doveconf(1)
Display and validate Dovecot configuration settings.
Synopsis
doveconf [OPTION]... [SETTING]...Description
doveconf displays the effective Dovecot configuration by reading and parsing configuration files, then outputting settings in a normalized format. It can validate configuration syntax, expand variables, and show default values without requiring Dovecot to be running.
When no settings are specified, all configuration is displayed. You can query specific settings by name, use wildcards, or filter by protocol. This is useful for debugging configuration issues, verifying settings before restarting Dovecot, and scripting configuration queries.
Common options
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
-n | Show only non-default settings that differ from built-in defaults |
-a | Show all settings including defaults (default behavior without -n) |
-c <config-file> | Use an alternative configuration file instead of default /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf |
-s | Separate output sections with a single blank line |
-x | Expand variables and show actual values (e.g., %h becomes /home/user) |
-t | Test configuration for syntax errors without displaying settings |
-p <protocol> | Show configuration for specific protocol (imap, pop3, lmtp, sieve, etc.) |
-f <filter> | Show only settings matching the filter pattern |
-O | Show configuration in output format suitable for reload |
Examples
Display entire effective Dovecot configuration
doveconfShow only non-default settings that have been customized
doveconf -nDisplay the mail_location setting with variables expanded to actual paths
doveconf -x mail_locationValidate syntax of the configuration file without displaying output
doveconf -c /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf -tShow IMAP protocol-specific configuration for the imap service
doveconf -p imap service imapDisplay all settings matching the auth* pattern (all auth-related settings)
doveconf -f 'auth*'Show non-default SSL settings with variables expanded
doveconf -x -n | grep sslDisplay passdb (password database) configuration settings
doveconf passdb