13:16:45 imap(lists@*munged*): Error: Internal error occurred. Refer to
server log for more information.

a successful userdb for a local user looks like this:

Aug 15 13:16:44 auth: Debug: client passdb out: OK	1	user=kremels
Aug 15 13:16:44 auth: Debug: master in: REQUEST	3532521473	77365	1
4ebb0de2b83c3e2603bc3e3ffca59d73	session_pid=77370
Aug 15 13:16:44 auth-worker(77340): Debug: passwd(kremels,ip.xx.yy.zz): lookup
Aug 15 13:16:44 auth: Debug: master userdb out: USER	3532521473	kremels
system_groups_user=kremels	uid=1004	gid=1004	home=/home/kremels
auth_token=60c1bb537e93229108f3aeceff78bfad811f5b62
Aug 15 13:16:44 imap-login: Info: Login: user=<kremels>, method=PLAIN,
rip=ip.xx.yy.zz, lip=75.148.117.91, mpid=77370, TLS,
session=<Pp6LUAHk6QAXGJaN>
Aug 15 13:16:44 auth: Debug: client in: AUTH	1	PLAIN	service=imap	secured
session=VLKQUAHk6gAXGJaN	lip=75.148.117.91	rip=ip.xx.yy.zz	lport=993	rport=55018
resp=<hidden>

What is not shown is the full path to the maildir, just the maildir value
returned from the sql query. It really really looks like this should be working
and like the

userdb {
  driver = static
  args = uid=vpopmail gid=postfix home=/usr/local/virtual/%u
}

block is just not having the desired effect.

I've been at this for the better part of two days now, and have read
hundreds (if not thousands) of web pages. I don't know what I am missing.

-- 
Belief is one of the most powerful organic forces in the multiverse. It
may not be able to move mountains, exactly. But it can create someone
who can.