dovecot - Feb 2019 - Troubles with Dovecot 2.3.3 - mkdir permission denied due to +w perm: /var, dir owned by 0:0 mode=0755)

Hi,
I am quite new to Dovecot and I followed a tutorial on Linode to set up
Dovecot, Postfix and MySql on the following site:-
https://www.linode.com/docs/email/postfix/email-with-postfix-dovecot-and-mysql/

Everything seems to work fine(telnet etc) except dovecot does not create
mailboxes.
Highly appreciate if someone could check the error messages and the dovecot
-n on the bottom and provide some advise. I was unable to get the SQL
config but I don't think its related to SQL but more of permission related.
Please help

Thanks
Kevin



Dovecot Version: 2.3.3
Error Message:
Feb 22 08:54:42 computer dovecot[2224]:
imap(email1 at example.com)<4452><TTHt3nuC+rIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>:
Server shutting down. in=16 out=539 deleted=0 expunged=0 trashed=0
hdr_count=0 hdr_bytes=0 body_count=0 body_bytes=0
Feb 22 08:54:42 computer dovecot[4870]: master: Dovecot v2.3.3 (dcead646b)
starting up for imap, pop3
Feb 22 08:55:06 computer dovecot[4872]: imap-login: Login: user=<
email1 at example.com>, method=PLAIN, rip=::1, lip=::1, mpid=4878, secured,
session=<PfIL8HuCnLMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>
Feb 22 08:55:14 computer dovecot[4872]:
imap(email1 at example.com)<4878><PfIL8HuCnLMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>:
Error: mkdir(/var/vmail/email1 at example.com/Maildir) failed: Permission
denied (euid=5000(vmail) egid=5000(vmail) missing +w perm: /var, dir owned
by 0:0 mode=0755)
Feb 22 08:55:14 computer dovecot[4872]:
imap(email1 at example.com)<4878><PfIL8HuCnLMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>:
Error: mkdir(/var/vmail/email1 at example.com/Maildir) failed: Permission
denied (euid=5000(vmail) egid=5000(vmail) missing +w perm: /var, dir owned
by 0:0 mode=0755)
Feb 22 08:55:14 computer dovecot[4872]:
imap(email1 at example.com)<4878><PfIL8HuCnLMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>:
Error: Mailbox INBOX: Failed to autocreate mailbox: Internal error
occurred. Refer to server log for more information. [2019-02-22 08:55:14]
Feb 22 09:25:14 computer dovecot[4872]:
imap(email1 at example.com)<4878><PfIL8HuCnLMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>:
Disconnected for inactivity in=16 out=546 deleted=0 expunged=0 trashed=0
hdr_count=0 hdr_bytes=0 body_count=0 body_bytes=0



Output of dovecot -n :

# 2.3.3 (dcead646b): /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf
# OS: Linux 4.20.10-200.fc29.x86_64 x86_64 Fedora release 29 (Twenty Nine)
# Hostname: computer
auth_mechanisms = plain login
mail_location = maildir:~/Maildir
mail_privileged_group = mail
mbox_write_locks = fcntl
namespace inbox {
  inbox = yes
  location   mailbox Drafts {
    special_use = \Drafts
  }
  mailbox Junk {
    special_use = \Junk
  }
  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
}
postmaster_address = postmaster at example.com
protocols = imap pop3
service auth-worker {
  user = vmail
}
service auth {
  unix_listener /var/spool/postfix/private/auth {
    group = postfix
    mode = 0666
    user = postfix
  }
  unix_listener auth-userdb {
    mode = 0600
    user = vmail
  }
  user = dovecot
}
service imap-login {
  inet_listener imap {
    port = 143
  }
  inet_listener imaps {
    port = 993
    ssl = yes
  }
}
service lmtp {
  unix_listener /var/spool/postfix/private/dovecot-lmtp {
    group = postfix
    mode = 0600
    user = postfix
  }
}
service pop3-login {
  inet_listener pop3 {
    port = 0
  }
  inet_listener pop3s {
    port = 995
    ssl = yes
  }
}
ssl = required
ssl_cert = </etc/pki/dovecot/certs/dovecot.pem
ssl_cipher_list = PROFILE=SYSTEM
ssl_key = # hidden, use -P to show it
userdb {
  driver = passwd
}
userdb {
  args = uid=vmail gid=vmail home=/var/vmail/%u
  driver = static
}
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* Kunal A. via dovecot:
> Error: mkdir(/var/vmail/email1 at example.com/Maildir) failed: Permission
> denied (euid=5000(vmail) egid=5000(vmail) missing +w perm: /var, dir owned
> by 0:0 mode=0755)
The error message seems pretty clear. User 'vmail' does not have write
permissions for /var, which is owned by 'root'. I suggest you create
/var/vmail and grant the necessary permissions there.

-Ralph

Dear Ralph,
Ah! You are right. My eyes are not working correctly. I kept thinking I was
reading /va/mail/vmail etc.
Sorry for this and thank you very much for catching it!
Cheers

On Fri, Feb 22, 2019 at 2:17 PM Ralph Seichter via dovecot <
dovecot at dovecot.org> wrote:
> * Kunal A. via dovecot:
>
> > Error: mkdir(/var/vmail/email1 at example.com/Maildir) failed:
Permission
> > denied (euid=5000(vmail) egid=5000(vmail) missing +w perm: /var, dir
> owned
> > by 0:0 mode=0755)
>
> The error message seems pretty clear. User 'vmail' does not have
write
> permissions for /var, which is owned by 'root'. I suggest you
create
> /var/vmail and grant the necessary permissions there.
>
> -Ralph
>
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